Boards and Sales Tax Issues

A couple of time sensitive items. The deadline for applications to the Planning Commission and Hospital Board is 4:30 pm Monday 11/22. If you are interested, please fill out an application form. You will also be asked to respond to several questions—why you want to be on the board, what knowledge you have about the issues and what your vision is. And you will be invited to a short interview before Assembly members next month. You will almost certainly be asked whether you have attended Board meetings in the past. Each year there are three openings on the Boards (like Assembly members). While there is a tendency for the Assembly to reappoint incumbents, that is not always the case. There is always a tension between wanting to get “new blood” and wanting to keep experience. (Board members are also subject to the same three term limit as Assembly members.) As of Friday, 2 of 3 incumbents for the Hospital Board had reapplied and 1 of 3 Planning Commissioners had reapplied. Over the past year there have been a number of administrative issues surrounding the Hospital. I am sure that will be an issue. If you are interested in a Board position – learn about the issues. Review the minutes of the Board meetings so you know what is going on. Review the Planning Commission web site or the Hospital Board site. I also encourage you to call me or other Assembly members and ask about issues. Besides the Enterprise Boards there are a number of Assembly Advisory Boards and Commissions that constantly need members. No deadlines, just apply.

Second time sensitive item. Monday at 6:00 pm is an Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting about Solid Waste Management. I am uncertain what will be presented. We received no packet information, nor is anything posted on the website. An executive session is scheduled. I assume that will be about negotiations with Arrow Refuse on the collection permit. If you are interested in the solid waste issue, you may want to show up at 6 to see what is presented publicly.

There have been a lot of comments about the published Assembly “goals” that came out of our retreat. I mentioned this in my last post. The most controversial item appears to be the one to “Study the AJ Mine.” The language may be revised to “Review the Large Mine Ordinance.” Either way, many citizens have voiced concern over the Assembly intent. I have to say I have no idea what the “Assembly intent” is on this goal. We have never talked about it. The goals were arrived at by compiling votes on a secret ballot and picking the top vote getters. As I said last post – just because something is on the list, doesn’t mean anything will be done. Revised wording of goals will be presented to the Assembly at our next meeting November 29th.

The Assembly recently heard a presentation on a proposed Noise Ordinance. The Planning Commission has been reviewing it and it will return to the Assembly for introduction at some point.

A bit of a political play has emerged around the sales tax cap, which I mentioned last post. An ordinance was proposed to lift the cap on jewelry purchases. I objected that this discriminated against one particular product without any stated public purpose. I was in the minority in Finance committee, but at the Assembly the ordinance was defeated. However, the Mayor moved for “Reconsideration” which means we will address the issue again at our 11/29 meeting. In the meantime there have been efforts by one downtown property owner to advocate for the ordinance. That owner says that the profitable jewelry stores drive up the lease rates on all downtown properties. I find this really a stretch and furthermore I don’t see how lifting the sales tax cap will cause property lease rates to fall. It seems much more like ulterior motives – or resentment against competition, or just anti-tourist attitude. I am no big fan of the South Franklin Disneyland – but I will always advocate for equal treatment unless there is some public purpose. And quite frankly, it feels like there are other things going on that are not being made public.

The only ordinance up for public hearing on the 29th is my proposal to amend the sales tax code to make it constitutional regarding benefits provided to spouses of senior citizens. Because of Alaska’s constitutional prohibition on same sex marriage, same sex partners are prohibited from this benefit, as long as it is limited to “spouses.” The Alaska Supreme Court’s decision in Alaska Civil Liberties Union v. State of Alaska and Municipality of Anchorage ruled that such discrimination is unconstitutional. My proposal adds the phrase “and same sex domestic partners and will bring our code into compliance with the law.

Last week the Alaska Municipal League held its 60th Annual Local Government Conference, and Juneau received three awards. The Seawalk won in the category for education and local government. Eaglecrest won an award for sustainability – particularly for running electricity up to the hill, thereby saving more than 38,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually. And the Airport won an award for its use of geothermal conversion heat pumps.

I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.