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Governor's budget proposal promising for Mat-Su
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| December 16, 2013 |
By Patty Sullivan
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell included in his proposed capital
budget some $200 million in projects for the Mat-Su region,
including funding for roads, highways, the Knik Arm Bridge, the
Port MacKenzie Rail Extension, the Knik River public target
shooting facility, and the South Denali Visitor Center.
“I’m impressed with the investment Governor Parnell is making in
our road system,” said Borough Manager John Moosey. “We need his
help. Our roads and highways haven’t been keeping pace with our
tremendous growth in population.”
Over the past decade the Mat-Su population has increased by 50
percent. The community of Knik-Fairview has grown 123 percent
over the past 11 years and represents at least the fifth most
populous community in Alaska.
“Funding KABATA, Port Mac Rail, and the South Denali Visitor
Center puts more momentum into economic development in the
Mat-Su,” Moosey said.
The 32-mile link of Port MacKenzie Rail, because of its shorter
distance from tidewater to the Interior, will reduce
transportation costs for project cargo on Alaska’s biggest
projects: the 800-mile natural gas pipeline to an LNG export
plant and the Susitna Dam.
The South Denali Visitor Center is projected to draw up to
350,000 annual visitors. The Knik Arm Bridge would connect the
geographically-constrained financial center of Anchorage with
room to develop across the 2.5 miles of water.
Here is the link to the Governor’s Capital Budget:
https://omb.alaska.gov/html/budget-report/fy-2015-budget/proposed.html.
Click here to view a
booklet of the Borough’s State priorities for fiscal year 2015.
Also on the State budget, last Friday, the Mat-Su delegation met
in Wasilla with the Assembly, Mayor, Manager, and staff to
discuss a longer list of capital requests from the Borough.
“We’re getting things done, but we can’t do any of it without
you,” Manager Moosey told Rep. Wes Keller, Rep. Bill Stoltze,
and Rep. Shelley Hughes.
Mayor Larry DeVilbiss said the wish list was cut in half over
last year’s.
“In tune with the sentiment of lower revenues for the State
budget,” DeVilbiss said.
New Assembly Member Matthew Beck told the delegation, “I’m
thankful to be a part of this group and the exciting work
ahead.”
Assembly Member Vern Halter made a pitch for the recent
voter-approved school access road bonds. The projects require a
50 percent State match of $16.2 M.
“Those transportation bonds received 2 to 1 votes,” Halter said.
Manager John Moosey tied the school access projects to the
safety of students.
New Assembly Member Jim Sykes highlighted the economic benefits
of the year-round South Denali Visitor Center, calling the view
overlooking Denali and Ruth Glacier “nothing short of stunning.”
Sykes also made a request for $5 M in funding for the Gateway
Visitor Center off the Glenn Highway outside Palmer.
“If we want to encourage visitors here, you have a facility
where people can actually use a clean bathroom with running
water. People understand those basics,” Sykes said. The Gateway
Visitor Center will also point newcomers to activities for
recreation, retail, and services.
Assembly Member Jim Colver highlighted the $6.65 M capital
request for the Government Peak Recreation Area project. A
4,000-square foot chalet will be completed this winter, Colver
said. The next phase is trail and parking lot lighting, paving
the one-mile access road, installing utilities, and building an
Olympic level ski trail system.
Already 7.5 km of trails are built. Rep. Shelley Hughes asked to
be kept informed on the economic development aspect of the
project. Assembly Member Colver said the Borough is trying to
market acreage and look at areas for where to put
infrastructure.
“Revenues off that we can plow back into the project, like a
Kincaid Park,” Colver said.
Assembly Member Steve Colligan made a case for the $500,000
request for planning and design for a maintenance shop for
Borough Public Works, Emergency Services, and possibly the
School District.
“The lease will end. This is imminent,” Colligan said of the red
building in Wasilla where maintenance is now performed on
Borough emergency response vehicles. The building driveway backs
up onto Main Street, Colligan said.
Also on the priority list is $2.2 M for land acquisition and
design for a Borough wastewater and septage facility.
“We’re looking for a private entity we can partner with as
opposed to the Borough being in the wastewater business,” Moosey
said." We’ll call it 'Munoz Dispose,' he chuckled, singling out
well-known and tireless citizen activist Helen Munoz.
Through decades of administrations and assemblies, Munoz has
testified about the vital benefits of a wastewater and septage
facility for the Borough.
Assembly Member Darcie Salmon reiterated his request for reserve
funding for the Knik Arm Bridge project. He said the bridge, the
rail link, the port, together, create a three-leg stool for
economic development.
“(It’ll bring) 600,000 people into one economic cycle of ebb and
flow,” Salmon said.
Rep. Stoltze said for those worried about densely populated
recreation and development, the bridge would disperse people.
Rep. Bill Stoltze credited Sen. Mike Dunleavy with getting
traction in the last budget for fisheries funding in the Mat-Su.
“I was shooting into a tornado. He made the tornado recede,”
Stoltze said of Dunleavy.
As Chair of the House Fish & Game Finance Subcommittee, Stoltze
said he needed Dunleavy’s presence on the Senate’s Fish & Game
Finance Subcommittee for momentum to happen.
The two legislators led the effort for $7 million in
appropriations last budget toward improving the salmon returns
to the Mat-Su.
Among the projects in the Governor’s Budget for Mat-Su:
• Bogard Road $5 M
• Port Mac Rail $5 M
• Knik River Public Use Area Targete Shooting Facility Design &
Construction $ 2M
• South Denali Visitor Center $1.235 M
• Big Lake Road pedestrian improvements $250,000
• Hatcher Pass Road resurfacing milepost 18-20 $2 M
• Glenn Highway MP 49 realignment $3.55 M
• Genn Highway MP 66.5 to 92 rehabilitation $1 M
• Parks Highway reconstruction MP 43.5-52.3, Lucas Road to Big
Lake Cutofff $50 M
• Parks Highway reconstruction MP 183-188 $1.5 M
• Parks Highway MP 90-146 resurfacing $50M
• Petersville Road rehabiliation MP 0-18.6, $8 M
• Wasilla, Fishhook road to Main Street $5.7 M
• Wasilla, Lucas Road $11 M
For more information call Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan
at (907) 745-9577 or email
psullivan@matsugov.us. |
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