Mid-Hillside and Hillside East
Community Councils

Anchorage, Alaska

Mid-Hillside and Hillside East Community Councils
Meeting Minutes
January 18, 2001

Call to order:

The meeting was called to order by President Chris Birch at 7 pm. Approximately 30 were in attendance. Board Members present were Chris Birch, Jeff Clarke and John Weddleton.

Introductions:

President's Report: Chris Birch

Minutes of the previous meeting: Summarized in Monthly Meeting Notice.

Federation of Community Councils Report: John Weddleton reported on the FCC meeting of January 17, 2001.

• Assemblyman Dan Sullivan suggested that the new Planning and Zoning website would obviate the need for a change from 21 days notice to 35 days notice for P&Z issues. There was discussion that a 21 day notice would make it hard for Community Councils to have a chance to discuss the issues before they went to the Assembly.
• Anchorage School District Superintendent Carol Comeau said O'Malley Elementary will be budgeted for full day kindergarten starting Fall 2001.
• Presented a copy of a bill submitted by State legislator Kevin Meyer increase the distance required between places selling liquor and schools and churches from 200 feet to 400 feet. He asked for Community Council Comments.

Anchorage Assembly Report

Dick Tremaine:

• Comprehensive Plan should be finalized on February 20. He will provide revised copies to those who ask. He is not opposed to the "Living with Wildlife" references.
• The "Urban/Rural divide line that showed Far North Bicentennial Park as "urban" has been moved west and made more vague. Less of the Hillside residential area is included in the "urban" designation.
• Previous month the Assembly discussed several initiatives for the April ballot including school bonds including Service High School upgrades and possible taxes.

WORKSHOP ON LIMITED ROAD SERVICE AREAS:

Municipality of Anchorage Street Maintenance department: Maury Robinson, Kurt Hermes and Director Vince Mee.

Road Service Areas are covered in the Municipal Code Title 27. There are 34 service areas in Anchorage. Twenty two are Road Service Areas. The largest is the Anchorage Road and Drainage Service Area (ARDSA). Eighteen Local Road Service Areas (LRSAs) are on Hillside.

ARDSA:

This covers the area west of the Seward Highway plus East Anchorage. Maintenance on major roads to "mass standards" are taken over my MoA.

Mil rate 3.03=1.9 for bond repayment plus 1.12 for maintenance.

About 100 people in operations and 4 in administration.

ARDSA roads must meet MoA road standards.

MoA does not have an accurate inventory of roads maintained.

LRSA:

Mill rates run 1-2.5mil The money is collected by MoA. 88% is for maintenance and 12% for MoA administrative fee (several people in attendance were surprised that it had changed from 10% to 12%.)

Local Road Service Areas have a two year life, must be voted in again. Cannot issue long term debt.

Most formed in mid 1970s to early 80's. Petition signed by 10% of registered voters in the area, an ordinance is written and sent to the Assembly who will determine if it goes to vote at the next MoA election.

Board of directors are voted in and run the LRSA. Boards are supposed to meet quarterly. Now 30% vacancy on the boards so quorums are hard to meet.

All work is contracted out by the MoA. MoA takes bids on the contracts for LRSAs. There are only 2 active bidders now. Contractors feel the work is costly and the pay is low and some boards are difficult to get along with.

Vince suggested that consolidating LRSAs and "No Mans Lands" to get larger areas will make it easier for contractors to bid and create efficiencies in their work. The 2 contractors are getting spread thin. He recommended the 18 Hillside LRSAs be consolidated into 4 or 5. There was discussion that would create areas too big to meet diverse requirements.

LRSA roads do not have to meet MoA standards. Many are not on official Rights of Way.

Current laws do not allow road improvements or building new roads. There are gray areas such as application of recycled asphalt (rap) and drainage improvements that may be classified as basic maintenance.

Federal air and water quality rules are hard to meet with dirt roads. That may create pressure for asphalt and force change in the LRSA's.

State grants for improvements can get an exemption from the rules and can build roads not to MoA standards (i.e. Rockridge) Vince said the state won't give a grant unless MoA maintains the road, LRSAs are considered an extension of MoA.

LRSA Class 2 City:

Glen Alps, Girdwood and Chugiach/Eagle River Road Service Areas are set up as "Class 2 City Status" with perpetual life and the ability to pass capital improvement bonds. It would be possible for the Glen Alps Area to Annex other areas into its Class 2 City.

No Man's Land:

Some of the Hillside Area is not covered by an MoA Road Service Area. Those areas typically have an informal system of collecting funds from neighbors for road maintenance .

May be problems with neighbors not paying. A significant road problem such as a flood may leave the neighborhood road less.

It was pointed out that at least one "No Mans Land" had no trouble getting good bids from contractors on plowing and sanding. The cost in that area is far lower than even local LRSAs.

ARDSA vs LRSA

Why are costs different?

ARDSA uses graders are used that are expensive but allow "gating" driveways so there is no berm.

There are cars on streets, driveways with little space between than create snow storage problems, snow removal and storage more difficult. Sidewalks must be plowed.

There are more multi lane roads in ARDSA.

Chris Birch's Compass Article "Let's Get the Best Deal for Snow Removal in Anchorage" was provided to attendees.

Will MoA try to Annex LRSAs into ARDSA?

This would be a good revenue source for MoA.

Might require LRSA roads be upgraded to MoA standards. That would be very expensive.

Wuerch and Mystrom support annexation.

Hillside state representative Con Bunde submitted House Bill 13 to make it harder for MoA to annex areas on Hillside.

Discussion about who to call MoA, vs State, vs LRSA road.

There's confusion on who to call when there's a road problem with MoA, LRSA's and the state and others involved.

Call MoA at 343-8277. They will forward to the appropriate group in charge of maintaining that road.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:40 pm