Assembly Report for May 22, 2007

MAGGIE GETS A LIFT FROM THE ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY: Maggie, the ever controversial centerpiece of the Alaska Zoo, gained a powerful ally Tuesday night when the Anchorage Assembly voted to recommend that the Zoo decide quickly whether the African elephant should be relocated to a warmer climate. Echoing growing community concerns over housing the elephant in a small concrete and steel cage at the Alaska Zoo in South Anchorage, Assembly members passed a resolution Tuesday night urging Zoo directors to decide the animal’s fate quickly, rather than wait for a meeting originally scheduled for later this summer, Authored by East Anchorage’s Sheila Selkregg, the resolution notes the availability of several larger outdoor facilities in warmer climates which house African elephants with "year -round, free access to a spacious outdoors area".

Two recent episodes in which a sickened Maggie was unable to rise to a standing position and had to be raised with the help of Anchorage firefighters have heightened fears she might die if she remains in her confined Alaska quarters. The death of another African elephant, Annabelle, at the zoo several years ago was attributed by some to the harsh Alaskan winter and cramped living quarters at the zoo.

Only Midtown’s Dick Traini did not vote on the resolution: Traini says his cell phone rang during the meeting and he was absent from the Assembly chambers when the vote was taken

ASSEMBLY BARS CONVICTED FELONS FROM LOCAL LOBBYING: Reacting to the widening federal probe into pubic corruption at the state level, Assembly member Dan Sullivan led his Assembly colleagues into the action Tuesday night with his proposal to bar convicted felons from registration as municipal lobbyists. An amended version of AO 2007-72(S) was passed by the Assembly barring any person convicted of a felony within the past ten years from registration as a municipal lobbyist. Assembly members spent forty minutes debating with Assembly counsel over the meaning of the term "egregious criminal conduct", ultimately deciding to use a more simple definition of the of the offense which would prohibit a lobbyist from registering with the municipality. Members also approved an amendment which limited application of the new law to felonies committed within the past ten years.

A second ethics ordinance which would have barred a species of "influence peddling" at the local level, was grounded by a barrage of criticism from Assembly counsel, Julia Tucker during Assembly debate Tuesday evening. The ordinance, AO 2007- 72, would have barred municipal officials from conditioning official action, including voting on the Assembly, on the hiring or firing of particular contractors, consultants, or lobbyists by persons having business before the city administration or assembly. Ms. Tucker’s objections and the Assembly’s indefinite postponement of AO 2007-72 leaves Assembly members and city employees free under the city’s ethics code to direct the hiring or firing of lobbyists and other professionals by persons who seek official action from the muncipality.

THANKS TO STATE LEGISLATORS, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING DOWN: Recent action by the Alaska legislature will drive down tax bills going out to Anchorage homeowners for 2007. Here are the numbers. SB 53 provides "general operational support" or revenue sharing of $13.6M and $15.3M to help defray the city’s unfunded pension costs, for a total of $28.9M. By Assembly resolution, these funds, together with monies appropriated last yar, total $37.1M which will be credited against 2007 property tax bills which in turn will be reduced by an amount equal to 1.27 mills. For the owner of an average single family home ($286,000) this equates to a 2007 tax bill which is lower by approximately $363.