Assembly Report for May 16, 2006

SIGN ORDINANCE ROLLED BACK: Assembly conservatives finally delivered on Dan Sullivan’s promise to roll back key reforms made by a previous assembly to the city’s sign code. By a vote of 7- 3 (Chris Birch was absent) members repealed or relaxed a number of restrictions on signs previously recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the Assembly in 2003. Gone are provisions which required amortization (phase out) of large pole signs by October, 2006 and a variety of restrictions on use of electronic signs. Temporary signs, including, banners, baloons, ribbons, and streamers are coming back as "decorative displays". Poster advertisements and window signs once popular with liquor and convenience stores are returning. Even roof signs, once popular thirty years ago, are coming back if they meet certain size limitations, along with rotating signs. Businesses will no longer be limited to no more than two freestanding signs on street frontages.

An amendment offered by Dan Coffey to prohibit use of balloons, ribbons, and streamers used by auto dealers failed.. Car dealers including the Morrison Auto Group who supported Sullivan’s ordinance, are now free to bring those "decorations" out of the closet, on to their lots, and into the sky. Voting in favor of the Sullivan ordinance were Assembly members Sullivan, Fairclough,Coffey, Ossiander, Stout, Traini, and Bauer.

HEATED SIDEWALKS COMING DOWNTOWN: Passage of AO 2006-49 on Tuesday night expanded the city’s so called "bonus point" system which governs new projects downtown to allow incentives to developers who install heated sidewalks. Bonus points reward developers greater leeway in meeting dimensional and design standards if they install optional amenities such as landscaping and now, heated sidewalks. Sponsored by Mayor Begich, Allan Tesche, and Dan Coffey, the ordinance passed unanimously.

ASSEMBLY, MAYOR, LAUD LEGISLATIVE GRANTS TO ANCHORAGE: The state legislature drew a warm round of applause from the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday night for passage of capital budget and operating budget grants totaling $281M. Most of Anchorage’s highest priority road projects, totaling $86M were funded as well as $23.6M in state assistance for energy assistance and help to offset public employee retirement costs. By Assembly resolution and with the help of Mayor Begich, revenue sharing grants to the municipality will be used to offset local property taxes, but without reducing the allowable "tax cap" which limits the amount in taxes Anchorage may collect each year. For a detailed list of legislative appropriations made to the Municipality, go to the city’s web site at http://muni.org/homepage/index.cfm or to the Clerk’s website at http://www.muni.org/assembly2/index.cfm