Mid-Hillside & Hillside East
Community Council News

November 2001

 

Our next meeting is
Thursday November 15 at 7:00 pm in the O'Malley Elementary Library.

Agenda
O'Malley School Library
November 15, 2001

New Presidents' messages

John Weddleton - Mid-Hillside

Life on the Hillside is nice. Real nice!

Anchorage is a great place to live and life on the Hillside offers a unique combination of light development with easy access to urban comforts. For the most part, we have big quiet lots and the whole area is embraced by Bicentennial Park and the Chugach Mountains.

But this is a precarious balance. The temptations of city water, better roads and more city services mask the threat of rezoning that can bring higher density lots. As Anchorage grows, our wild parks look more and more like free land just waiting for other uses. As urban Anchorage grows, the temptation to tamper with the Hillside's road service areas increases. As Anchorage grows, we are faced with compromises.

Anchorage will grow. Others can decide for us how it grows. Or we can have a role. Our Community Council gives us a "foot in the door" to local government. Behind that door are challenges and opportunities: rezoning, paving, annexing, building and all kinds of schemes. As Community Council president, I hope to nudge that door open.


Tom Newins - Hillside East

At the October meeting of the Mid-Hillside/Hillside East Community Council, I stepped forward as the sole representative of the Hillside East Council. This will help ensure that residents in this area have a contact point to city officials and other governmental agencies, and an advocate for issues that pertain to our area of the city. I look forward to working with the Mid-Hillside Council to provide relevant topics that impact our city and our neighborhoods in particular.

I encourage anyone interested in working with me on the Community Council Board to contact me and to attend the meeting on November 15.

Issues impacting our neighborhood in the near future include creating new access to Chugach State Park and use of Bicentennial Park, future education and prevention programs to reduce the risk of wildfire, and road maintenance and upgrades. Our local representatives are invited to the monthly meetings, giving you the opportunity to meet them, learn what topics they are facing, and provide input on topics that impact you.

If you have a topic that you would like to either present or would like more information presented at an upcoming council meeting, please contact me at 345-8881.

Feature Program

The snow flies and so do the snowmachines!

What are the rules for snow machines in Anchorage? What are the opportunities? Do we have a problem on the Hillside? How are the rules enforced? Can you cruise from your yard to the neighbor's? How about the next neighborhood? What can you do to keep snowmachines out of your neighborhood?

For this program, we'll be hearing from Kevin Hite, 22 year resident of Alaska; Former President, Anchorage Snowmobile Club; President, Alaska State Snowmobile Association; Board Member, Alaska Outdoor Council and Chugach State Park "Park Watch" member. He'll give an overview of snowmachining resources and will bring copies of applicable law that would pertain to the Hillside and Chugach State Park.

We will also invite representatives from Chugach State Park and the Municipality to speak on the enforcement of the laws.

Snow machines! Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, this meeting is for you!

No more buses! In January of this year, bus service was once again available in our area. It didn't make the cut in the Mayor's proposed budget. That was a short trip! Is bus service important to you? Did the Mayor make a smart fiscal move cutting it?

Where will the water flow? The Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility (AWWU) is hosting a series of public meetings on the 2001 Anchorage Water Master Plan Update. This Plan will update previous AWWU work to schedule water projects for the next 20 years.

What's in store for our area? Find out December 3 at 6:30 PM at the Loussac Library, Public Conference Room. For more information, please contact: Roberta Piper, AWWU, at 564-2767 or Daniel Billman, HDR Alaska, Inc., at 274-2000.

Firewise! The Anchorage Wildfire Steering committee will be meeting on Nov. 15th at
10:00 am in the Mayor's Conference Room (8th Floor of City Hall). If you're interested in how the program is doing and what we are planning for next year, you are welcome to attend. We are working to implement useful programs to continue to make our Municipality "firewise".

O'Malley Elementary Access Improved ! Thanks to Assemblyman Dick Tremaine for his work on getting the road work on Rockridge done. Thanks to everyone in the Upper O'Malley LRSA for adding this road to your LRSA. You will appreciate the difference when you come to the meeting!

Board Members

John Weddleton, President 349-8370 john@weddleton.com
Jeff Clarke, Vice President 349-4892 (h)
jay_peak@hotmail.com
Chris Birch, past president 346-3265 (h)
chrisbirch@gci.net

Tom Newins, President
Hillside East CC 345-8881 newinst@cu1.org