Assembly Report for August 9, 2005

NEW RESTAURANT OPENS IN SHIP CREEK AUGUST 19. Featuring Euro-Asian fusion cusine in an upscale setting, The Bridge opens at Ship Creek next week. Diners will enjoy an excellent view of America's premier urban fishery.

---

DESIGN FUNDING APPROVED FOR LAKE OTIS AND TUDOR: The Assembly awarded $944,000 to DOWL Engineers to design improvements necessary to reduce congestion at the notorious Lake Otis and Tudor intersection. Over a five year period, the work will include a design study, preparation of design documents, public process, and engineering services during construction. When completed, the new intersection will have two through lanes in all directions, enhanced turning lanes, together with pedestrian amenities and (gasp) even landscaping. Voters approved road bonds for this project last April. Voting against the contract and the project were Paul Bauer, Dan Sullivan, Anna Fairclough, and Debbie Ossiander.

City Hall was also pleased to find $10M for Lake Otis & Tudor tucked away in a huge federal highway funding bill recently shepherded through Congress by Alaska Congressman Don Young.


ASSEMBLY AWARDS DESIGN CONTRACT FOR “E” ST. PEDESTRIAN CORRIDOR: The Assembly awarded a $495,000 contract for architectural, design, and planning for the E St. Corridor. Starting at the Alaska Railroad’s new intermodal terminal in Ship Creek and ending at the Park Strip on 9th Ave., the E St. Corridor will link the new civic and convention center, the museum expansion, the Town Square makeover, with a pedestrian friendly boulevard and new amenities. Only Anna Fairclough voted against the project.

ASSEMBLY MEMBERS WANT CLEAN, ENERGY EFFICIENT GAS TURBINE AT ML&: At ML&P's Ship Creek Plant, a tired old power generator recently sputtered to a halt. ML&P brass want to replace the unit with a similar unit designed back in the '60s when Lyndon Johnson was President. Newer “combined cycle” gas turbines produce electricity with twice the efficiency of the older units and a better environmental track record. An ordinance (AO 2005-108) introduced by Allan Tesche , Dick Traini, Dan Coffey, and Ken Stout would require ML&P to use the newer, more energy efficient combined cycle technology at the Ship Creek Plant. An added feature of the new unit is waste steam to heat buildings and walkways in Ship Creek and downtown Anchorage, using underground steam pipes abandoned when the old Ship Creek power plant shut down in 1985. The ordinance will be heard on September 13th.

MAYOR OFFERS NEW MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY FOR WATER, WASTEWATER UTILITY: A new management Authority may take the reins at Anchorage Water and Waste Water Utility (AWWU). At the mayor’s urging, the Assembly introduced AO 2005-107 which would create a public authority headed by a seven member board of directors to operate AWWU “as an instrument of the municipality, but . . . independently and separately from the municipality.” Within set limits, the new authority would follow its own purchasing, personnel, and operations rules, but preserve the Assembly’s role in approving annual budgets, utility bonds, tariffs, and right of way acquisition. Jealous of their own oversight of AWWU, some members of the Assembly are expected to question the Mayors’ proposal closely. Others, when reassured that AO 2005-107 won’t strip away the Assembly’s power will naturally ask the mayor how the new management structure will nevertheless improve the utility’s performance. A public hearing is set for September 13, 2005.

CREEKSIDE TOWN CENTER PROJECT PROCEEDS The Assembly awarded a $1,533,015 contract to Palmerco Construction for reconstruction of the intersection of 16th Ave. and Muldoon Road. The project is an important first step in construction of the new Creekside Town Center at Muldoon and De Barr and a new Middle School. Federal funds are already in place to complete the remainder of the southern "wishbone" of the new roadway which will link DeBarr to E. 16th Ave.

NO ACTION ON A 5th AVE. FANTASY: A crowded agenda forced the the Assembly to postpone until August 30th a public hearing on a request by the Setter Bar on 5th Ave. to modify a conditional use permit to allow the bar to move into a larger space on the 2nd floor of the building. The building also houses an underage strip cub selling only soft drinks. The two clubs are currently separated only by an inside picture window which gives older patrons of the bar an tantalizing view of the teen dancers in the adjoining room. The new remodeled building affords bar patrons a bird’s eye view (through a glass ceiling) of the young dancers on the first floor of the building.

ACTION ON LONGEVITY PAY CUT STALLS: For the second time, the Assembly delayed action on an ordinance recommended by the Mayor which would eliminate so called "service recognizion pay" in personnel rules for some non-represented employees. Service recognition pay is additional compensation for length of continuous service and is not tied to merit or performance. Municipal unions are watching this ordinance carefully to determine its effect on existing labor agreemts which incorporate city personnel rules.

ACTION ON METHAMPHETAMINES DELAYED A public hearing on AO 2005-98 which would limit bulk sales of popular cold remedies, such as Sudafed used to "cook" illegal methamphetamines has been postponed until August 30, 2005. The measure is identical to one now before the Mat Su Borough Assembly.

MEETING ENDS WITH TENTATIVE RESOLUTION TO RABBIT CREEK SURVEY MESS Polite, but firm opposition from Bear Valley residents to levy of$1.3M in special assessments kept Assembly members listening until the midnight hour on Tuesday night. Residents objected to massive cost overruns in municipal expenses in resurveying some 330 lots in Bear Valley, arguing the city, and not individual homeowners should have to pay for the overruns. Minutes before the meeting ended, Assembly members reduced the assessment by $450,000, reflecting reduction in legal fees spent by the former admistration members criticzed as unfair and excessive. Assembly action reduces the per lot charges owners will have to pay for correction of multiple mistakes made by a private surveyor who helped develop the subdivision. A final version of the resolution will return to the Assembly in two weeks.