Mid-Hillside and Hillside East Community Councils

Meeting Minutes
December 19, 2002

Call to order:

The meeting was called to order by President John Weddleton at 7 pm. Approximately 14 were in attendance.
Mid-Hillside Board Members present were Jeff Clarke, Tom O'Grady and John Weddleton.
Hillside East Board Members Present were Bjarne Holm and Tom Newins.

Introductions:

President's Report: John Weddleton made a brief discussion of the cell phone antenna proposed for the site behind the O'Malley Firestation. John had notes from conversation with the designer and pictures of comparable antennas.

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

Federation of Community Councils Report: John Weddleton reported on the FCC meeting of December 18, 2002.

Anchorage Assembly Report:
Janice Shamberg
Mayor Wuerch has agreed to look for money for a Hillside District Plan.
Dick Tremaine In response to a question about the Simonian Little League fields to be built in Bicentennial Park, he pointed out that the fields for Abbott-O-Rabbitt Little Leauge are single season fileds. They are going to try hard to make the Simonian complex a year round operation.

In response to a question about LRSA budets, Dick said that there is a lot of sympathy on the Assembly for the LRSA situation. The "first quarter budget revisions" will set the "real" MOA budget and the LRSA budgets may be restored then.

Legislative Report
Representative (and Senator elect) Con Bunde spoke briefly. He warned that we must be vigilant on protecting the road service areas we have as well as other aspects of life on the Hillside.

Representative Kevin Meyer's aide Lorali Carter attended the meeting.

PRESENTATION: High School Boundary Changes
Mary Kiessling presented the current status of High School boundary changes that will happen when the new South Anchorage High School opens in 2004.

Mary is the Service High PTA president and a Representative on the School District's Boundary Change Advisory Group. This group will develop options that will then go to Superintendent Carol Comeau and then on to the School Board.

There are quite a few variables that go into setting the boundaries including school size, ethnic balance, geographic boundaries, distance to the school and population growth. The optimal school size is ocnsdered to be 1,600 students. Service High will be targeted for about 2,400 students. The Anchorage School District (ASD) ties to achieve an ethnic mix that is 19-33% non-caucasian.

Residents south of Huffman will most likely be in the area for the new school. Students in Indian and Girdwood will go to the new school. Other than that, the lines are yet to be drawn.

Students who are entering their senior year will most likely be allowed to finish their high school experience at the school they choose.

Mary handed out a packet that showed several alternatives for the boudnaries that were talked about at the Advisory group meetings.

Mary can be contacted at 345-7052. Public can go to the Advisory Group meetings Wednesdays at 3pm at the School District Offices on DeBarr in the 2d floor conference room. A general meeting at Service High will be held late February or early March.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 pm