Mid-Hillside and Hillside East
Community Councils

Anchorage, Alaska

Mid-Hillside and Hillside East Community Councils
Meeting Minutes
February 15, 2001

Call to order:
The meeting was called to order by President Chris Birch at 7 p.m.. Approximately 12 were in attendance. Board Members present were Chris Birch, Jeff Clarke and John Weddleton. The meeting was at the O'Malley Elementary School Library.

President's Report: Chris Birch presented the broad issue of road development on Hillside and introduced our main speaker.

Minutes of the previous meeting: Minutes from January 18, 2001 were presented and approved.

HILLSIDE ROAD PROJECTS:

Diana Rigg, AICP Transportation Planner for Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities presented an overview of 7 projects.

These projects total $48.65 million with $3.6 million for design, $6.35 million for RoW acquisition and $38.7million for construction. The Federal highway administration's 90% subsidy is for all phases: preliminary engineering, design, RoW and construction.

O'Malley Rd from Seward Hwy to Hillside Rd. proposal:

• 4 lane section between New Seward Highway and Lake Otis
• 3 lane section between Lake Otis and Birch
• 2 lane section and turning pockets from Birch to Hillside.
• Separated path on the south side.
• $500,000 for design, $1,000,000 for Right of Way purchase and $4,000,000 for construction in 2005.
• Currently in design. Possible delay if additional environmental review required.
• Project manager is Miriam Tanaka 269-0546

De Armoun Rd Phase 1 Westwind to 140th proposal:

• 2 lane section proposed with turning pockets and pathway on north side.
• 2 lane section with turning pockets and pathway on the north side.
• Currently being designed with $600,000 for RoW purchase and $4,000,000 for construction in 2003.
• On schedule will provide protected turns at Elmore Rd.
• Project manager: Therese Stokes 269-0592

DeArmoun Rd Phase 2 140th to Hillside Drive proposal:

• Design in 2002 for $500,000, $500,000 for RoW purchase and $7,000,000 for construction in 2006 or 2007.

Old Seward Highway between O'Malley and Huffman proposal:

• 5 lane section with sidewalk on east and pathway on the west.
• Design in 2002 for $1,200,000, $2,000,000 for RoW purchase, and $7,000,000 for construction in 2006 or 2007
• Project could advance if advance funding available.
• Project manager is Carl Nelson 269-0595

Huffman Rd from Old Seward Highway to Lake Otis proposal:

• 5 lane section between Old Seward Highway and New Seward Highway
• 3 lane section to Lake Otis with a path on the south and sidewalk on the north.
• Design 2003 for $500,000, $500,000 for RoW purchase and $8,000,000 for construction in 2007.
• Possible public hearing on the environmental document April or May 2001
• Project Manager is Miriam Tanaka 269-0546

Abbott Rd Lake Otis to Birch proposal:

• Design in 2004 for $900,000, $400,000 for RoW and $7,400,000 for construction in 2007.
• In very early stages of environmental review.
• Project Manager: Jim Childers 269-0544

Huffman Rd at Elmore Intersection

• Turning Pockets will be provided.
• $1,350,000 for RoW and $1,300,000 for construction in 2005.
• The project coordinates with MoA Elmore Rd project for the new High School
• Project manager: TBA

Questions and answer session

• O'Malley Rd will get a resurfacing summer of 2001 from Old Seward to Hillside.
• MoA cannot use municipal bond money on state roads. If MoA wants to speed up the process and pay, they can take over ownership of the road.
• It can take years to get the federal money that is committed to a project Can speed it up using GARVEE Bonds (Grant Anticipated Revenue Vehicle). The state can issue bonds backed up by the federal funds that will arrive later. Using the money from the bonds, the state can start building sooner. These are low risk bonds so the rate is good for the city
• With Don Young chairing the House transportation committee, federal funds may flow more quickly to Alaska.
• Once a road is categorized based on its traffic levels, speed and whether urban or rural, DOT has design criteria it must build to. On Hillside, roads are generally considered rural. Design criteria require lights at intersections and curb cutouts. Do not expect street lights along the entire length of O'Malley.
• No plan now for Elmore between Abbott and O'Malley. Though it is a priority of Mayor Wuerch to extend Elmore/Abbott Loop from Rabbit Creek to Tudor Rd. This is part of the East Anchorage Traffic Study.
• DOT intention is that not any one road take all of the traffic.
• DOT is designing to meet the Lounsbury Traffic Study forecasts.
• Right of Way acquisition process. Appraised at fair market value usually by a private firm.

State Legislature Report:

Con Bunde with Ben Grenn, legislative aid for John Cowdery via teleconference.

• House Bill 13 (a bill making it more difficult for municipalities to annex local service areas) was in the judiciary and is now out. The Anchorage Assembly passed a resolution supporting HB13. There is statewide support for the bill. Senate Bill 75 is a companion bill.
• High School Exit Exam made it through its first hearing this week
  Governor Knowles thinks the test is not legally defensible despite the time and money already spend a few years ago to make sure that it is legal.
  There is and attempt to change the math standard. It may be a delaying tactic.
  The majority of Con Bunde's emails support requiring the exam as scheduled.
• 50% of Alaska high School students need remedial classes when they go to UAA.
• The top 10% of Alaska high School student who attend UAA have trouble.
• A two tier or multi tier diploma would still require that basic standards be set.

Senate Transportation Committee meeting will teleconference at the Legislative Information Office on February 23.

Anchorage Assembly Report:

Dick Tremaine

• Mayor George Wuerch wanted an 85's RoW on Elmore Rd changed to 100'. He wanted it to go on the April Ballot. The Assembly blocked it.
• Tuesday the April ballot issues and bonds were set. Schools got $122 million on the ballot. parks and Recreation got $4.8 million.
• Proposition to limit the Mayor's ability to veto a budget and impose his own. This still preserves a strong Mayor, but requires a budget that Assembly and Mayor agree on.

Pat Abney

• Proposition 3 on April's ballot will change a quirk in the current law that has some junior assembly members making more than long term members. The salaries are decided on by a committee that it independent from the Assembly so there is no conflict of interest.. Assembly members are now paid $21,000 per year.
• Proposition 1 on April's ballot is for a sales tax. It will be a year round 2% with many products excluded. Sales tax revenues less administrative costs will offset an equal amount of property tax.
• Expect $36 million from the sales tax.
• The tax structure is based on a plan developed in 1993 an '94 so most of the details are ironed out.

Candidates for the Anchorage Assembly introduced themselves

Bob Bailey
Janice Shamberg
Chris Birch

Meeting Adjourned at 8:40 pm