Residents of the Upper Susitna Valley spoke to the Mat-Su Borough Assembly on Thursday night in the Su-Valley Jr/Sr High School gymnasium. It was the last of three public meetings covering the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
The meeting began with Mayor Vern Halter presenting the Su-Valley Girls Basketball Team with a proclamation for their achievements this year. The team took second place at the State basketball tournament in March. They also won the tournament Sportsmanship Award.
The general public then spoke to the Assembly on a variety of issues. Multiple residents asked the Assembly to require the Big Dipper Balloon Company to apply for a Conditional Use Permit for its proposed yellow balloon ride near downtown this summer.
Residents also took to the podium to plead for Community Enrichment funding. The proposed budget eliminates a large chunk of money earmarked for that program. Residents alluded that far more taxpayers would be served through the Community Enrichment program than through a proposed mayoral salary increase.
Multiple community members thanked Assembly member, Tam Boeve, for her advocacy and work in the community during the past year. Residents also thanked Borough Manager Mike Brown for visiting the controversial Comsat quarry site and requesting from the State that a Conditional Use Permit be filed with the Borough before further activity occurs at the quarry.
Brown addressed the public, saying that a “user friendly” version of the budget will soon be posted on the Borough’s website. He encouraged everyone to peruse the document and familiarize themselves with the Borough’s 2022 budget. The Assembly is scheduled to deliberate and possibly approve the budget at its May 11th meeting in Palmer.
