Assembly Report for March 27, 2007
JANICE TO TRAFFIC SCOFFLAWS: THOSE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING: Introduced Tuesday night is departing Assembly member Janice Shamberg’s last piece of legislation: an ordinance which would prohibit an individual from driving any car on the public streets in Anchorage if he or she has accumulated $1,00 or more in delinquent traffic citations for moving violations. According to Shamberg, enforcement of the new law would begin only if the state legislature authorizes local enactment and it would be enforced by vehicle impoundment and possible forfeiture. APD is said to favor the new law as an additional means to separate gang members from their rides. Public hearing is set on the ordinance for April 10th.
ELECTION NOW ONE WEEK AWAY: If you don’t watch the news on television or listen to talk radio for the latest rant, you might not know we are only one week away from yet another city election. Voters on April 3rd will elect six Assembly members, two school board members, decide the fate of about $134.3M in roads, school, parks, and other bonds. Voters will also decide whether to repeal the city’s popular smoking ban which will extend to bars and bingo on October 1st as well as most other enclosed public spaces and workplaces. A companion state ballot will also give voters the chance to "advise" lawmakers to consider a constitutional amendment denying health benefits to same sex spouses or partners of state employees.
With only two notable dustups, election 2007 has been relatively quiet. Reported here last week, Assembly member Paul Bauer filed and promptly broadcast ethics charges against Mayor Mark Begich for the mayor’s alleged failure to disclose his interest in property his wife owns on E Street, downtown. According to Bauer, the mayor might indirectly benefit from the E St corridor project. Problems quickly arose with Bauer’s charges, however: The mayor’s interest in his wife’s business was properly disclosed on annual filings made with the city clerk. Unlike its role in deciding potential conflicts by assembly members, the assembly does not decide on potential conflicts by executive branch employees in matters coming before the assembly. By making his charges public, Bauer himself may have violated the same code’s confidentiality provisions. From his own press release, Bauer’s motive for taking on the mayor and first lady Deb Bonito is clear: He voted against the E St. Corridor Project, and disagrees with the mayor’s (and assembly’s) decision to include the $8M Strawberry road project in the April 3rd ballot.
SULLIVAN APPOINTS HIMSELF TO AMATS POLICY COMMITTEE: Passed quietly on the Assembly’s consent agenda Tuesday night was an obscure memorandum (AM 200-2007) authored by Dan Sullivan appointing himself to one of the two Assembly seats on the five member AMATS policy committee. Under federal law, the committee consists of the mayor, two assembly members, and two state commissioners. AMATS is responsible for policy decisions on major road projects in the Anchorage area that are funded with federal dollars. Sullivan’s appointment is retroactive to January 1, 2007.
DAN COFFEY SPINS IN TRAFFIC AT LAKE OTIS AND TUDOR; WHERE HE WILL LAND, NOBODY KNOWS: Echoing his opponent Elvi Gray Jackson’s position in a hard fought bid for re-election, Dan Coffey said Lake Otis & Tudor "is one of the worst, if not the worst intersections in the Municipality of Anchorage in terms of traffic congestion" and urged members to pass a resolution restoring priority status to the project under the city’s transportation plan. Minutes later, however, Coffey urged members to postpone action on his resolution until April 17th in order for him to read yet another engineering study. Coffey had originally supported the project, and then later led fellow conservatives in removing the project’s priority under the plan. Two weeks ago, he announced that he now wants to proceed with the project. The resolution he offered on Tuesday confirmed a second change in his position. His surprising request to delay action on his resolution Tuesday night, however, suggests he may be changing his mind for the third time on this project. Only Allan Tesche voted against Coffey’s motion to delay action on his resolution.
ELECTION NOW ONE WEEK AWAY: If you don’t watch the news on television or listen to talk radio for the latest rant, you might not know we are only one week away from yet another city election. Voters on April 3rd will elect six Assembly members, two school board members, decide the fate of about $134.3M in roads, school, parks, and other bonds. Voters will also decide whether to repeal the city’s popular smoking ban which will extend to bars and bingo on October 1st as well as most other enclosed public spaces and workplaces. A companion state ballot will also give voters the chance to "advise" lawmakers to consider a constitutional amendment denying health benefits to same sex spouses or partners of state employees.
With only two notable dustups, election 2007 has been relatively quiet. Reported here last week, Assembly member Paul Bauer filed and promptly broadcast ethics charges against Mayor Mark Begich for the mayor’s alleged failure to disclose his interest in property his wife owns on E Street, downtown. According to Bauer, the mayor might indirectly benefit from the E St corridor project. Problems quickly arose with Bauer’s charges, however: The mayor’s interest in his wife’s business was properly disclosed on annual filings made with the city clerk. Unlike its role in deciding potential conflicts by assembly members, the assembly does not decide on potential conflicts by executive branch employees in matters coming before the assembly. By making his charges public, Bauer himself may have violated the same code’s confidentiality provisions. From his own press release, Bauer’s motive for taking on the mayor and first lady Deb Bonito is clear: He voted against the E St. Corridor Project, and disagrees with the mayor’s (and assembly’s) decision to include the $8M Strawberry road project in the April 3rd ballot.
Only one Assembly race has melted some snow: the midtown race between incumbent Dan Coffey and challenger Elvi Gray- Jackson. Although he is outspending Grey- Jackson and apparently holding on to a lead in the polls, Coffey is saddled with unusually high negative ratings among voters sampled. And then there is the web site: About a week ago, Grey- Jackson lit up a website, http://www.dancoffeyconflicts.com/ which focuses on Coffey’s record on the Assembly during the past three years. "Old news", Coffey bawled to a reporter, claiming the site was the work of pollster Ivan Moore and Assemblyman Allan Tesche who have him in their sights. Of Moore and Tesche, Coffey told Kyle Hopkins of the News on March 22nd, "you’ll never meet a nastier couple than those two." Midtown voters will have the final word on this one.
SULLIVAN APPOINTS HIMSELF TO AMATS POLICY COMMITTEE: Passed quietly on the Assembly’s consent agenda Tuesday night was an obscure memorandum (AM 200-2007) authored by Dan Sullivan appointing himself to one of the two Assembly seats on the five member AMATS policy committee. Under federal law, the committee consists of the mayor, two assembly members, and two state commissioners. AMATS is responsible for policy decisions on major road projects in the Anchorage area that are funded with federal dollars. Sullivan’s appointment is retroactive to January 1, 2007.
DAN COFFEY SPINS IN TRAFFIC AT LAKE OTIS AND TUDOR; WHERE HE WILL LAND, NOBODY KNOWS: Echoing his opponent Elvi Gray Jackson’s position in a hard fought bid for re-election, Dan Coffey said Lake Otis & Tudor "is one of the worst, if not the worst intersections in the Municipality of Anchorage in terms of traffic congestion" and urged members to pass a resolution restoring priority status to the project under the city’s transportation plan. Minutes later, however, Coffey urged members to postpone action on his resolution until April 17th in order for him to read yet another engineering study. Coffey had originally supported the project, and then later led fellow conservatives in removing the project’s priority under the plan. Two weeks ago, he announced that he now wants to proceed with the project. The resolution he offered on Tuesday confirmed a second change in his position. His surprising request to delay action on his resolution Tuesday night, however, suggests he may be changing his mind for the third time on this project. Only Allan Tesche voted against Coffey’s motion to delay action on his resolution.
ACTION ON PORTIONS OF TITLE 21 DELAYED UNTIL APRIL 10TH: Public hearings on four chapters of the new Title 21 (chapters 21.01, 21.02, 21.08, and 21.13) concluded Tuesday evening. The four chapters deal with subdivision standards, general provisions, land use boards and commissions, enforcement. Minutes before Tuesday’s meeting began, Assembly members were given complete revisions to these chapters prepared by Assembly members Debbie Ossiander and Dan Coffey intended to replace earlier versions of the same chapters prepared by the municipal administration and its consultants. The Assembly considered and approved a number of floor amendments before running out of time and continued action on these chapters to April 10, 2007.
A truly bizarre resolution written by Dan Coffey and Debbie Ossiander on Title 21 was left on the table for Assembly action on April 10th. The resolution would label all work done by the assembly on Title 21 to date as only "provisional" and not legally binding until the pair rewrites the remaining portions of the title.. Passage of this resolution would give Ossiander and Coffey the right to claim "progress" on a project they have talked to death for almost three years. The resolution would also shield them from any real damage they have managed to do to the city’s land use code so far by giving lawyers a chance to argue their work is not the "law of the land" until Ossiader and Coffey say so. Land use lawyers will love arguing this one before the city’s land use boards and in court.
posted by Allan Tesche @ 11:57 PM
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