New Committees

My dear friend, hospice client and creator of this website, Donna Anderson, passed away last week. She outlived predictions of death by two years with an unfailing positive outlook and upbeat attitude about life. She was, and will be, a model for me on facing adversity.

At last Monday's Assembly Meeting we elected Jeff Bush as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor has now made committee and liaison assignments. I will Chair Lands Committee and be a member of Public Works. All Assembly members are part of Finance Committee and the Committee of the Whole (COW). In the Assembly structure most issues involving capital improvements go to the Public Works committee before going to the full Assembly, and most issues involving planning, land use and land sales are discussed at Lands committee before going to the full Assembly. I will also be liaison to the Chamber of Commerce, which I requested. I feel city government needs to have a strong partnership with the Chamber as we seek to build responsible diversification of our economy.

Also on Monday we finally passed the new Comprehensive Plan which will be in place for the next 12 years. It is not a plan set in stone, but a vision of Juneau's land use for the future. While it provides guidance, the Assembly has the power to change it at any time. One change I had been advocating was to create 500 foot development buffers on either side of Montana Creek. This is one of our jewels -- a wild, unimpaired salmon stream in the middle of the Valley, open to hiking, biking and fishing. The comprehensive plan process had identified those buffers as desirable, but the Assembly voted to reduce them to 200 feet. I worked with Trout Unlimited and other interested parties to lobby my colleagues and they reversed their vote (7-2 with Mr. Sanford and Mr. Wanamaker opposing) returning the buffers to 300 feet.

The Planning Commission last week approved the building of a new 16 unit apartment complex on La Perouse Avenue in the Mendenhall Airport area.

Next Monday the Assembly will interview and appoint new members to the Airport Board. The Assembly is currently seeking applicants to the Planning Commission and to the Hospital Board. The deadline for applications is November 17. If you apply you will be interviewed by the Assembly and then we will vote. I encourage potential applicants to get familiar with the issues of the two bodies, look at minutes, and attend a couple meetings before we do the interviews. These are really important citizen bodies. I hope you will consider applying.