Asembly Report for February 12, 2008

CLIMBING THE GREASY POLE OF POWER: MIKE ABBOTT IS THE NEW MUNICIPAL MANAGER: After toiling five years in the Begich administration, Mike Abbott made it to the top of the greasy pole of power when he was recently selected to replace retiring municipal manager, Denis LeBlanc. Subject to Assembly confirmation on February 12, 2008, Abbott has already assumed his duities in the same office he has worked out of since 2003.

CLAMAN/SULLIVAN SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT PLAN SHOT DOWN; West Anchorage’s Matt Claman Tuesday night withdrew his quirky support for Dan Sullivan’s renewed effort to re write the Home Rule Charter by setting terms for Assembly members at three years, regardless of whether they are elected from single member or multi member districts. The Charter currently requires Assembly terms of three years unless all members represent single member districts, in which case terms of Assembly members are two years. Approval of charter amendment by the voters would have made it easier to convince the Assembly to later carve out eleven single member districts, an action that could take place as early as next year. Because the measure contains a charter amendment; eight votes were required for passage. The measure failed by a vote of 6-5 and will not appear on the spring ballot.

ASSEMBLY GOES WILD AND APPROVES A NEW STRIP BAR DOWNTOWN: By a lopsided vote of 10 - 1, the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday night granted Carol and Kathy Hartman permission to open a new 83 seat strip bar right on the busiest highway at the doorstep of downtown Anchorage. Located across from Merril Field, the new adult strip club is ideally located for bush travelers passing through one of the country’s busiest commercial airports.

In addition to excellent access by highway and by air, Downtown’s newest watering hole offers patrons the convenience of two nearby restaurants that also serve and wine, an underage teen strip club known as the Showboat, an adult "toy" and bookstore, and even a busy motel. An existing Bar, Club Elixer, will remain open in the building occupied by Fantasies. Although present at Tuesday’s meeting, the president of the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau voiced no objection to the growing concentration of beverage dispensaries and adult uses only minutes away from the city’s new $100M Civic and Convention Center.

According to the Assembly’s resolution, the Hartmans must comply with the narrative and floor plan submitted with their application for a liquor permit. That narrative describes "a facility that will meet the definition of ‘indecent material’ or ‘adult entertainment’ . . or . . Adult Oriented Establishment.". The floor plans also show areas reserved for lap dances. While adult strip clubs are legal under state and local law, Sec.3 (2) of the Assembly resolution requires that all uses "shall conform to the plans and narrative submitted with [the] . . . application, including the first floor seating plan for eighty-three occupants." Does this Assembly resolution actually mean that the Hartmans are now legally required to operate a strip club at 1911 E 5th or face legal action by the city? Because the Assembly voted to prohibit any floor debate on the application, this question was never asked.

The Assembly even refused to allow Deputy Police Chief Ross Plummer speak about or answer questions about the 198 police calls to 1911 E.5th during 2006 or the 218 police calls to the building during 2007. APD was not allowed by assembly members to address the dozens of assaults, disturbances, drug and alcohol crimes reported in the Clubs during the past two years. Despite the Assembly’s action, however, Club Elixir and Fantasies remain "off limits" to military personnel from Elmendorf and Ft. Richardson because of what commanders characterize as "problems associated with firearms and gang violence" occurring there. Although the Army and Air Force send thousands of Alaskans to Iraq and Afganistan, but will prosecute the same servicemen under the Uniform Code of Military Justice if they are caught in Elixir or Fantasies!

Reaching a new low in its "deliberative process", Assembly members acted on the license without allowing any debate of the matter among themselves or discussion with staff. Voting in favor the new club were Assembly members Shiela Selkregg, Dick Traini, Matt Claaman, Dan Coffey, Dan Sullivan, Jennifer Johnston, Debbie Ossiander, Bill Starr, Paul Bauer, and Chris Birch.

CLEAN ELECTIONS VOTE POSTPONED: The Assembly on Tuesday agreed to postpone until February 26, 2008, action on AR 2007-300 which would support the Clean Elections initiative. That initiative is headed to the November, 2008 ballot. While no formal public hearing on the resolution will be held, the public may address the Assembly on February 26th by filing by calling the City Clerk at 343-4311 to file an "appearance request" in order to speak to the Assembly. The Clean Elections Initiative does not apply to elections for municipal offices, the question remains whether Anchorage residents or the municipal government itself have sufficient interest in clean government at the state level for the Assembly to express its opinion in the matter.

YOUR PAPERS PLEASE, ROUND 3: Paul Bauer finally won a minor victory Tuesday night in his crusade against illegal immigrants in Anchorage. By a vote of 8-2, the Assembly approved a resolution (AR 2008-20) to support SB 215 and HB 3, in the legislature which would require proof of US citizenship or lawful residency before state IDs or drivers licenses are issued.. Mr. Bauer was unable to explain how the State would administer the new law, particularly with respect to rural Alaskans who may not have traveled outside of the country or obtained US passports. Bauer could not explain what is "valid documentary evidence" sufficient to obtain an ID or driver’s licence. Eager to pass Mr. Bauer’s resolution, however, Assembly members refused to refer the matter to the Assembly’s public safety committee to answer these questions. Instead the Assembly voted to cut off further discussion of this State issue and to approve the Bauer resolution. Assembly member Matt Claman was absent; only Assembly members Selkregg and Tesche opposed.

THE WAL MART WALLOW: After the superior court recently tossed out its decision in October, 2006 to rezone 53.52 acres in Muldoon for a new Wal Mart, the Assembly hasn’t really decided what to do: A work session held on Friday, February 8 produced no real plan of action or direction. A motion made by Assembly member Dick Traini late Tuesday night to send the entire matter back to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission for further review stalled when the Assembly instead voted to postpone action on the matter until next month when it could first huddle with city lawyers in executive session to decide what to do next.

$100M BOND PACKAGE HEADS TO THE VOTERS: The Assembly approved a package of ballot propositions for the April 1, 2008 regular election totaling $100.6M. Included in the package are $34.3M for reconstruction of Chester Valley Elementary School, the Girdwood K-8 School and Sand Lake Elementary School. $9.4M is proposed for district wide facilities renovation, $$44.8M for roads, $6.9M for facilities renovation including the Sullivan Arena . $3.6M for Fire capital improvements, and $1.6M for public safety and transportation improvements is planned.

An interesting sideshow on Assembly member Dan Sullivan’s financial interest in the project distracted the Assembly for almost an hour on Tuesday night. After hearing a financial disclosure from Mr. Sullivan about the value of his investment in McGinley’s Irish Pub on G St, and several opinions from lawyers present, the Assembly voted 6-4 that Mr. Sullivan has a "substantial financial interest" in the matter and directed him not to vote on a proposition he offered to segregate bonds proposed for construction of the E St. Corridor. The Assembly elected to keep the E St. bond within the larger road bond package.

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WHOSE RUNNING IN THE SPRING ELECTIONS? At the close of business last Friday, the following candidates are running in the spring election for Assembly and school boarad:

Eagle River: Bill Starr (incumbent)
Anthony Lemons

West Anchorage: Harriet A. Drummond
Bert Hoak
Sherri R. Jackson

Midtown Anchorage: Dick Traini (incumbent)
Elvi Gray-Jackson

East Anchorage: Jeremy Baker
Paul Bauer (incumbent)
Mike Gutierrez

South Anchorage: Chris Birch (Incumbent)
Jesse Busick
Mike Kenny

School Board Seat C : Jim Bailey
David Boyle
David Dunsmore
Pat Higgins
Leigh Carrigan
Gilbert Sanchez
Steve Pratt
Kathleen Plunkett
Scott Pryde

School Board Seat D: Toni L. Truelove
John Steiner (Incumbent)
James LaBelle