Assembly Report for April 11, 2006

MARCHING TO THE SEA: New transmission towers erected by Chugach Electric in Muldoon march westward along Northern Lights to the sea. Residents of the area now occupied by the 90 ft. industrial towers are incensed and are protesting their presence in the neighborhood. Even the clerics of the Anchorage Baptist Temple are rumored to be organizing an insurgency against the occupation.

SULLIVAN SIGN ORDINANCE DRAWS A CROWD: The Assembly heard several hours of spirited public testimony but did not act on Dan Sullivan’s proposal to roll back major provisions of the city’s sign ordinance. (AO 2005-163) Another 20-30 persons lined up to whack an issue which has dogged the Assembly for the past 6 years. The public hearing is closed; the Assembly will hold a work session on April 28, 2006 and then bring the matter back for action on May 2, 2006.
Opponents of Sullivan’s rollbacks cited aesthetic reasons, safety, and quality of life to support current city sign codes. Supporters argued the large signs, like Cal Worthington’s serve as "lighthouses of safety", arguing that businesses will have to pay $200,000,000 to comply with current law and likened Anchorage signs to American flags, freedom and democracy itself. Sullivan would repeal the current amortization or phase out of outlawed "pole signs" and older signs that do not meet current dimensional requirements would be repealed, thereby allowing these nonconforming signs to rust in place, forever. Examples would include the airport parking sign on International Airport Road, the Outback sign on C St and those monster golden arches under which "Billions and Billions" of hamburgers have been served. Sullivan would also increase the allowable area of signs devoted to "changeable copy" (electronic messages) from 30% to 80%. He would also bring back those "rotating, moving, revolving signs inflatable signs and tethered balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers" favored by car dealers.

FUR FLIES OVER NEW DOWNTOWN MARTINI BAR: A delay in paperwork kept the Assembly from finishing a public hearing on a new conditional use permit for a new downtown martini bar at 7th and A St. across from the Anchorage Museum. Because assembly leaders want to take up both the conditional use permit application and the proposed liquor license transfer at the same time, they continued the public hearing to April 18th where the body is expected to take final action on the licence. Testimony from members and clergy from a Russian Orthodox church located less than 200 feet from the proposed martini bar revealed a potentially fatal flaw in the liquor licence application which Assembly members will address on April 18th. State law forbids location of new bars within 200 feet of churches holding regular religious services.

ASSEMBLY SPEAKS OUT ON NEW PETROLEUM TAX LAW CHANGES: Members unanimously passed a resolution supporting adoption of a new Petroleum Production Tax by the state legislature with two important recommendations: Any new PPT must protect against adverse consequences to the existing Cook Inlet tax structure which could affect production or gas prices in southcentral Alaska. With a new PPT, the assembly resolution repeats the Assembly’s longstanding support for reinstatement of state revenue sharing to Alaska’s communities and its concurrent pledge to use those new revenues for property tax relief. The Assembly resolution studiously avoids stating a local position or recommendation on the exact amount of any new PPT the legislature might enact.

MAMMOTH SOUTH ANCHORAGE REZONE WALLOWS: Assembly members again delayed final action on a large rezoning of 120 acres in South Anchorage on Tuesday night. Forest Heights, LLC had proposed zoning the property as R-7 with density limited to two units per acre. Residents in the area are challenging the action, by arguing traffic impacts, wildlife, and surface run off problems. Retired biologist Art Weiner says the area will look like a "moonscape" once the "digging and blasting" is completed in order to build the subdivision. The parcel is located off Goldenview Drive and is one of the largest, undeveloped tracts remaining within the municipality. The public hearing has long been closed; the ordinance will return to the Assembly for action on June 20, 2006. The written protest filed by residents d who live adjacent to the area has been accepted and requires a supermajorty vote of 8 assembly members to approve the rezoning. Members were told on Tuesday night the developer may have a new plan in the works for the property but no details were available.

FUSILLADE OF QUESTIONS GREETS ETHICS CODE REWRITE: Assembly members on Friday, April 7th greeted Ken Stout’s 50 page redraft of the city’s new ethics code with a fusillade of questions, "what ifs" and potential amendments during a work session when the new draft was announced. Evolving through five years of work by the city’s Board of Ethics, an earlier redraft by Mr. Stout and Assemblymember Allan Tesche which tanked last year after objections by Assembly conservatives last year, the lasted version was drafted "off line" by Assembly member Stout with the assistance of assembly counsel. Another work session on Stout’s draft (which has not yet been formally introduced) is scheduled for May 12th at 10:a.m.
While incorporating much of current law, Stout’s latest version would make several interesting changes: Registered lobbyists would be prohibited from making campaign contributions to candidates for municipal office; an elected municipal body such as the school board could not hire a professional lobbyist to work the Assembly; the handling of ethics complaints, while still largely shrouded in secret "investigatory" proceedings would be suspended 45 days before a municipal election in order to avoid use of the Ethics Board for politically motivated complaints; members would be prohibited from serving as a director of a utility such as Chugach Electric which provides the same service as a municipal utility such as ML&P. Meals valued in excess of $50.00 given to elected officials would have to be disclosed on forms in the Clerks’s office.

NEW FIREARMS ORDINANCE MEANT TO CONFORM TO STATE LAW: The Assembly passed AO 2006-39, to bring local laws into conformity with new state laws relaxing "concealed carry" requirements for firearms. Sponsored by Assembly member Dick Traini, AO 2006-39 ends debate among law enforcement officials and local gun enthusiasts over the extent to which Anchorage might stricter laws governing firearms, particularly in schools and public buildings. Only Pam Jennings voted against the ordinance; Dan Coffey was watching an Aces game and did not vote.