e e e e e meeting of the Anchorage assembly to order it's March 19th 2024 509 p.m. Madam clerk would you please call the role assembly member Myers here assembly member Martinez presid assembly member Rivera present assembly member branga here assembly member Johnson here chair constant here Vice chair zotel here assembly member cross here assembly member ven happy to be here assembly member broy here assembly member Sut here assembly member Perez Bia here and youth representative Tyrell here Mr chair you have a quorum thank you next on the agenda Pledge of Allegiance and land acknowledgement I'll be leading the pledge tonight I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you next we have minutes of previous meetings oh sorry Miss land acknowledgement sorry thank you a land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing the indigenous people of a place it is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy it is an actionable statement that marks our Collective movement towards decolonization and Equity the Anchorage assembly would like to acknowledge that we gathered today on the traditional lands of the denina athabaskans for thousands of years the denina have been and continue to be stewards of this land it is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions Innovations and contemporary perspectives of the upper Cook Inlet denina thank you next we have number four on the agenda minutes of previous meetings we do have one that's item 4 a continued regular meeting January 23rd 2024 continued to January 24th 2024 I'd like to ask for a motion to approve the minutes so move second motion by m zotel seconded by Mr Johnson any objection oh Myers I'm sorry Myers Mr Myers thank you for the CL clarification um I'm going to ask for unanimous consent any objection hearing and seeing none those minutes are adopted next we have the mayor's report Mr Mayor thank you Mr chair good evening everyone Thanks for participating in government tonight it has been a very busy few weeks and we have a lot of exciting things happening in our great Community first off I want to congratulate Dallas cie for winning uh his sixth idid Rod race making him the most decorated idid Rod mus uh musher in the races history his journey was not easy he came face to face with a moose on the trail and received a Time penal penalty yet still want went on to win the last great race so I just want to congratulate him on an amazing accomplishment another exciting event that was recently wrapped up was the Arctic Winter Games the mats who hosted the 2024 Arctic Winter Games even though many events were held here in Anchorage at Kincade Park in the Mac it was a week-long sport and cultural exchange with representation from Seven Arctic territories Deb and I had a wonderful time participating in the opening ceremony and I was honored to take part in the awards ceremony at Kincade Park to hand out some well-deserved medals congratulations to all of the athletes volunteers and participates and a job well done earlier this month I had the privilege of hosting the mayor's family skate night at the Sullivan Arena it was really exciting to be back skating on the ice in the Sully once again and even more so with families from around the community I want to give a special special shout out to Olympic gold medalist Keegan messing for joining us in the fun it was really a special time for everyone and I'm looking forward to more events at the Solan arena in the very near future in recent weeks my team and I have been actively engaged in dispersing the mayor's Community grants to deserving recipients this year my office allocated $400,000 in Grants to address uh crucial Community needs such as uh is Economic Opportunity work Force development education Public Safety and Social Services additionally just last week I had the privilege of awarding $100,000 to support our local Arts organizations the Arts Community holds a significant role in preserving and celebrating the rich tapestry of our diverse cultures traditions and histories through medium such as music dance visual arts literature and theater it is WID widely recognized that a vibrant Arts cultural culture has integral to fostering a strong and cohesive community and that's why I've consistently championed support for our Arts Community I look forward to seeing the positive and trans trans transformative impact of these grants will bring to our community speaking of art just yesterday uh Deb joined an young in Juno for the unveiling of the late Congressman Don Young portrait it is a beautiful portrait and will be placed right next to Ted Stevens portrait in the hall at the capital Don was a dear friend of mine and served as Alaska's sole representative for 49 years in the US Congress his portrait reminds us all of the good he did for all of Alaska and of the lasting Legacy he made in the House of Representatives turning to the official agenda for tonight we have an ordinance AO 202 24-31 up for public hearing concerning pay plans for non-represented employees Executives and public safety personnel within the municipality we've encountered significant challenges reg regarding Recruitment and Retention Central to these challenges is the issue of compensation currently the municipality's wage structure is not competitive and it is essential that we remunerate our employees fairly to ensure continued highquality service is delivered to our city historically our pay system hasn't effectively encouraged long-term retention and it's imperative that we address this our team has conducted a comprehensive analysis and has outlined a robust strategy for moving forward this strategy aims not only to provide Equitable compensation for a municipal Workforce but also to bolster Staffing levels across City departments this will enable us to deliver the timely and quality services our constituents deserve also on the agenda for public hearing tonight is a2024 d26 that propo proposes changes to the municipal code aimed at bolstering Public Safety and addressing the issue of homelessness en camp encampments in our city my Administration has been in close collaboration with APD the Anchorage coalition to end homelessness and the municipal attorney's office office to develop effective strategies for creating safer environments here in Anchorage this includes ensuring the safety of our tourists constituents and homeless individuals residing in these camps last summer several large homeless encampments in Anchorage raised significant safety and environmental concerns unfortunately due to limitations resulting from a ninth Circuit Court ruling and insufficient shelter capacity the city was unable to proactively address these issues that's why my my Administration introduced AO 202 24-26 if passed this ordinance will amend the municipal code to allow the city to regulate the sizes of homeless camps prohibit encampments within a certain proximity to licensed shelters designate safe parking areas for vehicular homeless camping and Empower us with more authority to address public health and safety concerns arising from homeless camps I appreciate the collaboration with the assembly on this legislation thus far and I am eager to continue working together to advance this policy our goal is to ensure that Downtown Anchorage remain safe and welcoming for both our community members and visitors that concludes my remarks Mr chair thank you next on the agenda is the chair's report good evening everybody welcome Happy Spring Equinox the light is back in fact walking in just before I entered the building it could smell the Cottonwood sap Rising it's getting sweet out there I hope everyone is enjoying and making good use of this growing daylight so I'd like to report briefly that myself and Miss Broly were in DC with the national league of cities this last week and in fact met up with Miss elel for a robust discussion with HUD uh we attended the conference had an opportunity to see the president speak and learned a lot from our uh sister and brother cities across the the nation cities towns and Villages and uh we did meet with almost all of the senior leadership of Hud um we were joined by members of our Congressional Delegation including the Chiefs of Staff of all the offices and in fact um Congress member pela sat in the meeting with us and really helped us to communicate the high priority of figuring out the HUD inequity in their Continuum of Care funding as well as other funding that is short changing Alaska while keeping other communities whole we're continuing to make progress on this and we're keeping the pressure up and I want to thank Senators Sullivan and marowski and representative pela for their strong participation in US attempting to get this question answered once and for all now I would like to stop speak briefly about the alcohol tax strategic plan we're several years into the new alcohol tax and the assembly is condu a strategic plan to help us better identify how to prioritize and fund work through the tax a team has been going to community meetings and other Gatherings to collect input from community members and they have a booth in the lobby tonight if you'd like to give your input I encourage you to visit the booth and learn more about the work that they're doing so on the topic of food for thought on Friday we welcomed Community Partners the Anchorage Folk Festival and the Sundown music festival with Showdown productions for the first time in our lunchtime work session series is called Food For Thought I call it also what's good Anchorage focus on the good things happening in our community so that we in more creative conversations can discuss the future roles of legislation so that we can help to build a brighter Community for our entire municipality following the beat of that drum I'm proud to announce that tonight folks when they eventually will be able to tune into to our meeting when it's actually streaming and on TV will enjoy the launch of we'll be back soon a program featuring local music on our music on our meeting broadcast when we break for intermissions program is amplifying the work of 12 local musicians through 20 songs that reflect the broad range of tone tenor and voice in our community from laughter and love to heartbreak and grief our community has been through a lot in the past few years music is a way to share in those feelings and find Common Ground I hope you enjoyed this new program the music has not been updated since the 1980s on to elections and now my final reminder to the public about upcoming elections as today is the last meeting before the election will be held on April 2nd all ballots have now been mailed so if you have not yet received your ballot please call 97243 vote that's 243 Vote or 8683 to request a new ballot the last day to vote is Tuesday April 2nd at 8:00 P.M at any of the multiple dropboxes accessible voting centers or through the mail as long as it time stamped before 8:00 p.m. the mayor several School Board seats service area boards supervisor seats an open District 2 chuak Eagle River assembly seat will be on the ballot as well as proposed Charter Amendment and several Bond proposals I encourage you also to sign up for ballot tracks which is an amazing tool where you can sign up for text notifications of when your ballot leaves the mailhouse when it's delivered to your home when it arrives back at the election center and like I received today when you are notified your ballot will be counted so um you can sign up at Anchorage votes.com for that service so otherwise I have the boiler plate for our meetings this is a business meeting we're here to do the work at the municipality please help us create a climate of respect in the chambers and refrain from personal attacks or speaking out of turn shouting or clapping when clapping is not appropriate and pacing keep signs to 8 and 1 half by 11 in and please keep the aisles clear except when lined up to testify and please if you have something to hand to assembly members hand it to the clerk up here they will distribute it it please stop speaking if a point of order is called so I may rule on the point of order and the record is clear and if rules are not followed I may interrupt speakers to call for compliance if compliance with the rules doesn't occur I may pause the meeting if there's an actual disruption I will give a warning and if the disruption persists or happens again the person will be asked to leave so with that I would like to move on to the next part of our agenda which is committee reports and I'll start with Mr Myers thank you Mr chair nothing to report thank you Mr Myers Mr Martinez thank you Mr chair nothing to report thank you Mr Martinez I'm Mr Rivera thank you Mr chair there's going to be a meeting of the housing and homelessness committee meeting tomorrow uh Wednesday March 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at City Hall first floor room 1:55 we're going to continue our discussions of emergency cold weather shelter and the transition out of ecws I had hoped to have a discussion around anchored home 2.0 but it looks like that's going to be delayed to April so look forward to that then related to the municipal audit committee and as I've promised to do I do have some information regarding the annual comprehensive financial review or annual audit otherwise known as the AER uh with the need for our thirdparty auditor BDO to have a week to tie out the AER before submission and with some pieces still missing namely corrected journal entries regarding 22 million in fuma Grants um there is some chance I don't want to put a number on it um that we may not be done with the act for by March 31st which is our deadline with the state so that we don't lose out on $20 million in semt funds and I just learned this an hour ago our self- insurance from the state um so I am working with assembly leadership BDO and the CFO to try and get us across the finish line by March 31st or to see if we can get further extensions of the deadline we've gotten five already so um to my colleague stay tuned on that I'll do my best to keep us all informed thanks thank you Mr rera um Miss brona thank you chair Health policy committee met on March 6th we had a visit from Alaska Behavioral Health um they have been working in Alaska for 50 years and they're coming up on their 50th Anniversary they are the largest mental health uh organization and um last year they served 6,000 different um people in the city they have nine facilities and um what was of main interest for me was youth um treatment and we have some gaps in care which are leading to having to send some children out of state which disrupts their family and schooling and so um they're looking hard at that they have a new center called the power center that works with youth um Mr Johnson and I will be doing some touring of some of the facilities they have nine different ones um tomorrow we're going to go and look at a few of them we also talked a bit more about electronic grant funding that uh member voland has been heading up and um and got our regular report from the um Health Department um there was a little there's a April Community Job Fair that is um coming up that they told us about um finally the the last thing that I wanted to talk about was um visit Anchorage we had a board meeting and they talked a little bit about um the mayor looking into possibly having a satellite uh station for the um Alaska native Heritage Center to try to include more cultural tourism in our city and um I talked with people about that who they seem pretty excited about expanding cultural tourism to the downtown area um they are on a retreat in tala area now which would have been fun but this is it's way more fun to be here so anyway that's it for now thank you thank you Mr Johnson yeah thank you Mr chair um just quickly the next meeting of the Enterprise and utility oversight committee will be this Thursday the 21st at 11:00 a.m. uh it'll be happening at City Hall conference room 155 and also streamed online uh two items on the agenda we'll be getting an update from Solid Waste Services on a number of items and then also an update on the economic analysis report that is being prepared for the da young Port Alaska modernization project thank you Miss alel uh I'm going to leave the budget report uh to my co-chair Anna broy and um just wanted to add briefly um that um as chair of Enterprise and utilities oversight that when we were in DC we did get to speak with our legislative delegation about the port thank you thank you I'm Mr Cross yeah on March 6th we had a public safety uh committee meeting of the whole I think the most important thing that we need to take away from that meeting was we had uh again an update from the municipal prosecutor's office and it's important for the public to realize they're only operating about 60% staff so um just only just just over half the positions for municipal prosecutors has filled this puts a tremendous level of stress on our on our attorneys who are trying to enforce our laws and trying to get prosecutions through obviously when the average municipal prosecutor is handling over 400 cases individually um that means that they prioritize those violent and they PRI prioritize uh certain cases over others which is you know which which puts stress on our law enforcement because they're trying to clean our streets and trying to do things but then to know that the long wait times for prosecutions just due to a significant lack of employees so I encourage the public to be patient with both the municipality and the law enforcement to doing the best they can with a short stand in our prosecutor's office so if you know any young budding attorneys who have a magnificent head on their shoulders and would like to come work for the municipality let them know that we are in voracious need um later uh about a week later on Friday forgive me I don't remember the date we had a community and economic development committee meeting uh that is uh has to do with the building department uh that meeting had to do with um there are going to be some changes regarding uh Wells and the way that we're regulated within Anchorage just to bring us up to the new DEC standard so the state and federal government has increased uh some of the reporting requirements for uh installation of wells and maintenance in of wells and so uh here in a couple months we'll be seeing that expansion um most of those are just compliance issues in reporting so we can make sure we know where Wells are in regards to distance between existing septic systems things like that so most of it will be inconsequential to the public but do know there will be some additional regulations that's being mandated by the state and federal government thank you chair thank you Mr cruss Mr band thank you Mr chair nothing to report thank you Mr band Miss broy yeah thank you I have two reports um and thank you Mr chair for giving the report on the national league of cities conference it was a great event um for the budget and finance committee our next meeting will be Thursday March 21st from 12:10 to 1:10 p.m. city hall room 155 um we have been tracking myself and my co-chair have been tracking um a number of budget related issues in the last several weeks we are looking ahead to first quarter budget revisions next month so again reminder to members and the public that we will be engaging in that um actually in our next couple meetings um uh in April uh and then I also want to just extend a warm welcome to our new budget analyst Mr Matthew finina who is sitting on the clerk Das tonight um and so thank you for joining us and we're getting you schooled up um it's hard to fill the shoes of Desiree kamacho who is no longer with us but um we had a chance to see her in DC DC and she's doing very well so um one of our alumni of the mun um also relevant um to folks if you're interested in budget or money issues um there will be a City nerd night on Thursday March 28th hosted by the Anchorage assembly at 6 pm at King Street Brewing Company um so this is building on a really successful and fun event that we had back in November on housing issues um this is basically the format of brief presentations Anchorage locals will have 7even minutes to indulge in a topic of their choosing and because we're dealing with a first quarter budget season pretty soon we will be talking about money money money um and so uh locals in this lineup will demystify the tax cap reimagine our service areas and dissect the base student allocation uh part of our school funding uh tickets are free you can get yours on Eventbrite so if you search eventbrite.com that's evve NTB RIT t.com and then if you just search Anchorage money or Anchorage assembly um you should be able to pull up that event again Thursday March 28th and then second report for for the legislative committee our committee last met on Wednesday March 6th and we discussed uh several legislative items um including some of the resolutions that we passed in our last meeting um regarding our current legislation and then our next meeting will be Wednesday April 3rd from 1: to 2: PM in city hall room 155 and I believe that's it thank you thank you Miss broy um Mr salt thank you I'll just mention uh also on March 28th prior to nerd night is the transport fair at UAA and that is from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. uh in the Overflow gym at the Alaska Airline Center and if you've never been it's it's actually a really good event with all the tabletops to learn what projects are planned for your community some of them I think the uh the Girdwood interchange you can actually see a video driving through the Girdwood interchange as proposed so it's it's a it's a quality event and I really encourage you if you go to one thing uh this year try to make it that Transportation fair so thank you and that's it thank you Mr Sal Mr Presa thank you Mr chair no update tonight all right thank you that concludes our reports so next we will have on the agenda the addendum to the agenda and the late on the table item so before we get to the addendum we'll deal with the late on the table item it's a little tricky tonight because um there is a third item that's not here but we do have two supplemental items that I'll go ahead and read into the record tonight one is um one sec I can start with item 12a 12a is a response to mayil veto of AO 2024-25 an ordinance of the Anchorage Municipal assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code chapter 2.60 to update Provisions for the office the Ombudsman to provide clear authority to investigate complaints within the ombudsman's jurisdiction as articulated in Charter that's am 27822 supplemental the next item supplemental as well is 11c which is ao20 24-20 S1 an ordinance the Anchorage assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code sections 8.5.0 one5 8.1 0.010 and 11.70 do30 and repealing section 11704 to expand and clearly Define legal protections for public transit workers so as I said when we have printed copies of the third item that is not supplemental but it is just it's an ordinance for introduction we will do that at whatever point in the evening we have the printed versions to distribute to the members so um next I would like to ask for a motion to incorporate the adimus printed and distributed and the laid on the table items so moved second so a motion by Miss zotel seconded by Mr Mand I believe I'd like to ask for unanimous consent is there any objection hearing and seeing none the consent excuse me theendum and the laid on the table items have been Incorporated oh that's terrible we have a feedback loop George we might lose you for a minute oh there we go okay thank you we're having all kinds of fun tonight on the it front Okay next there is an appearance request come forward Miss witzky Bri witzky you'll have three minutes please state your name what part of turn from isn't on there you go hi my name is Whit I go by Brie she here pronouns 14 years trans female I appreciate the uh assembly for giving me the honor to come up here to speak tonight I did uh a presentation a couple assembly me meetings back where I I was bringing up different ideas of how to better our our city I wanted to make sure that you know we are looking at all things that we have in our city to be able to increase funding all the way from being able to maybe come together between the administration and the assembly to find ways to help our officers be able to enforce our safety laws the more laws that we can make sure that are imposed that our people stay safe our police officers are not tied up at accidents I.E the biggest one I've been seeing lately as far as offenses goes is texting while driving maybe we need to come together and find a campaign that we can agree upon so that way we can help bring awareness to this as uh there was a recent accident on the Seward Highway that we lost a person I don't know if that was over a texting but I do know it was over not paying attention and things like that happen all the time uh one of the things I was doing on researching was Finding ways that we can bring in more funding for the city uh currently uh I ran a quick search on illegal underground gambling and around 200 stories popped up about our game rooms just on the quick internet search I know that it's been an ongoing thing to try to curb illegal gambling I want to encourage the idea maybe if we can look into an educational lottery I know that Arkansas just recently brought one up a couple years back and their first few years they did over $114 million on a just a simple lottery I know we don't have the numbers to do that but even if we were able to bring in $20 million under a educational lottery it would be more money for our city more money not only for our city but our state and our young people I know when it comes down to the Staffing as far as it goes we're still battling greatly with a difference between pay scale and pay so I know you guys are looking into that and and one of the many ways we can do that is by watching how we spend money for sure and enforcing some of the laws that we have that protect not only the people but the people that are working I know that recently there's a conversation about uh our our our Municipal drivers and and and things like that so to be able to keep all people safe is the importance so I I do want to encourage that we find ways to to fund the city through ways that we maybe already have on the books ways that we might be able to look into the future and remember Anchorage is the largest city so when we come together on ideas we can massively persuade what the state does because we are a on or sorry we are the largest city and we do house all the pretty much happens if it doesn't happen in Anchorage it doesn't happen in Alaska so let's continue to lean on our state legislators and and provide what we need here in Anchorage as we take on so many things of the state I thank you guys for your time your hard work and look forward to seeing what happens this year thank you thank you all right so next we have on the agenda our consent agenda consent agenda items are number 10 a through 10f and are typically routine or non-controversial items such as bid Awards new business information reports and ordinances and resolutions for introduction the items on the consent agenda may be accepted approved or introduced by the assembly by a single vote on a motion to approve the consent agenda prior to approval items may be pulled by an assembly member for discussion and separate vote on each of these items under the assembly rules of procedure all ordinances and some resolutions will have an opportunity for public public hearing at a future date so now i' like to go down the dice members may pull items Mr Presa thank you Mr chair no items tonight um thank you um Mr salt no items tonight thank you Mr broy yeah I'd like to pull 10 A2 and 10 D7 10 A2 2 and 10 D7 Mr band 10 A1 for reading thank you Mr chair 10 A1 um Mr Cross no ITA Mr chair thank you Miss alel thank you Mr chair 10 Bravo 2 10 Delta 1 10 Delta 8 10 Delta 30 10 echo6 thank you um Mr Johnson no items thank you Miss branga 10 A3 for reading thank you Mr Rivera thank you Mr CH Mr chair uh 10 Delta 14 all right thank you Mr Myers no additional items thank you chair all right thank you so we'll go through the list oh Mr Martinez on the phone anything to pull no item to P thank you ch Mr Martinez I think we're going to call that a no and we're going to continue to work on the phone issues and if we need to um why don't you go ahead and call me again Mr Martinez we'll just have you get on my phone so okay now I'll go through the list uh the youth member anything no no items ch thank you so I have 10 A1 by Mr ballen 10 A2 by Miss broy 10 A3 by Miss branga 10 B2 Miss zotel 10 D1 Miss zotel 10 D7 Miss broy 10 d8 Miss zotel 10 D14 Miss Rivera 10 D30 missel 10 E6 melel did I miss anything so um does somebody want to give me direction on 10 E5 I can do that Mr chair Mr AA thank you Mr chair uh so for 10 echo5 that item should be set for a public hearing on the meeting of April 9th if you could please direct the chair to do so I mean the clerk to do so I will direct that we will set 10 E5 for public hearing on the meeting of April 9th okay any other items okay hearing it and seeing none then I'd like to ask ask for a motion to approve the consent agenda minus the pulled items so moved second moved by Mr zeel second by Mr band I'm going to ask for unanimous consent any objection hearing and seeing none the consent agenda is now approved for The public's information the assembly has now passed or accepted all items in 10 a through 10f other than the items that were just pulled which we will take up next or that have been introduced for future public hearings which are all items in 10g except for that 10 E5 if you were here to see action on an item listed on the consent agenda that was not pulled those items have now been passed or accepted all right so now we will take a pause the clerk reminds me that I did not ask the youth member for a report so we're going to roll back to that and Mr Mr Terrell do you have a report um yeah uh the student Advisory Board met today and we had a very productive meeting um we discussed a discussed and unanimously passed a resolution about um outof District transportation uh that's all thank you thank you and um because it's a prerogative of the chair I see a number of Youth here for uh the process of earning a merit badge and I know they don't want to be recognized but you got to earn it you can't just sit there and so I'm going to ask the Boy Scouts to come forward and introduce themselves just say their name their truth group and what they're here for come on for it everybody and if there are any other high schoolers here from a government class we you it as well Mr R pointed you out and I see you so come forward thank you good evening my name's Tim Klein I'm with troop 129 of the Boy Scouts and I'm here with some of our Scouts who are working on two of their merit badges and they wanted to see our government work and I said I can't think of a better place to start than right here thanks for having us here hello I'm Caillou baggerly and I'm here from Troop 129 and I'm here working on those two mayor badges what are the badges communication and citizenship in our community thank you hi I'm Stephen Gibson um I'm the troop 129 I'm working on communication and citizenship in the community hi I'm Ryan toppen I am working on uh Communications up from Troop 129 thank you I'm Luke Thomas with troop 129 and I'm here to work on the communications mer padge I'm Teddy naroto troop 129 working on Communications I'm chander Logan rain with troop 129 and I'm here to work on Communications and citizens ship and Community thank you hi I'm Lindsay Deacon and I'm here working on one of my two meetings for chiak high school government class yeah all right thank you and I see a couple of you hiding back there if you need signatures you might want to come say hi so and to the youth we're working on your communication badge I'm glad you came up and communicated that's mission accomplished so okay well I won't put anyone else under any un undue pressure thank you for coming we like to be a place where young people come and see their government happen in real time for the first time so with that now we're going to move on to items that were pulled from the consent agenda and we have a very interesting and unusual one tonight that I'm appreciative we have it's item 10 A1 which is AR 2024 d83 a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal assembly recognizing Stella Gloria huon and her Pioneer Public Service family on the occasion of Stella's 100th birthday so um I would like what's the will of the body move to approve second Mr vau moves M alel seconds is there any objection I'm hearing and seeing none now this unusual the mayor has asked to read this resolution so um the mayor will take the floor come forward folks I maybe give them a minute to get up Mr Mayor a thank you Mr chair um and this is a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal assembly recognizing Stella Gloria huon and her Pioneer public service his family on the occasion of Stella's 100th birthday whereas Stella Gloria huon was born in yarington Nevada on March 8th 1924 and graduated from nursing school in San Francisco in 1942 upon graduation Stella went to Honolulu as an RN registered nurse to help with the post World War II war effort it was in honolu that she met Jack hon they married and moved to Anchorage where Jack would become a command ing officer in the Anchorage fire department and whereas Jack served Anchorage in the um Anchorage fire department for 20 years retiring in 1969 after Jack's unfortunate death in 1971 Stella went back to work as an RN at the Alaska psychiatric Institute of Alaska where she spent 20 years in public service and whereas after retiring from the state of Alaska Stella and her friend Helen purchased and ran the Willow Trading Post Lodge for 15 years she often joked that quote we did everything from births to weddings and everything in between unquote and whereas Stella and her friend Helen sold the willow Trading Post and then purchased the old Unitarian Church in Downtown Anchorage where they created the bed and breakfast on the park strip which they ran and enjoyed for 10 years and whereas Stella and Jack had two boys their first son John was born in the territory of Alaska in 1956 John will retire this year after 36 years as one of Costco's longest serving employees in Alaska their second son Glenn was born in the statehood year of 1959 Glenn is a successful real estate broker in Anchorage and retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Alaska Air National Guard after serving 22 years both in the United States and overseas and whereas Stella now continues to live mostly on her own in a home in Anchorage she has traveled the world encourages her family to do so as well she's a kind and generous person who has helped many now therefore the Anchorage assembly wishes to thank Stella huon and her family for many long years of public service and congratulate her for reaching the Milestone of her 100th birthday passed and approved by the Anchorage assembly this 19th day of March 2024 thank you Stella happy birthday to youth happy birthday to youth happy birthday dear Stella happy birthday to [Music] you all right next on the agenda we have item 10 A2 10 A2 is a resolution AR 224-8473 As Good Friday earthquake Remembrance Day Mr barley you pull this one yes move to approve second moved by m broley second by Mr Cross I would like to ask for an consent on this item is there any objection hearing and seeing none this item is adopted I have I will be reading all right Mr Cross will be reading who's presenting thank you a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal assembly designating March 27th 2024 As Good Friday earthquake Remembrance Day whereas at 5:36 p.m. on March 27th 1964 a magnitude 9.2 earthquake the most powerful earthquake recorded in North America and the second largest earthquake ever recorded hit Prince William sound and rocked South Central Alaska for over 4 minutes and whereas the event which became known as The Good Friday earthquake cost an estimated 139 lives and over 300 million in property and structural damage in 1964 amounting to over 2.6 billion in today's money and whereas thousands of Alaskan from all walks of life became First Responders including firefighters police officers Alaska State Troopers members of the United States Army Corp group of Engineers the Alaska Army National Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard Medics doctors nurses Municipal workers ham radio operators and many others who selfishly served the state and their fellow alaskans during this time of great need and whereas alaskans immediately began the process of rebuilding their devastated communities and lives through resiliency determination and selflessness and whereas the loss of life and property of the Good Friday earthquake was tragic it also provided a wealth of data about subduction zone earthquakes and the hazards they pose and whereas memorials have been set up all over Alaska to remind alaskans about their past so they are better prepared for a future emergencies in Anchorage part of the turnig heights slide was turned into a memorial called Earthquake Park be it resolved that Municipality of Anchorage remembers recognizes and honors the hard work and exemplary sacrifices of the thousands of military members including the National Guard First Responders and all those who came to the aid of their fellow alaskans in the aftermath of the Good Friday earthquake now therefore the Anchorage assembly designates March 27th 2024 As Good Friday earthquake Remembrance Day passed and approved by the Anchorage municipality in assembly this 19th day of March 2024 hi there welcome please state your name I'm Helen Volante thank you you have the floor thank you good evening my name is Helen valante I here to accept this year's good friend Friday Remembrance Day resolution on behalf of my father-in-law Charles valante Charles valante lives in Olympia Washington is not able to be here due to health issues this marks the 60th year that the tragic of that tragic event I am so proud of all of his accomplishments to help us remember the lives lost and the untold Heroes who helped rebuild our great state Charles was stationed at kouis Aon National Guard base during this time of the 9.2 earthquake the second most powerful powerful earthquake in history he was heavily involved in the recovery relief efforts during the days and weeks following this tragic event my own parents were in Harbor Beach Michigan and were told Alaska was wiped off the map my mother is from the village kipnuk Alaska and was worried about her family there to their relief everyone they knew were fine my parents moved back to Anchorage Alaska the month after the quake and called Anchorage their home from then on Charles also told me about Native American servicemen that were on their way home to Villages when the Quake hit they helped in emergency relief surrounding Anchorage for many days before going home a very good friend of mine Jordan kochek was 9 years old when the Quake struck he was living in Anchorage in the moldun area in his words he was outside watching the spruce trees tips hit the side uh hit the ground side to side and could not stand for over four and a half minutes Jordan's now wife jeie was here for the November 30th 2018 quake and in her words working at Wasilla High School the kids scrambled under cafeteria tables while the roof tiles fell around them thankfully nobody was hurt but they were scared my husband Mark and I were not born until after the 64 Quake who we were here during the 7.0 2018 Quake I still stop in the middle of what I am doing and remember how scary it was during that time we cannot even imagine the thoughts and fears and what people went through on March 27th 1964 at 5:36 p.m. I'm here tonight to help us all remember all of the people who perished and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to the citizens of Alaska let's also take time to remember those thousands of First Responders and all affected families and all the people who came together to rebuild our great state in closing I would like to say thank the assembly the mayor and this year sponsor and many people behind the scenes and my father-in-law Charles rente for making every March 27th Good Friday earthquake Remembrance Day thank you for your time thank you all right next we have on the agenda item 10 A3 resolution AR 202 24-9 a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal assembly designating March 27 2024 as Anchorage TB day this item was pulled by Miss branga move to approve second moved by Mr branga seconded by Mr Wen I'd like to ask for unanimous consent is there any objection hearing seeing none this item is adopted and I have um Miss branga reading and Mr pres Veria presenting come on down thank you chair a resolution of the Anchorage M Municipal assembly designating March 27th 2024 as Anchorage TB day whereas more than a century has passed since the March 24th 1882 announcement of Robert cook that the myobacterium tuberculosis bacteria causes tuberculosis but the dis disease still ranks as the world's greatest Killers claiming 1.3 million lives in 2022 with an estimated 10.6 million people falling ill worldwide and whereas in 2022 40% of the cases in Alaska had a known epidemiologic epidemiologic link to another active case demonstrating the significance of recent transmission and whereas in the early to mid 20th century Alaska had some of the highest rates of TB morbidity and mortality ever recorded much of the TB activity in Alaska today is a consequence of this Legacy and of the ongoing challenges of Health Care delivery in the state and whereas in 2022 Alaska continued to have the highest TB incidence rate in the nation the United States had a national TB incident rate of 2.5 cases per 100,000 people and whereas the incidence of TB and Anchorage is 4.9 per 100,000 and the incidence of TB in Alaska is 13 per 100,000 and whereas although TB remains a public health priority the covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the TB control by diverting limited Public Health Resources and further limiting Access to Health Care likely leading to decreased TB diagnosis reporting and treatment and whereas the Anchorage Health Department TB control program team continues to actively partner with colleag colleages in the Alaska section of Public Health nursing the Alaska state public health Laboratories and the Anchorage Health Department Alaska's medical and social service providers and institutions Pharmacists and community health aids in the management and prevention of TB disease including evaluation of identified contacts to in infectious cases treatment of people with latent TB infection through directly observed therapy and coordination of screening and followup for immigrate immigrant Refugee B notifications and whereas World tuberculosis day is commemorated on March 244th worldwide to raise public awareness about the devastating Health and Social and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the TB epidemic and whereas the theme of world TB dat 2024 is yes we can end TB and conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and Achieve commitments to NTB to ensure Equitable access to prevention and care and whereas the Anchorage health department will be honoring the fight to NTB by offering free TB testing from 900 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on March 27th 2024 at the Anchorage Health Department Building located at 825 L Street and encourages anyone unsure of their TB status to gets tested and now therefore the Anchorage assembly resolves that March 27 7 2024 shall be recognized as Anchorage TB day the Anchorage assembly hereby authorizes the municipal C clerk to take action necessary to furtherance this of this resolution this resolution shall be effective upon passage and approval passed and approved by the Anchorage assembly this 19th day of March 2024 welcome if you want you have the uh I'm Dr savath chief medical officer for the anchor Anchorage health department and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the assembly for passing this resolution this is not the first resolution that the assembly has passed for TB it is actually the third one uh in this past year uh it is greatly appreciated by the health department all of our Community Partners especially disease prevention uh uh section of our uh Clinic uh knowing that we have uh your assistance in bringing recognition to the importance of treating tuberculosis is very helpful it it it means a lot to us um there's not too much that I want to say about tuberculosis itself most of it is in this resolution it's very nicely laid out uh I would like to uh however just um mention again that we are having an Outreach on March 27th it's an internal Outreach at the health department it's our way of reaching out to the community yet again to be able to do free testing give advice educate and also while they're there provide lunch so uh again thank you uh I want to especially uh thank assembly member branga for shepher this through the process for us uh in fact I believe she brought the last one to the uh Public's attention the last resolution so thanks again for all of your support which greatly appreciated so I'm going to ask uh the clerk to add the mayor as a sponsor thank thank you so then we're on there all right next we have item 10 B2 10 B2 is AR 2024-the in support of House Bill 254 in the state legislator legislature prohibiting publishing and distributing pornography to minors on the internet Miss Alo thanks move to postpone to the meeting of April 9th second so motion to postpone to April 9th by Mrs alel seconded by Miss broadly Melo thank you um I'd like to refer this over to the legislative committee um and to have further discussion there um I'm really interested if there's been a legislative legal opinion um how this um proposed house spill interex um with First Amendment um and I don't think we should be probably doing uh alleged legals work for them so I would really like to know um and give the committee some time to um explore that thank you Miss broy yeah I would support that as well and actually I was surprised this didn't come through the legislative uh committee um because we did have time on March 6th but um I would support that I have some questions about this as well and um just with any uh resolution that we take up and are taking a position on behalf of the municipality or or at least behalf on the of the assembly I really want to make sure that it has a clear Nexus with um local government I know we had that conversation before on a different topic um but I think for any legis ative bill that we should really um apply that standard and so I'm going to be looking at that thank you thank you Mr salt so I'm the sponsor of the bill and been working or discussing this with with the representative Vance and the others and i would support putting this through legislative committee all right thank you um then if there did you say you support it thank you sen I'm going to ask for unanimous consent on the motion to postpone to the meeting of April 9th is there any any objection hearing and seeing none the item has been [Music] postponed next on the agenda we have item 10 D1 10 D1 is assembly memorandum am 240-223-0607 all right a motion to postpone to April 9th made by Miss elel seconded by m broy Miss elel thank you this is so there's um room and time to hold a confirmation hearing thank you thank you and I believe um confirmation hearing will be scheduled for the 29th of March so um if there is no objection I would like to ask unanimous consent on this as well hearing and seeing none the item has been postponed to the meeting of April 9th George so the it problems are back um Mr Martinez are you on the phone I am all right thank you we still have you that's most important so next we have item 10 d8 Miss El oh I'm sorry 10 D7 Miss broy so td7 is sorry 107 is am 251 2024 Public Safety advisory commission Cody Anderson Miss Proby you pull this uh move to approve second second motion to approve by Miss broy seconded by Miss zotel Miss broy yeah thank you um this is continuing a conversation we had a few months ago about the public safety advisory commission um and I will confess that um I'm a little bit behind on the timeline that I had hoped to start this conversation in March um it is still march of course but um we really want to bring in the public safety uh committee so myself and uh member Perez FIA still have have not had a chance to connect but but um setting aside that kind of broader point I think one of the questions that I have about this committee is really what what is the scope and the the role of this committee and that is a question I have for um really for the administration and I understand the mayor is not here currently it looks like but um I just had a question for Mr bird um as Chief of Staff um what is what is the goal for this committee and the representation the scope of the work that they will undertake kind of what what is the administration's goal for this committee Mr bird thank you Mr chair to member Broly so I I do recall the conversation I think we had with member zotel I I made the commitment that uh we would try and um find some non uh trying to think of the right term the the public safety advisory committee currently has many I think former police officers um fire department employees and other folks who have worked within uh Public Service as um First Responders maybe so one of the things that I think we heard the body request last time we had a candidate was we wanted somebody who was outside maybe of that uh experience range and I I think that's why we brought forward the two candidates tonight one of them um the the 10 d8 candidate is a former head of this commission but worked in the social services and also um in the academic realm so I I I did just confer uh member Broly with uh Richard Whitney in in the mayor's office and we did not have a a conference with with members alel or somebody else so that's that's my oversight um but the goal is to have that that broader view uh represented on the public safety advisory committee and that's why you see these two candidates there was uh I think a vacancy since we last had this conversation so that's why there's two candidates coming forward yeah thank you um and I appreciate that uh perspective and again I know the conversation about the bigger picture for the commission still needs to happen as well I guess the concern that I have um is that this this person um you know I I don't know this person personally I can see that they're a Weapon Specialist um and they have a military background which granted is different than civilian police force but in my mind is um is really one segment of Public Safety um I appreciate the other candidate as well we'll get to them in in a moment but one thing that that struck me when I looked at the membership of this committee now is there's currently one woman on it um and that is in the context of our city and our state having some of the highest uh rates of violence and sexual assaults against women there was recently an extremely high-profile case of an individual um who um murdered I believe it was two people two indigenous women in this community and so I really believe that um that I know this Committee in the past has or this commission I'm sorry has taken up that work before um but I really see that there's a lack here and so I am torn because um again I I'm asked to look at the qualifications of this person I don't necessarily believe that we should have quotas um for example on commissions or or on bodies but um but this does not really sit well with me and so I'm I'm as I said I'm I'm very torn how I feel about this nomin or about this um confirmation thanks only anyone else Mr Bia oh I'm sorry sorry hold on Mr BR he was in the Q first I'll have you next Mr R yeah uh thank you Mr chair can you remind me uh Mr chair what the motion is before us it's a move to approve okay got it thank you yeah then then I will go ahead and agree with um member broy that with this particular appointment um I am somewhat conflicted in how to proceed I'm I'm totally fine and appreciative of the work the administration did with the appointment with in 10 Delta a but this one uh to me um rings of a little bit of more of the same and I think we want to try to make some changes to this commission and in particular you know I want to expand this conversation in scope a little bit by bringing back the internal audit report um which internal audit did um now this is the second time where they've they've made a similar report about this particular commission and the utility of its commission and the fact that it issues no resolutions um and um does it appears that they um aren't really performing the function that they should be which is advising the assembly and the mayor on public safety issues so um would be great this is you know a little bit broader than this singular appointment but it really would be great to understand what this commission is going to be doing uh moving into the future what direction um this commission is going to have and perhaps that means we should have some kind of joint meeting with the commission to better understand their goals but it would also be helpful to understand the administration's goals for this commission as well um but otherwise on this specific appointment appointment regarding Mr Anderson I am unsure how will how I will be voting but do have concerns about the really the balance of the commission as it sits now thank you so uh members the it is again broken so you just have to try to get my attention somehow um so you can interrupt but let's try to be respectful of those who are speaking speaking uh Mr Pria thank you Mr chair I I I will agree that I was surprised um because of the previous conversation um that the intention was to have a broader conversation about this this commission and the purpose of it Miss Miss broy and I have a meeting actually tomorrow to to begin this conversation and and it was my intention to bring this before the Public Safety Committee as well and and to begin to do the work to really identify um what the purpose of this commission is and to ensure that that from at least from my per perspective that it's representative of the community voice in advising Public Safety and and that's that's from my understanding what it's always uh intended to to be so I I I I guess I would encourage having nothing to do with these two particular PE people that we postpone their appointment at this point to give us time to really do that work to ensure that when we're making appointments to this this commission that it's in alignment with the purpose of the commission so that would be my my recommendation and and since we we pulled these separately is that correct can I can I combine them no okay then I would move to postpone um this appointment let's see any thoughts uh on the the time time frame 49 on April 10th is that what you're saying the next meeting is April 9th if you don't have the it's the purple cards yeah I see it right there um yeah I think that would be at the minimum so I let let let's let's start there let's let's postpone to the meeting of April 9th thank you all right so Mr Pria has made a motion to postpone to the meeting of April 9th Miss alel has seconded uh any discussion all right um Miss brona oh wait I'm sorry Mr Cross and then miss brona thank you uh yeah I don't support postponing I'm ready to approve these individuals I find it very unusual that we want to on a public safety advisory commission we want don't want people with Public Safety experience and much of it that just seems ironic to me um I understand you want people from the you want a diversification of individuals on there but I don't think we would go as far as allowing felons or criminals to serve on there just because we want a diversification of individuals I would say if it's going to be overseeing Public Safety you want individuals with a tremendous amount of Public Safety experience thank you all right uh Mr brona I don't agree with Mr Cross but I do agree that I don't want to postpone it um I feel like member Broly uh made an excellent point about um having women represented on this commission and I feel like um this has come up before and this is um really something that I just want to say no to this person and and let's work on getting better diversity Miss alel thanks um I support the postponement um because I guess I want to know the plan before possibly dispatching with a particular nominee I want to hear from the administration what efforts they put forward in advancement of the things that we did request um but I do believe we need to kind of go back to where we were where we had um folks who were leading um particularly in the missing U murdered indigenous women in two spirit two spirit area um at the last Public Safety Committee I asked for follow-up information on some really uh shock data about the number of sexual assaults that actually um get charged and are prosecuted and if we are going to send potentially questions like that to this committee to think about and think about policy response and and have conversations I want that to be really representative of the community and we're not without law enforcement representation on this commission there's substantial law enforcement and Public Safety representation already on this commission so I do support postponement um because I want to hear from the administration truly um as we have these conversations about this commission what efforts they're making if they are making substantial efforts and they're just not getting anyone that's a different question than not making the effort at all thank you m broy thank you um I also support postponement and I would recommend the next meeting of the public um Safety Committee is April 3rd um in a couple weeks um so I believe we should take this up then um in the meantime member of pres and I will connect and um put a provisional net plan together and I think just to respond to Mr cross's comments um I don't see this as a professional um Advisory Board in the sense that you're having folks with a specific set of professional skills giving advice um this is really a community Public Safety uh board and I would like to hear from survivors of violence I would like to hear from other people who have experiences with um public safety issues in our community and I believe that that if we only have one perspective um that we're not going to get to um the truth or we're not going to have a really fome conversation so echoing what member Val zotel said thank you and thank you I have uh Mr Martinez and then Mr ven Mr Martinez thank you chair and uh I also uh will support postponement this evening and I would encourage uh the uh this this item be also introduced and brought to the equity committee I think there's an opportunity for the conversation to go into that committee as well well and to possibly get some really good feedback and insights if not support uh for recruitment uh of these particular committees thank you chair all right Mr vond thank you Mr chair yeah I I think maybe as part of this conversation because I I feel like I um vaguely recollect that this came before us and there was a recommendation to sunet the committee at one point um and I feel like if it's a committee that we're not getting a whole lot of value out of just because there's not a lot of work product being created and we're not receiving um you know valuable advice maybe maybe it is time maybe when we have a conversation at the um Public Safety Committee maybe we we think about whether or not it's time to um sunset this committee you know just in terms of Municipal Resources Staffing the the commission Etc thank you Mr chair Mr salt I thought I saw you tried again the Q no Mr pres Veria uh just just briefly um first of all it's my intention to to make the same motion on the next item so just to be clear about that and and yeah I I think again we need to have this conversation but I don't believe the chief of police or the or the Fire Fire Department chief wants a an advisory group of professionals to teach them or tell them how to do their job I I think what they're looking for is is is community voice Community feedback um so that they have a way to bring the concerns and the ideas from the community to an Advisory Group that can help to inform them and have um a way of having building that that relationship that that's always been the the purpose of this commission and um and I would say to to me member ven the reason that it's not productive is because we don't have members on the committee that are serving in that Charter they're not necessarily there to do that work and so I think that's why we either need to dispatch with this commission or we need to make sure that the members on it are are serving in that in that in that way and that and that we are putting people on who can function in that way so that's that's my my thought and uh but again I think we need to probably move on um and and give this to to the Public Safety Committee and have us have that conversation there thank you anyone else hearing and seeing none I'm going to ask for unanimous consent on the motion to post Oh wait we're working again excellent members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes to postpone on a vote of 7 to five and the youth member votes yes yes uh am251 d224 has been postponed to the meeting of April 9th now um miss alil here thank you Mr constant thanks I need to declare a conflict on the next appointee I serve in a professional job and I have for the last 13 years and in fact I known Mr Piper in a personal capacity for probably 28 years but for the last 12 or 13 years he has and continues to serve as the program officer for a grant program that my professional uh work subscribes to and so I directly liaz with Mr Piper on specific Grant matters relating to his work and my work thank you Mr chair or sorry thank you Mr constant um do you believe that as a substantial or is a interest that is financial or personal of both but really it's the financial interest of my employer which imputes to me directly because I sign those reports okay thank you um I find that you do have a substantial private interest um including a financial or personal interest in the matter um concerning the appointee and could be excused unless any other members wish to challenge the ruling of the chair or have other questions okay you are excused all right before us is item 10 d8 assembly memorandum am 252 d224 Public Safety advisory commission Anthony Piper um as I pulled this item I'm going to ask um what is the will of the body move to postpone to the meeting of April 9th second moved by Miss Broly second by Mr Perez verdia Miss broy would you like to speak to the motion um I know Mr Perez verdia had spoken to this so I will um suggest he might speak to it Mr Perez Foria thanks and and just to repeat uh this postponement has nothing to do with this particular candidate um I I think it's Our intention just to create some more time to uh to evaluate again the the purpose of this commission so that when we do appoint people to it it's in alignment with um with what the function of the commission is so we just need more time to to do that work and then we can come back and make a decision as to whether this candidate is a good fit thank you thank you Mr Rivera yeah thank you Mr chair excuse me thank you madam chair um so just uh you know counting the votes as I do sometimes um I will just urge that my colleagues who perhaps voted no on the last one for a consistency's sake that we perhaps vote no yes on this one so that we can have both of them before us on April 9th thank you anyone else like to speak to this Mr Martinez because Mr constant is excused if you want to speak to it you'll just have to speak up okay oh yep seeing no other members in the queue members May proceed to vote on the motion to postpone this item to the meeting of April 9th Mr Martinez uh oh Mr Martinez are you on the phone yes yes to the postponement yes to postpone thank you that item passes 8 to3 this it will be back before us on April 9th Mr constant May return if someone would like to get him and Mr Terrell how do you vote on the last item my apologies yes to postpone thank you your consistency I forgot that easy I'm sorry easy to forget that all right next on the agenda we have item 10 D14 10 D14 is am 26-2241 thank you Mr chair um so historically uh as I understand it the folks that are appointed to this commission have some kind of direct tie or relationship uh to one of our sister cities um so I guess um to Mr bird uh which sister city does Mr Perez have a relationship with uh thank you Mr chair through through the chair to member rera um historically um I can't verify whether that was or was not the case um I can tell you that since I started looking into this particular commission we have had Commissioners um one is a Municipal Employee who um who's from a foreign country but not uh any of the countries that we have a sister city with um we have another uh lady who's on the commission right now who um I think was involved with sister cities as a as a high school student and has always wanted to return as a commissioner so we appointed her my understanding is that Mr Perez himself also worked with sister cities and did some sort of project as a younger man um I'm trying to verify now if that was when he was at UAA in the um looks like it was mid teens so maybe about 10 years ago or if it was before then but that's my understanding he's he has had sister City's experience but but not coming from a foreign country or or um I I can't tell you which which sister city he was working with as as a younger man but that's my understanding okay thank you I I am comfortable voting yes on this appointment um but would uh ask in the future that the administration makes sure that um as much as possible we are trying to develop that relationship with the sister City's uh Commissioners because um you know just thinking of some of the relationships we've had in the past the Commissioners have been really integral with helping to build that relationship with our our sister city and so if we don't have folks who even have a relationship with our sister cities that makes the commission somewhat defunct um but given that this person does have some experience with sister cities I'm comfortable supporting it anyone else hearing see none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yeah on a vote of 12 to zero in the youth member votes yes yes am 26-2241 D30 10 D30 is assembly memorandum 272-2020 Amendment 1 with Statewide Services Inc dbaa ESS Support Services worldwide for congregate Food Services Miss elel thank you as this is an item that involves um services to emergency cold weather shelter and um I've previously been found to have a conflict due to my job at the Anchorage Coalition in homelessness I'd asked to be excused all right and uh as is the tradition on this particular item and its predecessors you were found to have a conflict so I will excuse you at this time is there a motion move to approve second moved by Mr Rivera seconded by Miss Broadley Mr Rivera um I urge approval thank you all right any other discussion Mr brono I'm just um concerned and the the reason you know we're we're doing three meals a day now this is to get us through May 30th is that correct I'm just seeing for this for the first oh um could I ask Miss Johnson if if that's this is food for just the people at uh the cold weather shelter or is it also hotels and um yeah just wanted a little more clarity through the chair to miss branga um this provides uh contractual agreements is an amendment for the contract uh with ESS to provide food services at three shelter locations CWS the Alex hotel and The Aviator uh from May 1st to May 31st and if I could follow up um so when we were talking about potentially making the shelter open longer I was not thinking the hotels were part of the packet but they will be able to stay open as well yeah so The Aviator and the Alex have both agreed to continue Services through the end of May um the only one that would be able to uh go beyond that would be CWS that's very good news thank you Miss broy yeah thank you I just wanted to provide um some context on this I do think it's important and this was something that um has been discussed I think since January to extend uh cold weather shelter through the end of May so I'm glad that these uh contracts are moving forward and I hope that we see that um uh with the rest of the contracts as well um but I also just wanted to note um kind of the total cost per person or per meal so I'm just doing the math right now um so if we're we're looking at an extension of $169,000 more or less a little bit more um and if we're talking about 574 uh individuals being served and then we're looking at 31 days in the month of May that's less than $10 per person per day um so I think we're getting a pretty good deal and I think there's been ample discussion around um the fact that basically Prov providing food for folks and making sure that they are fed is one of the lowest cost highest impact um public services that we have whether it's in shelter whether it's our SNAP benefits whether it's um uh Wick you know any anything that's providing food really helps people be able to think past where they are right now and get to their next uh next place whatever that is so I think this is a really good investment thank you are you back in the que Miss brona yes if uh thanks chair I don't disagree that food is incredibly important and that um you know that if we are moving people to the next step we want them wellfed ready to think I'm just worried about all of the people that are out there that are not getting any food at all at this point um we already have many people camping in East Anchorage and um panhandling at Fred Meyer and um I just I I'm hoping and I'm hearing that we can't even potentially afford the uh Porta potis for this summer because the contract only is only one person willing to provide them and they've doubled the price so I'm just um hoping that we can do some reach out to beans and other people that might help us make those food dollars go farther Mr salt um you know I just like to see this program evolve um you know as I've always said our goal should be how we can feed more people but how we can feed less and how we can also help these people get on their feet and you know I think part of this will will come and start you know what what are they giving us for that food and maybe some can't give anything but you know I'm talking simple chores start learning skills start learning task around the shelters that eventually can help them on the road to some self-worth recovery and and meaningful skills in the future so I'd like to see this continue to progress thanks so um no one else in the queue I'm am curious about what you said Miss ranga that we only have one contractor left for portable bathrooms and they're doubling the price is that the administration know about that through the chair um last summer when we were under the parks and wreck uh bathroom contract um the provider had brought to our attention that they were having to double their staff because of safety concerns in the encampments um as well as doubling their time frame to cleaning the bathrooms um because people were habitating those units not leaving threatening their drivers Etc and so when they came back they said um you know we're happy to provide them at parks and trails uh historic parks and trails but as far as encampments goes we really need to um at least make ends meet and they weren't doing that having to double their drivers and having to double their time frame uh and as well as losing staff for safety concerns thank you all right um but for a solution for toilets thank you members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes a vote of 9-2 in the youth member votes yes am 272-2020 is pass the body so uh the last item that was pulled on the consent agenda was 10 E6 but it's pulled for so it will just die because there's some errors in it and the administration will bring back a fresh version at the next meeting so um yeah next miss alel you want to leave this y Miss alel first let's lay on the table or introduce yep okay so miss Al thank you I should read it first right please all right so we have for introduction an item eight an ordinance and unnumbered ordinance the Anchorage assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code sections 32070 2.20.20 2 53020 and 26302 and inserting a new section 26409 to require assembly approval of actions to acquire dispose of property rights to water mineral wind or solar resources and of the fish and wildlife program for the accut hydropower project and restoration of continuous water flow to the aluta river um before um we take a motion I want to say that the intent is to set this for a meeting on a special meeting to be held at 3M on the 27th of March Miss salel thank you Mr chair move to lay on the table and set for public hearing um and introduce and set for public hearing on March 27th second seconded by Mr Presa and is there a third third Anna third by Miss bro thank you so this item has been introduced I anticipate a substantial s version will come forward after some work between the Law Department our Council outside Council getting it just right and the special meeting just so you all hear me again sorry to do this to you will be next Wednesday at 3 p.m. so please mark your calendars that takes us to the last item before we take our regularly scheduled dinner break that will be item 12a 12a is assembly action on mayoral veto of AO 2024-25 in ordinance the Anchorage Municipal assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code chapter 2.60 to update Provisions for the office of the Osman to provide clear authority to investigate complaints from the osman's jurisdiction as articulated in the charter is there a motion moved override point of information and sorry to be a stickler did Mr chair did we just move to 12a and skip the 11s actually we did I'm sorry if you don't mind then I would accept the motion to change the order of the day I think that's fair I'll make that motion oh okay second thank you you're right so a motion by Mr Rivera to change the order of the day seconded by Miss zeel um any discussion on the motion like to ask unanimous consent hearing and see no objection oh okay that's fine then do you want to speak to it oh it's of the day yeah it's just order the I apologize okay so now there is no objection standing on the floor so the order of the day is changed now we have item 12a and Miss alel has moved to override and who was the second Mr Rivera was it you I second Mr vand so we have a motion to override on the floor Miss elel um thank you um I will actually um seed my time um so that the chair can speak to this when um he gets in the queue thank you yep so I don't know how much time I need to spend um speaking to this item uh there has been much Sturman Dr made about the rights and responsibilities and what we do with this ordinance the memo I think plainly speaks the indemnification Provisions it doesn't completely indemnify the Ombudsman but what it does is it automatically indemnifies subject to the review of members of One member of the administration and one member of the assembly council's office so it shifts the locus of the decision-making process and U there were lots of questions about jurisdiction um I don't think I want to dive too deeply into reading out of it but it's plain to me that it is our right to do what is in this item and um I urge my peers to take heart what's in the memo and vote Yes to the override Miss broy yeah I just want to say uh briefly thank you to our assembly Council for uh preparing this memo and also for um the ample conversation that we had on this item uh before we voted on it and then um in the work session um that we had and and I also just really appreciate the role of the Ombudsman I think of um governance and and how communities work uh as a three-legged stool um so the Executive Branch the legislative branch um setting aside the the uh judicial branch because we don't have one at the local level the Third leg of the stool is really the people the community and they have rights we all have rights um and we have rights as individuals to ensure that our government is transparent um and that we have a place to go to as a as a member of the public um to address that and that is the role of the Ombudsman and so I appreciate an intend to vote to override because we are protecting the rights of the public the rights of the people to have their government representative of them thank you anyone else hearing see none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 9-3 and the youth member votes yes yes a The veto of ao20 24-25 has been overridden now we will take our regularly scheduled dinner break you made for me always a good guys coming to save us promise a good life thank God that you came always got Uncle say I'm ready to save us thank God you came thank God you came thank God you can always the good guys call in to save us promise a good life thank God that you came always got un sing thank you Mr Martinez are you there I am oh you are there damn go clerk the clerk has your back so um we're going to take up item 11a 11a is assembly memorandum 179-22 24 Zoning Board of examiners and appeals Andrew romeral this item was postponed from the meeting of 227 2024 to permit a 10-day public comment period there's no motion pending what's F the body move to approve second moved by Miss elel second by Mr Myers any discussion hearing say none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes yeah that was hard to hear on a on a vote of 10 to zero in the youth member votes yes yes am 179 d224 has pass the body next we have item 11b assembly memorandum am 230 d224 Zoning Board of examiners and appeals Brian Bennett postpone from 35224 to permit a 10-day public comment period no motion pending what's the will of the body move to approve second moved by Miss elel seconded by Mr Myers any discussion hearing and seeing none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes want a vote of 12 to zero and the youth member votes yes yes am 230-240 11 C which is ao20 24-20 an ordinance of the Anchorage assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code sections 8.05 015 8.1.1 and 11703 to expand and clearly Define legal protections for public transit workers there's also an S version that was laid on the table an S1 version that was laid on the table and that one um reads an ordinance of the Anchorage assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code sections 8.5.1 58101 and 11.70 do30 and repealing section 11704 o to expand and clearly Define legal protections for public transit workers because the S1 uh changes the title and adds a section that wasn't previously noticed and it was laid on the table a motion to postpone this to the meeting of April 9th is in order and to a motion to continue the public hearing yeah reopen thank you Miss to a motion to reopen and then continue the public hearing to April 9th so move to motion second what did you say Mr Martinez motion made okay so Mr Martinez has moved is our second second Mr Rivera has seconded is there any discussion of the motion I'm GNA ask unanimous consent on the motion John oh Mr Johnson okay okay any dis any objection to the motion to reopen and then continue the public hearing to April 9th hearing and see none that item has been continued next we have item 11d AO 2023 110 an ordinance of the Anchorage Municipal assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code title 10 to add a new chapter for the licensing and regulation of short tentals there's also an S1 public hearing was closed 35224 Mr salt moveed to approve a223 S1 seconded by Miss zotel S1 was amended action was postponed 3524 motion to approve AO 223-10 S1 as amended is on the floor any discussion Mr pres Ria thank you Mr chair uh just a few comments um uh well first of all I want to apologize for my absence in the last vote I was in Washington DC on on work and and but I did have an opportunity to to watch the the discussion and watch the the public testimony and and to and to thoroughly review this and just wanted to make make a few few comments um I appreciate the S11 version especially I think it was a huge Improvement and appreciate the Amendments made by br R and member valand um also just to appreciate the emails and and the and the testimony that was given at the meeting um a few points I just want to make I I I really it's it's it's nice to be able to um to have some time to to review this um first I would just say that short-term rentals I I believe one of the conversations was you know whether This was um an important enough is issue um you know whether there was something that there was a a problem that we were solving I think it clearly is it's been before the the assembly and in front of us for several years um I think it was mentioned by um by by member R Vera that we're we're seeing significant increases in the number of short short-term rent rentals and so I I don't think that's an option for us to not do anything I think it's really important that we do take action on this um second um I I do think that this has an opportunity to to help us with some of our H housing challenges um but I I too want to see a balance between uh short-term and long-term rentals and I think this is a good first for first step towards that and also to incentivize um some additional uh long-term housing um I I really do believe that it is our role to step in to regulate I think um like hotels and long long-term rentals I think it's our role to to establish regulation and limits um and to and and to play that part as it relates to to short-term rentals I I think that um that based on what I've read read and and what I've what I've heard so far that this is a good first step I believe that we'll likely see changes in this over over time as we learn more as we gather more more data and I also believe that the the what's being proposed is is very reasonable in terms of the regulation the the the fines and the and the and the expectations are I think reasonable and minimal and um and make make sense to me and finally I I actually do um really uh look forward to Gathering additional data I think that that um there's a lot we don't know and I think this will help us to learn more about um about who and where uh and so I'm I'm looking forward to this this passing and encouraging my my colleagues to to pass it um and I think it'll have the opportunity to evolve and improve over time um that those are my comments thank you Mr chair all right the queue has lit back up miss miss brona thank you chair um I was noodling around and um I know people have brought up air DNA before um so I'm just I'm confused as to this program is going to fund a study when without paying for a subscription I can get 2100 short-term rentals in 2022 in Anchorage through airdna so the amount has really gone up but the data says if it's correct um there there's some under the table uh short-term rentals for sure but we're maybe talking 1.8% um and I wondered if this also takes in account it seems to be picking on a a single group that has invested in something and they're trying to make um either ends meet better or they want this vacation property but they don't need it all the time so they rent it part of the time um but what I'm seeing in my neighborhood when I knock doors which some of you may have also is there is a significant number of group homes in neighborhoods now and there's definitely a place for them people need those homes and that care but um so I guess in the same period of time there was 468 homes in our neighborhoods that went to group homes um in my neighborhood there is a house that has been unlived in for 10 years um it has tarps on the roof sandbags holding the tarps and that house could be activated into housing and it just doesn't happen my final thing that um I wanted to say about this is um I have a um young young woman contacted me this week she and her husband purchased a fourplex to do two long-term rentals and two short-term rental rentals and since she's had this property which is in this the spring um of last year um she's had shots fired this is up above uh Silvan Arena she's had shots fired um police called took a significant amount of time to get someone to come and that's no fault of the police they stretched thin um and when that happened the two people that were short-term rentals asked for a refund for their evening of stay and she lost one of her long-term rentals so she's got it all filled again and then last week someone who was either on drugs or in otherwise impaired rang on all the doorbells of the units from 2: a.m. to 5:00 a.m. uh they called the police no one came I mean that's just irritating but not a an emergency so I get it but um she lost the two nights of vacation rental the short-term rental fees she had to reimburse for those people and she lost another tenant and so I'm thinking if this money for um the short-term rental license was going to more enforcement in the city I could see it a little better um this is costing people when we have these problems unchecked and uh I appreciate the time all right Mr Cross again I think this is more regulation and a tax although you don't want to call it a tax to solve problems created by regulation I had tinber 10 airbnbs at one point it was a full-time job to manage them covid came lost all my bookings overnight was very volatile but at the same time on my long-term Ryals I wasn't allowed to evict even the hor most horrible of tenants wasn't allowed to displace them no matter how much abuse they did the courts weren't hearing it they weren't taking it the way we handled landlords and the way we continue to treat landlord to treat long-term landlords through the through the Alaska landlord uh Tenant Act needs to be significantly addressed as well as squatter rights and other things that make long-term rentals very apprehensive there's a massive amount of risk that you have when you become a landlord that you don't have when you have airbnbs not only that but when we jack up the cost of expense through Reckless federal spending that has inflationary effects that everybody feels you have to revert to long-term rbnb so you can just keep the property so you can afford the increase in taxes and utilities maintenance expense the fact that it takes 45 to 60 days to evict a tenant if you have an FHA or VHA VA mortgage because the federal government and Alaska court system says you can't even file for a for a notice to quit and until they've not made paid for 30 days meanwhile you're doing the the burden listen you don't need to create another bureaucracy to figure out why being a landlord sucks and why you would want to go to Airbnb the information is out there talk to the real estate industry talk to the owners we do not need more government we don't need more regulation if you want the information have a housing Summit invite this invite them and do it without another cost or burden or department on the taxpayer thank you Mr Johnson yeah thank you Mr chair Excuse me while it's a little out of character here I'll admit because usually I like to be very differential to my colleagues um just two weeks ago we had I thought a very robust and thorough debate on this um in which I believe everyone except for member pres Veria myself included was afforded the opportunity to speak and make arguments and ask questions and I think many of us again myself include I believe spoke on it multiple times two weeks ago so I I am not of the opinion that we need to go through that entire exercise here again uh so with that I would move to call the question second so there is a motion to call the question on the floor in a second before we do that I have a point of order question for councel Mr Gates so I sent you a note asking you a question about Robert's Rules and my question was and I've never really confronted this before we have an item that has been debated on the main motion and almost everybody spoke twice or if everybody maybe the question is we continue it to the next meeting but it's the same motion does that mean that all of those people who have spoken twice have already spoken and are no longer eligible to the floor or because it's at a new meeting continued does that mean they get two opportunities again that's a very Nuance little Robert's Rules wrinkle sorry uh thank you Mr shair I actually not um don't recall having this question before and I just saw that you sent it just now um my sense is um that this is a topic maybe for uh suspending the rules if you want to spend the two turns to talk all I mean if members want to continue debating then that would be I think the appropriate motion to make in order to continue we'll manage that in the future all right there is a motion to um call the question that has been made and seconded members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 9- three the youth member votes yes yes the question has been called all right the question is now before us question is motion to approve a 223-10 S1 as amended members May proceed to vote Mr martinz Mr Martinez no on a vote of seven to five AO 2023 oh and the youth member votes yes yes ao2 23-10 S1 as amended has passed the body all right next we have item 13A 13A is a202 24-14 an ordinance of the Anchorage assembly amending Anchorage Municipal Code section 9.4.1 0 and 91440 to prohibit vehicular traffic from executing a turn on red in the Central Business traffic District public hearing on this item was continued from 213 2024 the sponsor has requested a couple of members of the public be offered the opportunity to speak before this item is postponed for further work so the public hearing is open note though that if you speak now and another item comes forward you won't be able to speak to it then so well take your name a part of town you're from you'll have three minutes it's not on the green button there you go okay it's hard to see from this angle um good evening my name is Emily Weiser and I live in Airport Heights um so I use a bike for transportation most of the time I also walk and ride the bus and I can't even tell you how often I'm almost hit by drivers turning right who are not looking for me when I'm approaching the crosswalk it's almost daily like pretty much anytime I'm using crosswalks this is something I encounter and have to be really really careful and really Vigilant to avoid it's understandable because drivers are focused on watching for traffic coming from their left um they're not looking right they're just looking left for that oncoming traffic they're not really looking at the crosswalks and you know I know to be cautious but there are cases especially with snow burms or utility boxes or poles that are in the way where I can't really see them coming and so they're approaching the intersection at speed I'm approaching the crosswalk at a much reduced speed than what I would like to do and you know watching for them and trying to avoid getting hit that means that it's stressful for me it's scary it also slows me down which yes I'd rather go slow than be hit by a car but it's it does interfere with using my bike for transportation um as an example so I used to arrive at assembly meetings at 5:00 when you start but that meant that I was traveling here during rush hour and on the way here I take a street there's five signalized intersections and I would be nearly hit by a right turning car at 3 of them on average every time I would buy here during rush hour so now I arrive later [Music] um so yes needless to say I'm in support of this ordinance it'll make things safer and more comfortable the catch as a bicyclist is that doing this downtown won't make a big difference for me we're not allowed to ride on sidewalks downtown certainly it'll be wonderful for pedestrians I very much support this band downtown um but I would also really support expanding it to other parts of town um especially Midtown Fair viiew um you know kind of that Urban Corey area where there's a lot of traffic and a lot of biking and walking um to make this safer you know why wouldn't we expand something that's proven to make things safer to the whole city ideally but certainly places where there's the most conflicts um also the more you expand it the more drivers get into the habit I think it's it will be a transition and the more they're in the habit of you know there's never an ability to turn right on red the more they will respect that um I would also encourage you to think about adding leading pedestrian intervals to this which is where you give the crosswalk a head start before drivers get the green light to then turn across the crosswalks or proceed across the crosswalks um thank you very much I'll look forward to seeing where this goes thank you thank you welcome hi my name is Brian witkey I go by Bree she her pronouns 14 years trans female it's kind of a back and forth uh you know I've read recently uh that there's many cities in in the states that are doing away with right turns on red uh all I can say to that one is is you know I mean we we already have so many laws on the the books that they're not able to keep up with because we don't have the people to do so where is this going to leave us who's going to make sure that this is uh being follow through uh the next one is is if we take away all the right turns on red uh I mean we're looking at expanding a great deal of the vehicles being on the roads longers the intersections being backed up more and with many lights some of them are smart lights some of them are not a right turn on red can sometimes literally be the only time that you can go and I've actually had to change lanes and turn right on red because the light never changed um so that being said you know I recently took a driving uh course uh with the cab owner that I was with uh suggested it and instead of maybe going through and changing laws on the book maybe we can add one to uh the the DMV aspect that maybe every so often that every driver that goes through after your second change of your driver's license goes through a refresher course so that way maybe they can update their views instead of turning uh looking to turn right on red to waiting to turn at all and then we could eliminate a lot of things and we wouldn't have to be trying to enforce things that we don't even have the people to enforce the laws that are on the books now I wish everybody to be safe on the roads this is a common thing it's not only for bicyclers or pedestrians but other cars to other cars I wish there was a way we could increase safety in massive ways I don't know if this will do it thank you question welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes good evening my name is Ron ola I'm represented by all of you and I have two business locations downtown I think the no turn on right uh generates some concerns and I did send you an email but just in case you didn't read it uh the rules downtown at intersections such as fif and B is the turn into the parking garage during the holiday special events those cars are backed up anyway way and if you're trying to get over to Fourth Avenue you'll be backed up even further which uh these policies might inadvertently cause some adverse effects and I think the biggest one is you know the pollution that one gallon of gas idoling can generate 20 pounds with carbon dioxide now it cons that's considerably significant to the pollution and downtown already has air inversions and you're going to be sucking in that carbon dioxide uh we have enough trouble getting pedestrians and Shoppers down you're going to slow them down and then with that when you stop people aren't paying attention to the bicyclists or pedestrians but also if you stop quickly and wait for the light to change there's going to be a chain reaction which according to the national highway traffic safety administration causes more accidents and it's more unsafe so from the traffic safety perspective I haven't seen any data that warrants no turn on rent in a par District uh we'd have to re-educate every driver and believe me the bar is low as it is for incoming uh military their wives and anyone else who comes to Anchorage so uh not only the idling but the no turn on red uh takes the comprehensive data which isn't here I haven't seen anything how many people got hit that's what you Base traffic flow on and whether or not you should put in one notron red so the traffic doesn't hit you so I think this is a little haste and with with the environmental impacts the traffic safety and the mobility of downtown traffic I think you should really gather more data and uh consider this uh as I think a negative effect downtown for safety for the environment and the flow of traffic do you have any questions don't make me have to say it welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes good evening thank you my name is Lise cgo I'm from the south side of Anchorage in regards to the turn on red or prohibiting it um you are excluding a big population motorcyclists I agree with the young lady with the bicycle issue motorcycles are just as much of an issue because we as motorcycles yes I am one our bikes do not trigger the turn excuse me the light to be able to turn from red to Green so we are going to be sitting there you're putting our lives at risk my head is already on swivel because people don't see me yes I'm on a motorcycle people do not see me my head is on swivel to ensure my safety which means I'm also looking out for other pedestrians and uh vehicles in my way our biggest concern is the fact that you have not spoke to the ABATE of Anchorage the state aate or any of the motorcycle clubs we ask that you reconsider this and speak to those that you have excluded being represented in this ruling we look forward to your feedback and if you have any questions I will entertain them now we don't do questions here but if you want to send an email with your information folks May reply thank you sir thank you all right welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes hi uh my name is Johnny marquin and I'm from Anchorage um I'm testifying in favor of amending the right on red code um to make it illegal to turn right on red in the business district because turning right on red in any pedestrian I guess area I feel like is extremely unsafe um I have experienced um several close calls from the results of the right on red policy currently in place um with this current yeah so I notic when people turn right on red they might glance at the sidewalk but a lot of times I feel like um people are only looking left for uncoming cars and um yeah it's a policy that Mak injuries more common I feel like with um pedestrians people needlessly die and get injured this way no person's life is worth being ended over someone wanting to get wherever they're going a just a little bit faster um and not everybody wants or can afford to own a vehicle and ownership of a vehicle shouldn't determine whether or not a person is safe getting home from work or getting groceries or whatever the national highway Transportation safety sorry the nhtsa submitted a report to Congress in 1995 on the safety impact of turning right on red the nhtsa's fatal accident Reporting System found from 1982 to 1992 there were 84 total crashes per year involving motorists um turning right on red and striking pedestrians we could prevent future deaths by amending this code in the business district and it'll make for a safer experience in our our business district yeah thank you thank you welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes I'm William parer I'm from uh Fairview and I've been riding bicycles since 1990 and really honestly people have gotten really better riding by I mean the uh people driving cars have really gotten better and I think a lot of this is because I hear things on the radio all time about oh how about uh bicycles and no one of the things is you got to go with the flow of traffic you go on a bicycle if you go on the right the other opposite side you're going to get right hand turns and going flow of traffic is helps a lot I've been and I've been hit twice on a uh uh turning CU you're the person's looking this way and your thing I've been hit twice on it and and uh really honestly I think you more you let people know about it the better off it is thank you welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes uh my name is River rulia um and I'm from downtown um I just have a general question for the assembly um before I do that I just want to thank you all for your hard work um for our city um I know it takes a lot of dedication to um get up there every week um every other week and do what you do so I really appreciate it um it's just a general question I don't know if I should ask one at a time um or if I should just leave um the space open for answers um but it's just a short question maybe one and a half questions um so uh my question is this in an investig in in an investigatory encounter with a parked motor vehicle when is it acceptable for an officer or group of officers in the Anchorage Police Department to laugh and make jokes or derogatory remarks about an occupant's housing status or to indicate that the encounter is part of a game internal to the Anchorage Police Department so I'm going to interrupt someone would call point of order but we're taking testimony on this ordinance that's relating to bikes excuse me right hand turns on red lights and so I'm sorry I missed I missed the I thought it was the General comment okay I will ask my question again but I invite you all to um consider my question in advance so you can prepare your replies thank you welcome please take your name what part of town you're from we'll have three minutes Irene qued now Sand Lake um I'm a pretty defensive driver um but I do see that when you're trying to make a right turn on red that your attention is more on the left hand side to see where you want to go but I also want to testify I drive through town every single day and the two times were there was almost an accident where I hit a biker I mean a bicycl was because I had a green light for a right hand turn and the bicycle P the person riding the bicycle was on the sidewalk and was running through the red light of the the crosswalk that's why I almost hit them not because I didn't pay attention I had a green light they had a red light and they did not pay attention to the signals so there is two sides to the story thank you all right Mr vond thank you so I would move to postpone to the meeting of April 23rd move to continue second and continue the public hearing and yeah continue the public hearing actually thanks all right um so yeah okay so there's a motion to continue the public hearing to when 4243 I think yeah okay April April 23rd second meeting in April April 23rd by Mr vaugh seconded by who is the second Miss broley okay thank you any discussion motion Miss branga I was wondering if is it going to have significant changes and then if it uh this right turn on red comes back differently does the public testimony start again or how does that work so generally speaking it depends on the subst substantive nature of the changes of the S version but if the S version is um introduced early enough sometimes we will allow members to speak just to the changes they can't speak again and so sometimes it depends on the nature of the change Miss Al thank you um to the sponsor is 423 far enough out um to truly take up whatever plan changes there may be um I guess I don't want to be in a series of postponements um and we'll probably need a work session on this as well so yeah I mean I I think I would be amendable to going a little further out I I don't want to um go too long because I want the traffic department to you know if we do Institute a change whether it's downtown or or elsewhere um I want them to be able to have the summer to set up signage and do everything they need to do to get the word out um so perhaps uh instead of May or April 23rd we could look at uh the following well it's maybe maybe May 21st would be appropriate so um the Mover has decided he'd like May 21st uh second agree yep so the motion now is amended to be moved to continue the public hearing to May 21 any more discussion any objection to that motion heing see none the motion has been adopted unanimously this item has been continued to May 21st next we have item 13B AO 223-9403 1 and 17.10.19 opened on 2113 and continued to today the public hearing is now open all right welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes the microphone's off so you want to hit the little green button there's a green button on this there you go right on the microphone stand there you go hello my name is Pam shamber I'm from South Anchorage I'm on speaking on behalf of the animal control Advisory Board I Vice chair of the board and chair chair of the title 17 subcommittee which revised this document in approximately 2019 our board was asked by members of the public and former assembly members to work on title 17 leash laws after they had incidents and had received complaints regarding off leash animals the current leash law is confusing and can easily be misinterpreted specifically there was confusion over which offleash activities were allowed under code and where under current code animals were allowed to engage in an activity controlled by command if the activity cannot be accomplished if restrained some people interpreted this as an ability to bike or ski with their animal off leash the municipal legal interpretation under the document be safe be legal use a leash specifically stated that off leash dog walking skiing or biking was not allowed unless in an offleash dog park our goal became to clarify the current law and remove the confusion we had three sessions of public comment after each revision spanning from 2020 to 2023 and hearing from over 800 individuals through in-person testimony or email we heard some people who never wanted to put their animal on a leash but we also heard from many people afraid to access Trails due to the overwhelming numbers of offleash animals specifically dogs the current draft is what we create created after much research discussion and public input our initial draft removed e-collars as a form of control we overwhelmingly heard from the public that they wanted to retain e-collars as a form of control we decided to leave e-collar use as a form of control but clearly Define parameters and clarify what is expected of an Animal Control by e-collar we researched and found definitions of controlled animals we added a controlled animal off leash will return to its custodian at the time it has been called the animal will not run after Wildlife the animal will not approach people the animal will not run up to other animals this definition was also applied to animals under control by command we made other minor changes in wording reflecting areas of offleash use and restricting impact to the general public lastly we direct we directly stated the mun ipal legal interpretation that activities not allowed under control by command including but are not limited to hiking walking biking or skiing in summary our goal was to clarify wh clarify current leash laws and only minor changes have been made our committee worked extensively with the public and with animal care and control I guess I'm out of time all right I'm open for questions yep anyone have questions questions I don't see anyone in the que Miss broy yeah just if you had um one more brief statement to make um if you need another few seconds the few seconds I was going to say some people have um expressed a desire for more offleash areas which is a parks and wreck um activity that we cannot do um and we understand that um this is a minor change to the leech law but hopefully making it more clear and less NE will have positive impact for all all right thank you welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes Mr chair and assembly members my name is Al gramer and I live in Midtown quite near the Campbell Creek multi-use Trail I use the multi-use trails particularly the Campbell Creek and Coastal Trails all year depending on the season I bicycle walk or walk my dog he's on leash because he doesn't have a reliable recall and he I am not proficient with a KNE collar I am here to support the clarification of the code defining control of animals in public places clarifying the code helps to educate all Trail users these changes will also give me a voice when conflicts with offleash dogs and their owners occur the multi-use trails are just that and and all Trail users must respect the right of all other Trail users to enjoy this wonderful shared resource thank you for this opportunity thank you anyone else wish to be heard I guess we have one person to call can we call the person on the phone list a call has been forwarded to voicemail the I'm try it just one more time your call has been forwarded to voicemail thank you all right so anyone else wish to be heard on this item anyone at all seeing hearing none public hearing on this item is now closed what's all the body move to approve second Miss branga has moved to approve Mr Cross has seconded want to speak to this item Miss branga I do I I really appreciate um all of the people who reached out um not to me individually but there were a lot of public comments on this um that rolled in all week long and um I love my dogs but honestly um we have a little problem out here in Anchorage and I appreciate that all the work to clarify language but bottom line is loose dogs running mean a lot of waste that is not seen um if you have your dog on the leash it's a lot easier to to it's a lot harder to ignore what's happening um one of the things that really struck me um with the calls that I received and the um emails that I got is this this just isn't about how much we love our dogs there are some people who are terrified of animals terrified of dogs and they are really seeking a place to go on a calm walk with their dog on leash and not worry about other dogs running up to them so there there are the people that I heard from that were very scared of dogs but then there were also the people who have and a lot of people do get rescue dogs and quite a few rescue dogs are reactive and um to other dogs and I had one of those dogs before and I'll tell you it is it is pretty terrifying to go walking with your dog on leash and people's dogs are running up to your massive dog and they're going he's friendly and you're like I don't care if he's friendly my dog's going to tear him tear him up so um it got to be such a problem that I couldn't take my dogs out unless it was like 500 a.m. so I wouldn't run into people so I heard that comment a lot and um that is why I put in here um the amendment number three and if I could get a second I just wanted to take a look at that second second so there's a motion to amend by Miss branga seconded by Mr salt so if we were to and this may be that this is just too soon people haven't seen it and I fully recognize it but I um feel like we really need to say some locations where you can walk with your dog on a leash and know that other dogs or expect that other dogs will be leashed and it made uh most sense any of you have been down by Westchester Lagoon or on uh busy sections of the Chester Creek Trail know that there's a lot going on there's people roller blading biking running skiing particular parts of the year and they're not always on the right side of the trail and there's a lot of loose dogs it's a pretty dangerous situation and it's a it's a fast moving Trail because it's the paved bike trail so my um amendment was to add this section B that would name CH Campbell Creek Trail Chester Creek Trail ship Creek Trail and Tony no Coastal Trail as not an ecall or inste of a leash those those particular Trails you would use a leash to have your dog there and so that um that's why I did this amendment is just thinking of where could we have people feel free to walk their dog without worrying about loose dogs interfering anyone else on the amendment all right Mr Rivera yeah uh thank you Mr chair so I had a couple of questions and um perhaps my instincts are wrong um I don't know if we're actually going to be passing this ordinance or not so I tend to not like messing around with amendments if we're not actually going to pass the ordinance but that being said this is before us um so question on this so This there is a specific clause in here um and I just want to understand the uh movers intent so this talks about uh do not apply to any animal on the paved major TRS or paved multiuse Pathways listed in this subsection and then that Clause at the end there comma as designated by The Parks and Recreation Department is the intent here that that the Parks and Recreation Department will be able to designate additional Trails or major Trails or paved multi-use Pathways or is the intention that the forest that are listed are the ones that parks and wreck are designating parks and wreck didn't designate this I did talk with Mr brff about it briefly um the the major pave Trails were uh rooted out by Mr Gates through the parks and wreck and that's pretty much all that is saying it's not because he chose Mr brov chose him okay so so just to clarify there's another section in code that lists these four as the paved major Trails or paved multi-use Pathways is that what you're insinuating okay uh for the record Miss branga said yes okay thank you classification anyone else on the amendment Miss elel thank you um the line we haven't really discussed in the amendment is the one above it it's the intention here just no more than I guess I'm a little it's it's not the I'm sorry I'm on Amendment Three I kind of jump ship um I do want to eventually look at uh Amendment two but I figured Amendment Three we could take a look at well then I guess I want to ask a question about that because Amendment two has two pieces or Amendment two has Amendment one has this piece that we have before us and another piece I mean is the intention to take up both pieces or not I was advised to split it um and I had first had them together so now my Amendment one I didn't move and I just went with uh Amendment Three and then I'd like to look at Amendment two just to really mess everybody well they're related and that's why I'm asking because one is whether or not we're going to make exceptions and then if we're making exceptions or not it's how many animals we're talking about um so all right well um since we have Amendment Three before us I guess what I would say is I am always loathed to make exceptional spaces or overlays because it's hard and confusing for the public to keep up they say oh I didn't know and then what happens um and how do we inform them how do we ensure that and then how do they get to the trip right what if they were in a offleash area to get to the trail um and frankly for me what my concern is is it goes beyond the trails it's what's happening on the streets because you have to go through the neighborhood to get to the trail and go through the park um so I prefer to see um frankly I'm not going to vote for this ordinance but I'm I'm worried about exceptions um or exceptions to anything that call things out unless there's signage or something attached to it and that costs money and so I just am curious about um how parks and wreck or animal control would intend to enforce and implement this because I would hate for people to have the expectation that these are places where dogs will always be on leashes and then just see people ignore it um so I really appreciate the effort I'm just mostly concerned about that but if you have ideas please let me know well earlier in this uh ordinance it talks about even if you are uh in an activity that you you have recall of your dog um or if you're using the e-caller you must have one leash per animal so you know going through the neighborhood you're going to have your leash with you you go to the dog park you take the leash off and let them run so um I you know you you have to have a leash with you at all times according to this ordinance even if they have um amazing recall thank you anyone else on the amendment Miss broy yeah thank you um and I'm I'm still unsure how I'm going to vote on this ordinance but I do appreciate these um these four being brought up because as I look at them I you know maybe less so ship Creek Trail although I haven't spent as much time on it but the other Trails I really think of as basically the highways of our trail system um they're the highest um uh use they are often the densest um and there's some pretty narrow corridors I'm thinking of for example on the coastal Trail there's just you know it's it's you and the and a wall and the inlet right so there's not really a place to go you can't just jump off the trail and so I appreciate the effort to identify these areas and really recognize that there needs to be better essentially traffic control of the folks on there and I don't mean Traffic Control in the sense of someone directing traffic but just I guess more self-awareness because I've seen um varying degrees of that on the trail so I guess um I I share the same concerns as memb zotel um but also just want to say um that I hope regardless of what happens with this ordinance that people are self-aware recognize that those are the highest traffic trails and behave accordingly whether or not it's the laws are on the books or not and I think that's the Crux really is hoping that people and um hoping the people behave better and maintain their dogs better thanks all right Mr TR yeah I I support this res um this amendment I think aside the high density status of these Trails I think designating at least a few to unleash for those highly volatile dogs or people who just don't want to have to deal with the the friendly dogs that that come up to you I think is absolutely something that we should uh do I think um this this is not nearly even like a fraction of our trails and I think this is absolutely necessary and I encourage a yes vote Mr Martinez on the amendment thank you chair while I appreciate the idea of of of those safer spaces with respect to offleash dogs and the Public's uh and some of the members of The public's need I I personally would love to see actual data that describes need wear place um and and so those questions that uh that members alel raised with respect to exceptions I think matters to me I would be predisposed you're c a feedback loop Mr Martinez could you mute your phone and come back could you mute your phone and come back all right are you finished yeah there were I am okay thank you and feedback loop is ended anyone else on the amendment hearing seeing none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez no uh I hit p on a vote of four to eight and the youth member votes yes the amendment fails next we have uh are you g to move the other Amendment yes thank you um so this one in uh section two on page three beginning at line 31 um there oh move to bring forward move to amend Amendment two second move to so move to amend by Miss branga and it's yeah it's Amendment two so and seconded by Mr band now Mr brono oh sorry about that um so in that section it talks about um an owner being able to have three dogs with them with their e-collars and I'm that is darn near impossible um I was uh experimenting with that this week because we have a dog visiting our two dogs and I'll tell you what I don't know I don't think anyone can effectively manage three dogs at once I think two on an eoll or is a reasonable uh compromise anyone else on the amendment hearing and seeing none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez no on a vote of 5 to S and the youth member votes yes yes the amendment fails now we have before us the main motion miss alel Mr constant thank you I have pretty strong feelings about this um I've been heing this conversation I think since 2017 when I joined the body or 2019 and um since before I was elected I've been asking for um enforcement in the parks for animal waste cleanup intermittent enforcement send out your contractor one hour a month to One Park rotate to the parks never any response doesn't happen we don't have money not in the budget not happening and the parks continue to be used by some irresponsible dog owners as waste repositories and it sucks and no law is going to change that without for ment and so that's the first part of this we heard in the work session from a member of the public who has continued to bring concerns Animal Care to the police to anybody who will listen about what we allow as a city in relationship to dogs in cars Winter when it's 20 below and on one hand we have we need to be more specific on the other hand we need to be more General because people need to have flexibility but what happens time and time again is dogs suffer and nothing's going to change that without enforcement I invited members of the health department staff to come to a work session they didn't like that I use the word cruelty in response to how I believe this municipality treats animals now I want to see it get better but I have very little faith here we are seeing the same ordinance just Rewritten slightly that we dispatched with a couple years ago I said the same thing then that I'm going to say now without enforcement this is just wallpaper it means nothing people who own dogs aren't going to listen if you don't go out there and actually assertively do something now I have come to understand after that meeting that we had two weeks ago that we are no longer generally a no kill shelter except for when you have a dog who's dangerous or really sick we heard over the winter that we had to shut down our shelters because we didn't have capacity and we didn't have staff and the building was full so we were leaving dogs out and now I come to understand we're now euthanizing dogs as a practice to make room for dogs which I find to be cruel and one thing that has never happened since I've been on this body not one time in now beginning 8 years has been a proposal to come forward by the animal care and control office the staff of the health department to actually contemplate increasing the budget to operate a facility that doesn't end with cruelty and so here we are now once again proposing a law that we're not going to enforce we're going to treat it like every other law and to me that's an act of vanity and nothing more and so I do not support this ordinance thank you Mr conon Mr Cross thank you uh Chris I absolutely agree without enforcement like what point like why are we even changing it if they're not going to enforce it and you know it's so hard to enforce the one you know I I have three dogs I run them all summer long they're trained to be on a bike and I will tell you that you know the the individuals with dogs that run wild or create issues or the one owners that allow them to excrete freely they don't stick around they're gone quick and when you're out on a trail out somewhere it's not like you're going to wait 45 minutes listen law enforcement and CH curl has much more important things to do than deal with somebody's Bon FR who is not freaking behaving well right and so I mean really come on Anchorage just behave better because I think we should be a pet friendly Town we're having enough trouble keeping people but one thing we could do is make it a very pet friendly inspiring place I don't know if you know this will change anything because again I doubt it will just because enforcement um but I mean gosh there's I know it's so funny we're frustrated with dog feces it's been least of my problem on 409 ways far we one of my buildings there's human excrement all over the place I got I got to deal with more than that I got to deal with than animal animal somebody's blue bag they leave tied up on the trail is less of a problem to me than uh the unsightly things I see three times a week in Midtown so how about some enforcement on that ex wild excretion um again Chief curl would have much would much rather pursue those crimes than go chase down uh you know a mini winnie but um but yeah so I probably won't vote for it just because there's no enforcement and so what's the point of having a law if it's not going to be enforced that's the reason that we repealed the jaywalking remember they said we don't give jaywalking tickets we haven't done that for in forever like we don't have the time we don't have the manpower to chase down somebody who doesn't cross right at the sidewalk so why are we passing more laws that aren't going to get enforced thank you Mr salt thanks appreciate it um you know I I I'm also not really a leash person I had a half golden half lab that I I'm pretty sure understood English um and we trained it very well to do that but at the same time when it was angry it looked like a very vicious dog so I I get why we want laws like this because of that 1% of bad owners or bad dogs or experiences but like member cross said we need to take better control of our our animals and if our animals not open to public spaces it shouldn't be out there and I think we can I think if we are going to pass something we can do something better you know I I I'm a little troubled by activities not allowed under control by command include but are not limited to hiking walking biking and skiing so basically it sounds like control by command to me is your dogs's off a leash uh and I can't do that anywhere in Anchorage unless I'm in basically an off leash dog park and I think that could be definitely cleared up so I think we could do better as owners um and if we were to pass this we could do better as a AO thank you Mr vond Miss brona I was just going to throw out there that um you you all might have heard that uh BLM stepped up their enforcement and um they they allow e-collar or leashes through the Campbell trct but they've been threatening to to do tickets forever and they finally St started and it was like the shot herd round the world um Everybody the chatter on next door was did you get a ticket oh my God they're G they're actually giving a ticket and that Corridor is so pleasant to go on with your animal right now because everybody's fearful that the the ticket's going to come and they're leashing and they've got e-c callers on and it's really nice so it I don't think it would take a huge lift to put someone out there to give some tickets one one day a week or you know just even once a month um the other thing that came up on several emails was Trail watch the trail Watch program went away that used to be um a pretty nice way to get some seniors out riding their bikes watching the trail reminding people to pick up their dog after their dog or leash so um I'm all for trail watch coming back thanks I agree thank you m miss brona Mr troll yeah um I I hear the repeated statement it's it's there's no enforcement there's no there's no bite to it no pun intended but I think I I do not think my term will last long enough for for myself to work on it but I I implore you to pick it up I mean if if we need that enforcement perhaps a work session in the future there are higher priority issues but I think this is something important and it is certainly an issue um so I would I would implore one of you to pick it up thank you thank you anyone else on this question members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez no on a vote vot of 2 to 10 in the youth member votes yes yes AO 20 23- 94 has failed to pass the body next we have big ticket item item 14a AO 202 24-7 an ordinance determining and approving the total amount of the annual operating budget of the anchor school district for its fiscal year 2024 to 2025 and determining and appropriating the portion of the assembly approved budget amount to be made public on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard anyone at all it's amazing seeing and hearing none public hearing on this item is now closed what's the will of the body approve second moved by Miss Broly seconded by Mrs alel Miss Broly yeah thank you um I want to just give some uh brief remarks to put this budget in context um so if I can beg the body's Indulgence um this body and the public should clearly understand the assembly's role in the school budget is to approve the total amount in part because it is part of our required local property taxes that we collect every year uh which we need to set the mill rate next month uh this school budget as it's noted in the document is $10 million less total than last year's budget and it's only an increase of a total of 46,7 65 in the local contribution that comes from our property taxes it's also really important to put this budget in context as best we can of where we are today in the state landscape our vote tonight to approve the FY 2425 ASD budget comes one day after the governor's veto of Senate Bill 140 and or I should say a few days after the veto and the failure one day after the failure of two-thirds of the Alaska legislature to override The veto on Monday yesterday sb40 would have secured a $680 per student BSA increase $500 per qualifying K through three student to implement the Alaska reads Act act $50 per student for student transportation and would have provided greater funding certainty to our district and districts across the state heading into our next fiscal year however the wisdom in this budget is that it's not that optimistic the budget that we have before us has assumed only a very modest State funding increase uh from from the state in the budget much less than the full 680 that was laid out in SB 140 and um the optimism about the funding increase at all is consistent with statements from leadership and the legislature and the governor up to the point on which the school district voted on this budget which was February 27th it was then introduced on our agenda on March 5th and is now before us tonight to approve a spending level and I offer that timing just to note how quickly things have moved since this was approved by our Schoolboard I very much appreciate the work of Schoolboard chair Bellamy Vice chair Jacobs and member lesons who took the lead on the February 27th budget amendments and to all anchored school board members for navigating very difficult choices as I understand it this this budget relies on a large amount of our District's remaining savings and modest assumptions about State funding for this fiscal year and it restores cuts that would have otherwise been necessary to deliver this budget and which were the subject of great Community concern all last month as the Schoolboard worked to balance its budget the avoided Cuts in this budget are to restore 46 teacher FTE to avoid larger classroom sizes that includes 8.5 FTE for elementary teachers 9.8 ft FTE for Middle School teachers and 14.2 FTE High School teachers and 3.8 FTE for alternative school teachers as well as an additional 10 positions it also restores five FTE of immersion program staff 18 FTE of ignite program staff and also ensures uh consistent counselor Staffing for Chugiak service and South High Schools we know that the question of State funding for education is not a settled question right now but we the assembly have a duty just like the school board to move forward with our own budget process on the timeline required in our code so we and local government here at the municipality and in every community in the state have been handled a great deal of uncertainty at this time by the legislature and the governor I urge support for this budget to my fellow members because at this time it is the best information we have and I believe that the school board worked diligently to deliver a practical budget that is realistic but we also know that there is future work ahead hopefully by the legislature and the governor to resolve the question of State State funding for this coming year and certainly for our school board who will have to deal with the consequences of what comes out of this legislative session in the meantime what we have before us is a well vetted and again sensible budget and so I urge a yes vote Mr TR yeah it's it's a dire one the budget and I wish there was more we could do but I think what this is is this is the best we can do right now and I must absolutely urge a yes vote um it is unfortunate that the legislature does not support it the way that it should but we must do what we can on the local level and that is why I I suggest a yes vote Miss Al um thank you Mr chair um so very well spoken by Miss Broly she really put the entire budget in context and uh Mr Terell really kind of under scored that um for me the school budget is always one um that is about where are our priorities and we don't have a lot of control over the school budget but a budget that um maximizes what our contribution can be um because how do we express our priorities as Government we spend money on them and a budget that comes within that maximum contribution um that has a plan um and even if the state doesn't come through the budget is a ceiling right and so it will be some hard choices for the school district I hope that the state particularly the governor and the legislature can share the priority that I hope this body and our community put on our children and say that is a top priority and that education is a top priority in this community um it's really hard to talk about out migration and other issues facing our community when we um aren't prioritizing education and and funding our children to have a reason for people to stay um it always catches my attention when my middle schooler comes home and says something about school like the operation of the school right like it's one thing about her classes or what's going on with friends but when she picks up on the chatter in the school about the budget uncertainty that's real because that's not about what's happening with other 12 and 13 year olds she's picking it up and she's picking up on it that there's anxiety in the school and the classroom and that hard choices are having to be made um and that also I it must it must make kids feel devalued I I can't imagine otherwise it's on our front page of our paper and so so for our part I hope we can show kids in our community that we value them um and we're doing everything we can thank you thank you Mr pres thank you Mr chair I see Andy rattliff in the audience Andy would you just come up for for a second thank you for being here tonight if you could just introduce yourself record and then I I just have a question for you sure thank you for the record Andy Ral from the Chief Financial Officer for the school district thanks Andy for being here I just as we move towards this vote I I'm I'm I'm I'm appreciative of you being here is there any any information that you feel like it's important that we know is there is there context or anything that that' be helpful for us in making this this decision tonight um through the chair thank you for that question I think um Mr BR really summed up our position pretty well we did add the equivalent of about a $100 BSA increase to fund those position uh to get our PTR in grades 4 through 12 back to where it was uh the ignite positions the immersion so really we took a very conservative approach just to add back these most critical positions that are going to be needed for our staffing timelines um the unfortunate process that the state set up is where we have to create a budget we have to approve taxes and then we find out how much that the city can actually award us for that so you know any advocacy we can give to say that that that process is backwards we should be able to know how much we can collect before we actually you know go to collect that is uh would be helpful yeah thanks thanks Andy and you may want to hang hang out up front um there may be other questions for you but thanks thanks thanks for coming up um I just want to add to the to the sentiment that I I I encourage my colleagues to to approve this tonight I think it's vital I think it's important that we send a message to to our to our students and our teachers and and all all people at ASD but actually everyone in this community how much we value public education and and um and that we need to fund it and it's and it's it's suffering because of it being underfunded and it has been for years um I I also want to add to the the the call for for our state representatives to to step up and to um and to follow through on ensuring that we have adequate and reasonable F funding for our schools um and just finally I had the opportunity to sit on in on the Sab meeting today and and heard a video by um Schoolboard member Kelly lon's explaining some of the challenges that that are going on around the budget to many of our student leaders and and um and I feel the same way as Miss Miss alel I I I like our students and my my children to be F focusing on learning and focusing on their friends and and all the things that our schools do so well and not be worried about U whether they're going to lose their their their teacher or whether the program that they vital so um that that is so vital to them is going to go away this is this is certainly not um what what I want our children to to be hearing so I I encourage a yes vote um and and again I I I hope that our state representatives are listening tonight and know that that uh we we want them to step up too and make sure that they're following through with with the commitments that they have thank you thank you Mr salt thank you while I'm sure this will pass tonight I I would challenge ASD to uh look at how you get more money into the classrooms so less overhead less square footage you're faced with by your own numbers declining population in the past and in coming years um my kids went to Charter Schools which do more with less they have uh good test scores but I think that's also because they have I think the missing component for ASD and all is parent involvement and we really need to start looking at on at why parents are or are not involved and if they can't be involved because they're working three jobs how we help them with the right tools or they don't speak they don't speak the language their kids do um again how do we do more of that Outreach to figure out a way because I think we all want the same result at the end is that our kids can compete with any kid in the nation any kid in the world thank you Miss brono thank you chair um having taught uh for 20 years I can tell you that this process is is not only stressful to the kids but the teachers it's an incredible stress especially the new teachers that are will face a pink slip and they've built a community at that school they've um made relationships with teachers that they partner with and learn the kids names and then they get this pink slip and at that point um in the spring they're forced to take a position at a different school and if the funds come forward if money is put back into the budget they can't go back to that original school they were at they're they're now trapped at the new school not that it's trapped but I mean they would rather be at the one they were at that they were building relationships with so it's this whole cycle of moving teachers around displacing them and um just generally uh devaluing devaluating Educators as well as students right um Miss broy yeah thank you um just briefly I had a question for Mr Ratliff and as you're walking up um so I I've actually heard that talking point for a while that we um basically are our top heavy in administration or non-instruction so I wonder could you speak to what percent of the the total budget is um is essentially Administration or non-instruction and then could you also speak to um how that's changed over time thank you uh sure through the chair uh thank you for that question you know I think we're about 1% in just strictly District admin which is our school board superintendent me other Chiefs and about 5% more on District admin support which is going to be our accountants our HR professionals it Prof professionals things like that um speaking just for the Departments that I supervise you know I've cut half of the CFO staff a third of the budget staff a quarter of the uh accounting staff and about 177% of my purchasing staff since 2012 so we have been reducing at least my directorates down quite a bit there are some departments that have grown slightly like um HRS we have to process a lot more hiring paperwork and uh it as we've so much more reliant on technology they've grown a little bit particularly in like our software costs those keep going up as um cost quite a bit more to do business there um what was the second part of your question sorry I think you covered it just how that's changed over time right and I would uh if I could go back to Mr sut's question about um the the size of the district you know we have discussed uh closing schools Consolidated Schools the feedback we got from the community overwhelming was like we wanted more Community input on the front end of that to see what those metrics were to which schools need to be selected so we do recognize that we've lost you know about 10% of our students over the last decade um and we do need to rightsize our capacity um because we do have excess capacity or figure out a different way to use those facilities to help uh educate our children all right Mr TR yeah I'll keep this brief but I would just like to express my to gratitude and appreciation for everyone in finance everyone on the school board you've got some huge huge decisions to make and they're not easy and uh I just really appreciate it so thank you for your work thank you Mr constant thank you just briefly on the process um so for the new members you've heard it but I'll say it again here our our options are very limited in context of the uh School District budget we have to pass it within 30 days of it being delivered it was delivered March 1st we also have the authority only to raise it lower it or pass it as is we cannot apply any amendments that would um direct funding the school board does that and because we're in this interesting position we've had some discussions with Council once we figure out what the state's doing after we pass this it's quite possible we have to come back with a supplemental budget appropriation so that we can hone in on what we can and are authorized under state law and what we have under the cap that we can contemplate to appropriate if we figure out what's available under the cap at some time and so um that's a procedural bit of information for folks so what we're doing tonight is meeting the standards of the code and and then we will likely be back to this conversation before midar and probably before the levy and so know that this is part one of a two-part conversation so with that I don't have anyone else in the queue members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 9 to3 and the youth member votes yes yes the School District budget has passed and it's just worth noting to anybody who's listening we just appropriated or budgeted several hundred million doll and there was no member of the public here to testify on it and it's always baffling what moves people to come speak at these meetings and so s worting Miss alel thank you Mr chair I moved to change the order of the day to take up item 14 golf Charlie and Echo second to change the order of the day by Miss elel seconded by Mr Rivera miss elel you want to speak to it thank you um I believe um the idea here is 14g can be dispatched with cl quickly and then c and e um so that way the directors who are here can uh go by way of dispatch you means continue the public hearing so further work can happen between the administration and the assembly so just to put a fine point on that SGC yeah so is there any objection to the motion hearing and seeing none the agenda order of the agenda has been changed now we have item 14 G Miss alel thank you um item 14g I have participated in in my role as the Anchorage coalition to homelessness and I asked to be excused yes you are excused you have a personal interest all right is there a motion motion would be to move to continue the public hearing to um April 9th yeah so move so moved second second moved by Mr R seconded by Mr Cross G yeah 14 G sorry I gota let the computer catch up is there any objection to the motion Mr bird thank you Mr chair I just on behalf of the administration I know that some of uh the members of the administration had uh I think it one or two meetings offered members of the public that there would be public hearing testimony offered and if there's anybody here that's that's the only objection the administration would make that they have an opportunity to speak so they will have an opportunity to speak when we get to the item before us but we don't know what the item is going to be in the end so I think members can proceed to vote on this question since Mr bird on behalf of the mayor has raised an objection although it's kind of out of order it might have been better for the manager but um they really can't but let's just okay I'm told not to set i'm are you overruling the chair no but I would accept it I would accept it fine then then I will meet a motion to uh override the ruling of the chair second second so the motion is made seconded and um the ruling of the chair was to allow a vote and so um members May proceed to vote on the motion may I speak to briefly goe please please thank you yeah thank you um so I'm not necessarily opposed to us voting on this motion to continue um but what I am opposed to is US setting precedent that someone who is not the mayor can um which the mayor is not here someone who is not the mayor can object to a motion because that is only a power uh that is granted to the mayor not to the mayor's Representatives I think I'm going to cut this all off at the pass and I agree with you Mr no need to vote so then sorry Mr bird the question back before us is the motion to postpone or continue excuse me the public hearing to the meeting of April 9th members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 9 to2 in the youth member votes yes yes that will be heard back before us on the meeting of April 9th so next on the agenda we have item 14 C item 14 C is ao20 24-27 an ordinance of the Municipality of Anchorage Alaska authorizing a master equipment lease purchase agreement approving one or more Master equipment lease purchase agreement schedules and appropriating an amount not to exceed $1,815 th000 from the proceeds of one or more Master equipment lease purchase agreement schedules to the Anchorage fire department Anchorage fire service area fund 131 thank you the public hearing on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard on this item no at all seeing hearing none public hearing on item is now closed what's will the body V to approve moved by Miss Al second seconded by Mr Walland Miss Al nope all right so anyone seeing hearing none members May proceed to vote it was moved by Miss tell seconded by ex Mr I think I don't know a vand I'm sorry that's right Miss zel Mr was looking at the other item there we go memb Mr Martinez Mr chair can you please repeat what we're voting on yeah the motion is to approve a202 24-27 a master equipment lease for the fire department yes on a vote of 12 to zero in the youth member of votes yes yes ao20 24-27 has passed the body now we have item 14 e AR 224-7629 600 $610 of areawide Anchorage Police Department information technology system special tax levy fund 10700 fund balance to the areawide APD it system special tax levy fund 10700 for use by the APD to pay for technology implementation and maintenance public hearing on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard anyone at all seeing hearing none public hearing on this item is now closed what's will the body move to approve moved by Miss second who is the second second by Miss broley Miss Alto nope anyone wish to speak to this item hearing and seeing none members May proceed to vote am I on the right one no the item we're on is 14e there we go there we are Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 12 to zero and the youth member votes yes yes ar22 24- 76 is pass the body now we roll back up to item 14b 14b is ar202 24-31 resolution of the Municipality of Anchorage adjusting the non-represented and Public Safety non-represented pay Plans by adding six additional 2 .5% steps to the top end of the each grade and increasing the top end the executive pay plan by 24% for grades 21 through 24 and 33% for grade 25 public hearing on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard on this anyone at all seeing hearing none public hearing on this item is now closed what's will the body move to approve move by Miss zel seconded by Miss broy Miss zel um yes I'd like to start by moving zotel broy amendment number one second there's a motion to am men zeel broley number one moved by Miss zelel seconded by Miss broley Miss zotel thank you um what this um Amendment does is it makes the nonre pay increases the additional steps um 7 through 12 effective on January 1st 2025 the reason for this is twofold one um it's a considerable amount of money and we need to consider it in the budget um to um especially since we've heard there really isn't um any money at quarter so let's just take it up holistically and two it relates to um kind of this Equity with um collective bargaining agreements we know particularly that the amaa uh collective bargaining agreement is frankly substandard um and so it gives the administration time to see if they can bring that collective bargaining agreement up with our guidance that we provided um in some ways maybe even using what we're doing here as a model and we'll be able to talk about the implications of a new collective bargaining agreement for amaa or any changes to their existing one um in the context of the budget and if we're finding no action on that then we can also contemplate what we want to do then on uh the non-re side um I think it's a way to look at it holistically um and you know I think it all needs to be addressed and so this gives us the tools to do it but do it in the context of the budget which is an appropriate time to take up pay increase because they have a significant budget impact um particularly these because we do have a large number of individuals who are at that step six um and we know that thanks to um the CFO and the HR Director who did a lot of work and gave us a lot of information and data um but that does mean that there's a a pretty hefty Financial cost to um implementing these non-r pay raises so a little de delay should help thank you thank you Miss broy yes thank you I first want to say um thank you so much again to U Mr thern our CFO to Mr Andrews our HR director and to Mr Coes our Municipal manager who spent um time working with us and um working on this issue um and and as member zotel said I think um and I know as the mayor said earlier in the meeting um we recognize that we need to pay our city workers better and we need to do it in a way that's fair and I think memb zotel already spoke to uh the details of that um but also just to note you know in terms of fiscal responsibil ility there is a tension um between making sure that we are um uh doing good by the taxpayers right and keeping our our uh property bills in line um balanced with the fact that we need to pay for services and almost all of our city services really rely on our people um there's equipment there's other costs but really it's mostly uh people hours and so those are things that we need to balance um and I know that the one one of the big discussions we had in the fall particularly with the mayor was um going as far under the cap as possible to save taxpayers money um as a consequence um you know a lot of other needs stacked up and we recognize that we do need to be again paying our folks well making room for that in the budget and so I just want to note that that there's two sides to that fiscal responsibility right making sure that we have our people in place that we're keeping them because turnover is also expensive training new people is expensive um but also recognizing that we need to be fiscally constrained and we need to balance this against other priorities particularly in this year that we are looking at um not not the flush coffers that we maybe used to have especially during um the times that we had a lot of covid relief money recently so all of that to say I I definitely support this um I support the the timing to make sure that we um are are kind of Staggering the implementation of this and then again I just encourage the public to recognize um that that it is a balancing act between the bills that we pay and then with the services that we're getting and we have to make that balance um work out out well thank you all right Mr brono on the amendment so I was going to ask um members alel the question so if we wait till January for um this will AA have already um gone through their contract contract negotiations I don't know when their contract is due to be open but we provided guidance to the administration in a prior resolution that they should go and open it up if it's not set to be opened already um to bring um am up at a minimum to the 3% which has kind of become the CBA or collective bargaining standard um in addition to considering Tela work so this um this provides the space for that to happen before we take this back up you know in the budget process thank you thank you Mr kis thank you Mr chair I um we appreciate this discussion we appreciate the work session we had on this I would offer that like any bargaining unit this is not a bargaining unit but um this group of employees like everyone is very important and we're having challenges with Recruitment and Retention in this group as well as in the bargaining the representative groups represented groups rather so um I think our preference would be that this be um approved with an effective date before uh January 1st of next year and as Mr thur uh mentioned at the work session how we would address that is we would bring forward a balanced budget at oneq to address whatever is approved by the body thank you but I I guess before I close it is very important to have these tools available to us to recruit and retain non-represented employees much as we're doing with the represented bodies thank you Mr Johnson yeah thank you I it was my intention um essentially to to ask Mr Coast the question that uh I believe he just answered um because in the work session it seemed that the administration had contemplated was supportive um possibly making this effective in 2024 I think even it was suggested January 1 2024 and and I I hear the arguments made by the amendment sponsors and most of this amendment I feel good with but I I there is just part of me that is feels very sympathetic to the Municipal Employees who have been underpaid for so long and a concern that you know we're we're going to ask them even if this is you know a clear statement of intent to to hang in there for another eight months before we um actually make these changes so I I I I'm going to offer an amendment and and I think you know whether or not I ultimately support it will probably depend on which way the debate goes but just because I think it merits consideration um I would like to make a motion to amend the amendment to change uh in section one effective and implemented honor after January 1 2024 and by Mr Johnson second seconded by Miss branga go ahead Mr Johnson yeah thanks I I again I'm curious to hear what my um what the other folks have to say and I understand we want to be fiscally constrained and it in a way this would be easier if we were taking this up I think after we kind of had our projections for the the first quarter budget revisions but I hear from the administration they think we can afford to do this um you know perhaps we do not but I I am also imagining that when we do make first quarter revisions we will contemplate um some additional spendings and I think this projected the cost of this was going to be less than $400,000 and so well I'm sure whatever comes forward from the body are things that you know will will be worthy projects um this would be a pretty high priority in my mind trying to to do right by our Municipal Employees who I think have been asked for for too long to do too much with too little Al thanks um so yeah it'd be great to implement it in 2024 I'm actually so it' be great to implement it in 2024 but here's the deal with that they tell us there's no money they put forward a budget if they wanted this that should have come in their regular budgeting process they've told us for one Q there's no money we don't have audited financials and so it's a little convenient for them to say well we will bring you a balanced one Q budget for our priorities when there will be no money for anything else the assembly might be interested in funding at one Q um we're having other conversations around like the building safety service fund right we have other a lot of priorities and a lot of competing priorities but it's all about where there is room to absorb those priorities and frankly I'm a little bit um uneasy that um they are able to bring for the administration the mayor specifically to bring forth a budget that I'm going to not tax to the max because I want to lower property taxes and then after the budget is passed say but I want to add all these expenses on and do it at one q but then I'm going to probably blame the assembly for taxing to the cap and I think that's just too convenient of a narrative and it's unfortunate that in doing so this mayor has put the employees in the middle he has squarely put the employees in the middle when he could have simply just put this forward as a part of his 24 budget package because it came on the heels of the new year and so I I can't support the amendment I would love to but I think it just gives into poor planning it gives into um what are we going to have to cut to make it possible where is that $400,000 when we are told there's no money in the budget and we certainly don't have 23 audited financials because we don't have 22 audited financials so are they asking us to spend money we really don't have who knows thanks so I'm going join that conversation Mr Conant it to me it's it all boils down to literally we heard tonight we may lose $20 million of Revenue we budgeted because we're not going to be able to build Fort because we don't have audited financial statements for 2022 and we heard we're going to lose our self- insurance with the state of alasco all of these are massive expenses and what we're being asked is to support a real time go back into the past make this effective January 1 so it's maybe 400,000 going back and who knows how much going forward and we'll find it because they want it and so they're going to cut from the things that we approved earlier this year or late last year and so the question I have is what is it that you supported that you're willing to sacrifice in making this change right now because it's not going to come out of potential money that exists because we heard just at the last meeting there is no money the meeting before that there is no money and so there isn't any money according to the messages we've been told so what are the priorities we are willing to cut today to retroactively fill this priority that they knew they were working on and it needed to be done and that in good faith Miss alel and Miss broy negotiated this process and came forward with a really good product and so to end that I would just say that it makes sense to implement the increase for the non-represented in due time when we get the closed financials when we have an understanding of our financial position when we don't lose $20 million of Revenue that we budgeted for and we still have insurance by January 1 hopefully all of those things are true in 6 to 8 months but we don't know we're on the precipice of uncertainty and it feels to me a um a risk too great to take I think we heard that quite a bit from the financial team it's a risk too great to take if we can't count where the money is today I think that's been a common refrain it's too great a risk thank you Miss broy yeah I'll just briefly add um I support member zel's comments I am not in support in I am not in support of the January 1st 2024 again not because I don't believe we should pay people um I will also note that what we are voting on um another part of this is related to Public Safety so the public safety employees are are a group that we did budget for that we did already pass and incorporate into the budget and there is a fairness issue there too that that those were taken up before everybody else and certainly there is a fairness issue with those who are union workers as opposed to non-represented workers and so I think that is the challenge that we're facing is is that because this was not done in a comprehensive manner where everybody could be addressed all at once or at least on a on a predictable time frame um that it's just difficult to do and I will share that I've had multiple conversations on multiple budget topics with our CFO and with the OMB director um including an item that will be on the next agenda and and there was no option for general fund and and I believe that we may see some less Rosy uh Revenue numbers in our meeting on Thursday and so I think we are in a serious situation we are not in the situation where this city has been where we had a lot of federal money that we were able to plug holes um fund other programs things like that and so so I don't want to be alarmist but I do believe that it's not going to be um an easy first quarter budget revision and we're going to have a lot of things left on the table unfortunately including I believe this until we have time to budget for it thanks Mr V thank you Mr chair um yeah you know this maybe is going to be a little tangential but I I am not going to support the amendment to the amendment just because I I'm very nervous that we don't have those audited financials and we are the guardians of the budget but we don't have the information that we need and um it was brought up you know without those audited financials um those semt funds may be at risk well there's one of our priorities right there because we talked about operationalizing the mobile crisis team which has been a huge priority of the assembly uh with semt funds so I just I don't think this is ready to go forward I totally um appreciate member Johnson's um wanting to support our Municipal Employees you know even though it's at the the executive level but um yeah I just I think it's too risky at this point Thank you Mr Johnson yeah thank you I I I appreciate those comments and certainly I I will say it is a shame that we weren't able to consider this when we took up the the 2024 budget um and I I still remain undecided about whether or not I'm also going to vote for my own Amendment but I just want to give the administration uh perhaps the CFO or or the municipal manager if they like just opportunity since it seems they've contemplated this question and and believe that there is money available to to cover this increase to suggest how we would accomplishment if hypothetically as unlikely as it seems this amendment uh to the amendment passed through the chair to uh Mr joh member Johnson I would if I may I'd indulge um CFO Alden th to take a shot at that question thank you Mr th I think the discussion I I actually agree with all of you on the discussion tonight we value our employees we all do the administration the assembly we want to do the best we can uh I think the discussion about our financials is right on spot you deserve to have numbers to know how to make decisions and I I that that's exactly right um I do we we do have a lot of needs out there that everyone wants and I think it's it's very difficult to be able to meet all of those particular needs but we all value the employees and I I want us to make sure regardless of how this goes uh uh that that that's being said it would while we value this and in the work session we had we we could go either way is from my perspective we value employees and we think it's a priority and if we were if we were to pass this we would have to make uh decisions that uh in other areas in order to be able to fund it I wouldn't expect that there's a a range Gap in order to be able to do that the discussions you're having are absolutely the decisions that would have to be made um programs versus people um is a is a tough decision but uh even uh member zel's comments about the amaa contract and timing I I I can see where those comments come from I I think they have some validity to them as well um the just the tables and giving us the ability going forward is a is a really really important thing I don't want you all to lose sight of that I know we're just talking about a very small piece of this it will go a long ways to at least setting the tables and setting the future um uh as we work towards these particular things uh to be able to fund it which I think we said was about 380,000 which is all of the Municipality of Anchorage for the the range six people that includes that's not just a general fund budget it would be something smaller than that but it is a it is an amount that would have to be identified and uh other areas would either be uh not funded or some of the additional asks would have not to be in order for this to become a higher priority but we we are trying to value our employees uh across the board and um that's how we would end up doing it but I I can certainly appreciate the uncertainty that you're all going through right now and and um I think the administration just supports the the willingness and the and the work that we've done this this has been going on since at least last May we've been having these conversations and I can appreciate that it didn't get in the 24 budget during those conversations but we wanted to make sure we had something that was good when it came forward and then work with the assembly to make it happen so um uh that's a roundabout way of of just kind of saying how we got here and how I I think you're all right and and you're in support of this um uh but we would if the if the assembly saw the importance as we do on this we would we would make sure that we came forward with a B balanced budget that included the amounts in there um but something else or multiple other things would probably have to be uh not included in order to make that happen hopefully that uh gives you an answer Miss Al thank you um so I don't like being put in this position because decisions equal Cuts cuts to other places let's just call it what they are um and I think we've been put in a position that is untenable we've made it a priority during the budget season in the very first memorandum we passed on the budget we gave guidance that employee retention and recruitment was our one of our top priorities it was our top internal priority we signaled strongly to the administration we wanted to see ideas we wanted to see jobs kept in the budget instead we were presented with a budget that wiped out positions by just not filling vacancies and so it's like hearing two different stories and I don't fault Mr TH or um Tyler or Kent in this right the budget put forward is the mayor's budget I actually have really appreciated the collaboration that's gone into this but to Simply now put it before us to say it's people or programs that's a really unfair position to be in when there was the opportunity when we were so clear on our priorities to bring us something that we could have considered in the budget talking about absorbing a $300 to $400,000 cost within the annual budget as we have it all laid before us is very different than trying to find room at one Q it's just a different ball game because we had room under the T tax cap that was unallocated um and we have we would have been able to put an actual plan in the mix and have this conversation and for me it is really important that whatever this implement ation date is it's treated almost like a birthday it's your anniversary Merit increase date and so we got to catch everyone in that year and so I for me it's great to start it at the beginning of a fiscal year so we catch everyone um and I just don't think we can find the space to do it this year I I I feel I feel really stuck um and I think it's important that we say that and that we acknowledge that that's the position were put in because I don't appreciate being put in it I don't blame the people who have been working hard on this but I do blame the mayor thank you Miss alel Mr constant thank you and I'll just end on that same point very briefly to say I've now served with this Administration since it began and every budget process they've proposed cuts and then after the fact came back with increases and then whipped us for taxing to the cap and I am for one am you know welcoming you to what you're going to see next month when we adopt the final budget after we do the first quarter budget revisions and the priorities get in there and you are all called tax and spend liberals when you're just trying to be fiduciary responsible and do the right thing and so it's like Groundhog Day I'm in an echo chamber and I'm not interested anymore in being whipped by a a message from the mayor that blames us for cleaning up the messes he decided not to address because it was a decision Miss branga I have a question for Mr Anderson can I ask that Andrews Andrews sorry oh and late what I wondered is uh in Anchorage School District a lot of times when one group would negotiate um other groups would be offered at least that percent it was like a me too Clause that um whoever negotiated first would set the stage and I wonder if we um are looking at these for the non-represented and amaa is coming up with their contracts at the beginning of 2025 um you know they they're understandably a little bit nervous about whether I guess the last time they went up it was like a 0% and then 0.5 or one 1% raise um is there any U me tooo that would come with this uh non-represented going into amaa okay thanks hi Tyler Andrews uh human resource director for the municipality thanks for the question through the chair uh member branga no we don't have a me too set up but as I said in the work session I think we have to be mindful of everything we're doing here uh in regard to other employees um I I don't want to bore you with you know bargaining history and all that great stuff so the amaa contract I believe you all uh passed that sometime in early 22 um we got your your guide about going uh for a midterm opportunity there um we have two other contracts that we have to get done because they are on their regular renewal cycle uh we are underway with um Local 71 and ibw they're they're one of their units they have two um so we've got a lot of bargaining activity going on um so I think what we do whatever we do all the employees can see it and there's obviously an influence in that process but no there's there's not a me to no one else on the amendment to the amendment members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez no on a vote of 2 to 10 the amendment to the amendment is failed now back before us with the amendment anyone else on the amendment hearing seeing none the amendment is now before us members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on the amendment on a vote of 11 to1 and the you member votes yes yes to the amendment we're now back to the main motion as amended Miss zel thank you um so I want to speak a little bit to the rest of this and actually the advantage of adding the six additional steps um even though they won't take effect immediately so on the six additional steps I think um it's um really important for retention I think over the last couple of years um through um throughout this Administration a lot of institutional knowledge has been lost and having the ability to do anniversary increases for six more years past what's currently St six will help with retention um on the executive pay scale increases um that creates the potential for higher and more competitive salaries um I think there's a couple of points to be made these don't automatically bump any salaries um it just creates the opportunity for there to be more money offered um if there is money budgeted that's a that's a two-part equation um so as we need to replace Executives or we need to compete so someone doesn't leave um so we are remain competitive for highly qualified people we have some options available instead of doing what we've had to do in the past which is a one-time pay exception which has to come forward um so basically it puts the administration a position to plan for um how they want to recruit those executive positions and that in the caliber of folks they want to go after um as we saw in the documents provided in the study done we are well under um what it takes to be competitive at the highest levels for really high quality folks to come and work at the municipality lastly as Miss broy mentioned the public safety increases were already um assumed in those budgets um and so those will go into effect if this passes overall I think this is a great way to provide us some more tools um and start to address some of our employee retention and recruitment um it's not the end of the conversation though um it's simply you know adding tools to the toolbox um I think HR will probably continue to think about how to continue to um bring more people to municipality one of in one of our meetings I suggested you know where's like the pizzazz and the job postings that makes it exciting like you know cats in outer space I don't know what it might take but what could we lure them in with um so I I um feel that um we're in a decent position I think we're all aligned on the goals um so I urge your support of this um and again want to thank the administration for working collaboratively and getting us a lot of information that we requested thank you thank you Miss broy yeah uh just briefly first um if there were cats in outer space I would certainly quit this job right now and go to work for the community um but um since we aren't there yet we'll we'll keep it um realistic again the conversation that we just had notwithstanding um in terms of timing and and how we budget for this this is important and so I really do encourage um members support for this and then again just to know that that this is going to be a multi-step multi-year conversation um and it's really part of the bigger conversation how do we pay for the services that our city and our residents expect thank you no one else think hearing none members May proceed to vote you know one last note um Council advised that this item may or may not have needed a public hearing and so um it might be worth having a conversation in the future about how that might be structured so just FY so now members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 12 to Zer in the youth member votes yes yes ar2 24-31 as a amended has passed the body next we have item 14d 14d is AR 2024-25 resolution the Municipality of Anchorage appropriating $2,300 th000 as a transfer from the equipment maintenance internal service operating fund 610000 unrestricted net position to the equipment maintenance internal service Capital Improvements projects CIP fund 6018 maintenance and operations Department to purchase replacement vehicles and Equipment the public hearing on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard on this item anyone at all seeing hearing none public hearing on this item is now closed what's will the body move to approve second moved by Miss alel second by Miss broy anyone speak to this item he see none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes that was a yes very faint yes on a vote of 12 to zero and the youth member votes yes yes AR 20 2473 has passed the body next we have item 14f 14f is ar20 24- 77 a resolution of the Municipality of Anchorage extending the interfund loan between the Real Estate Services Division areawide general fund 101 as borrower and workers compensation fund 602 as lender and establishing new loan terms public hearing on this item is now open anyone wish to be heard on this item anyone at all public hearing on this item is now closed let's will the body move to approve moved by himself seconded by Mr Rivera any discussion seeing hearing none members May proceed to vote Mr Martinez yes on a vote of 12 to Zer and the youth member votes yes yes ar202 24- 77 has passed the body so before we move on um to the next item on our agenda um that interesting question that I asked Mr Gates about earlier tonight relating to the motion excuse me not the motion the subsequent debate want to continue here I want everyone to get the lesson so that you all have it in your memory Banks um Roberts rules reads the effect 1419 effect on subsequent debate and methods of voting when consideration of postponed question is resumed at a later session any orders limiting or extending the limits of debate or for the previous question that were adopted are exhausted and debate takes place according to the regular rules when when consideration is resumed at the same session even on another day which we don't do as may happen in the convention all such applicable rules remain in effect so but the bottom line is um when a question is taken up on a different day from the one on which it was postponed the right of members to debate it begins over again and so it starts the clock again for people's note and it's in the code apparently so oh and Roberts rules a different section okay and um Mr Gates just clarification what I was saying on the last item was that that's item 14b question about whether or not that item required a public hearing and so I suggested that there's some collaboration between your office and the managers maybe to determine if it was necessary so for the future we don't have a public hearing we don't need to so okay with that then we're now on to the last part of our agenda agenda audience participation welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you'll have three minutes iene Que now I'm always um surprised and I've testified to this many times that you want to be fiscally responsible but only when it comes to things that somebody else is proposing last year you had the voters vote on early childhood education you moved the Mirana tax out from underneath the tax cap which most people didn't realize giving you a hold to raise your taxes without asking the voters and then you said on that same um proposition that you would lower the tax cap this year by $1 million for 2024 this year on the ballot are four five propositions that will raise the tax cap five times but you're fiscally responsible and one of them is for the toilets you have a debate about raising retaining the employees cost less than $400,000 one toilet is a half a million dollar cut one toilet and pay the employees if that goes through very simple and then in terms of the school budget I will tell you I don't think it's sensible student have student uh numbers have declined for 10 years not a single school has been closed that's not fiscally responsible the gentleman that was up here said they want to hear from the public about the school closures two years ago you heard from the public the school board heard from the public they did not want to spend money on Inlet View Elementary School neither to renovate nor to rebuild you're doing it any I mean the school board is doing it anyway and it's in the budget and the last numbers I have heard is when they're done it's $42 million that could go to the to the students and lastly we have thrown money at the education for years unless the money that we are wanting to spend in addition is tied to conditions where we can see that it's actually being spent on the students and the teachers we're not going to have any other outcome thank you you should get a little arrow pointing to the right button that save you hours of time Ron Oliva represented by all of you had kind of a bad week uh hopefully you got my emails the woman who jumped the fence went through Bob wire razor strap and Constantine wire had a knife now she didn't look docile Maybe in the film but when you freeze frame it she had a knife I hired uh workers from s SWS $2 an hour to shovel snow day laborers $112,000 one of them turn turned out to be a good kid computer savvy well he weighs about 120 maybe 125 PBS drove him to the bus stop he gets called over and a guy knocks him out and continues to refund him until he he knocks him unconscious w a concussion four lacerations and three broken ribs but I'm not going to overlook that but I want you to know it's not safe downtown and which brings me to trying to help solve the problem and that's the tent the tent is in storage outside bring the tent up here I'll store it you'll save some money 5,000 a month but you're not calculating how much money you're losing in opportunity cost of $2 million sitting in a closet if you had $2 million sitting in a bank you'd get $122,000 a month so miss broy I contacted doll engineering because they're going to vacate lots for Chugiak and before they do that I'm going to apply for a plat and then I'm going to design a schematic putting up the tent as a multi-purpose housing aid services uh facility so I'm real serious about this do is serious about taking on the project and I think it'll basically fit in with the low barrier shelter with the navigation resource center and I think it'll be a productive facility you're losing money with hotels if you put it into something permanent it'll continue year after year rather than let those Hotel Barons uh gather up those funds so uh I'm excited I'm going to make a appearance tomorrow and then I will have a formal plan uh similar to Artic out there the the church and it'll be detailed with a budget that'll be self-generating what you're always going after is the taxpayer what you got to have to do do is put the home in training produced some products uh recycled goods and I'll explain that and even a labor pool they could have had a uh hope for the hydrant and through hiring those shovelers we could have easily brought them to the um to to the hydrant and saved it so in sub don't make me ask the question your time is up there are no questions nobody how do you know you didn't even ask I looking at the queue there's no one in the queue thank you you all have a good night stay safe and enjoy the Spring Equinox I balanced an egg today thank you Mr Lea welcome please state your name from the record and which part of town you're from you'll have three minutes hi my name is Brian witkey reside at the Alex I go by Bri she her pronouns 14 years trans female tonight I I address not only the assembly but also the administration through the assembly and I appreciate that you guys give us the patience to do so uh as of recently uh listening to uh Bob Brock 106.5 kwell uh you know I've heard ads being thrown around by our future politicians I want to remind everybody that's you know running for office we're alaskans we are close to our neighbors we are individuals that are close to each other we're not the lower 48 this is not you know a grand scheme to smear our competition by uh twisting words in campaigns so I do urge that you know when we are running for office that we stay mindful of our neighbors mindful of our competition and use facts and judgments as they don't need to slam either the administration when running for mayor or the administrator slamming for it just doesn't make any sense so when we move forward in that you know we we got to remember we're all trying to make Alaska and Anchorage definitely our home better so be mindful of that when we're looking towards each other because we're at the end of the day for the same purpose even if we're not of the same team I bring that in light and I I I encourage that you know we remind everybody our neighbors our friends that we want a better turnout on our voter numbers this year as it is an important vote we have a lot of things that are coming our way and a lot of tough conversations I've heard you guys speak of this tonight you know budget reforms this the other and uh as I can say thank you to miss zotel I remember vividly many of the conversations that that you repeated on tonight during the budget reforms and if I can remember them and I'm blonde anybody else should too that's just my opinion and I hope that you guys continue to encourage that the voter turn out for this vote I would really love to see our audience uh you know our citizens participate to the level that they need to show that responsibility of the citizen because it always does come down to if we want it better we must step up to the plate and make it better by our vote you guys do a tough job every sing day even when it's not an assembly meeting so when you guys go home tonight know that at least one person that's crazy woman up here says thank you guys for showing up and doing it with the best of your intentions and to the administration over there to y'all's best intentions but let's not slam each other upon campaigns that's lower 48 tactics we're better than that thank you thank you welcome please state your name and what part of town you're from you'll have 3 minutes I'm William ba I'm from Fairview but i c i uh I I belong to the dance community and I go to uh different dances like tomorrow night I go to a country dance at uh K chill cots and Thursday night I'll go to uh country dancing at uh at uh uh e Eagle River uh Homestead bar then I'll go to Pink Cadillac and Hess dance there and uh Friday night I'll go out to Grand Kim pill here four corners that's where you're going to get your best mechanics that's where you're going to get your best uh uh operators cuz a lot of these guys come out lower 48 they come off the big farms and I know I've been I went to school Spokan college and most of the kids there were uh comes off the big farms and uh best place to play find good quality mechanics is go to country bars thank you thank you welcome please state your name what part of town you're from you have three minutes M NE and I have residence in Eagle River can you pull the mic a little bit closer down thank you Miss O'Neal and I have a residence in Eagle River um I'm here today because um I went about the process after obtaining a residence uh to find out to register to vote to find out that um one need only be a resident for 30 days and then they may register to vote now here's my concern from a security perspective that being this is a hard position to take because people are very polarized on it and um when I express an opinion I get slammed heavily my point is that 30 days 60 days 90 days there are many people especially with the changing uh weather coming will be coming in staying temporarily may not have a lease May simply reside in a residence where someone does have a lease who is going to be voting who is going to be participating in a process of which they are only temporarily here now my point is that this H this very much needs to be looked into because a voter registration card can be used to obtain other things within our state government system now if we're going to apply a 30-day residence to our voter process well then who's to say that then there's the PFD then there's government assistance then there's a whole Myriad of other factors that have to be taken in this is not something so simple as apply 30 days allow Personnel to people to vote there it's a precedent that I think that needs to be taken quite seriously and I don't think it has been and I think the education behind it libr Mars are going to be permitted to register people to vote there are going to be people who don't really have a way to check a credential now when you come here and you go to the DMV you get a black and white xox copy printout of a temporary ID until your real ID comes in well here's the problem how is that going to be checked by a Layman so my point is is that it is important that we push forward and we people participate in the voting process sorry thank you for participating than you for listening to me would anybody else like to speak all right from that we'll move on to assembly member comments we'll start with Mr Perez FIA thank you madam chair no comments tonight Mr Sut no comments Mr Bry yeah I just want to give a brief shout out to um the folks at Street Maintenance um because once again there was a little Lake that formed in front of my house um because I live on a corner where the drainage it flows all the way down the road so just a reminder to the public um that this is the time of year that you'll see um block drains because of ice and so that's that's part of the reason why we have all the drainage and kind of built up uh water issues on the roads of course I'm lucky enough to have a drain many roads in our town do not have drainage so I also want to recognize that that but for that uh for potholes and for any other issues you can call uh Street Maintenance at 907 34382 77 um and I believe you can also still report online ATC works so uh just help our staff crowdsource all those issues because they're not out on every road all the time and I was happy to see this morning that they came by and fixed it so again thank you and just reminder to the public um help with our drainage issues thank you thank you Mr vand no comments thank you Mr Cross no comments thank you thank you um for my comments um I'm supposed to remind you all that there'll be a special meeting next week on the 27th at 3 p.m. please don't forget um also I just wanted to say with regard to a number of items tonight um it's been really great to see uh considerable collaboration and a pretty in-depth analysis regardless of the outcomes of those items it's um kind of reminds me of the the before times the before covid times so with that Mr Johnson no comments thank you Miss branga thank you I uh wish Miss Sophia hadn't left the last time she testified she talked about um shoplifting and how she was concerned about it and um I made some visits to managers of easts side stores because I've noticed there's a pretty heavy presence of security and asked them if there was something the assembly could do to help with the situation and it was pretty interesting um Fred Meyer said um we don't want want to talk about it because it may discourage people from shopping here so we really do have a problem that uh the stores are are nervous about their appearance thank you Miss branga Mr Rivera thank you madam chair no comments thank you Mr Martinez no comment Madam chair thank you Mr Myers thank you madam chair well since I believe it's going to be the last meeting I sit up here with Kevin on the dis I think our special meeting will be in downtown I want to say thank you for your service you will be missed I appreciate your friendship your mentorship and everything you brought to this body uh it's a huge time commitment and I'm uh happy for you sad for me but excited for you and your new Endeavors with that to entertain a motion to adjourn so moved we are adjourned rest yeah you're all good boys you stop making excuses for