The Mat-Su Borough Comprehensive Plan will be ready for public comment in the coming months.
Borough Senior Planner Kelsey Anderson says the first round of public comments and community surveys were helpful in crafting and directing the comprehensive plan.
Borough residents pay some of the lowest taxes in the state. Anderson says the Borough is a lean operation with fewer staff per capita and population growth outpacing any other place in Alaska.
The senior population is exploding. It will be important to provide services, such as transit, affordable housing, and services for seniors and other vulnerable populations. Much of the population is moving to the core areas, but the Upper Valley also has seen some increases.
Community surveys in the Upper Valley showed residents were focused on different issues than the core area. Upper Valley residents pointed to infrastructure lagging with increasing tourism. In addition, they stressed the importance of protecting historical access to trails. Upper Valley residents also feel a lack of representation and a disconnect from the rest of the Borough, an issue that has been consistently discussed at public meetings. Anderson says that puts the burden on remote residents to keep up with Borough issues that could affect them.
Anderson says the Comprehensive Plan is a baseline informed by Borough residents. It will be up to the Assembly to put the plan into action through policy changes and budgeting to ensure money is allocated toward the results residents want to see.
The draft is expected to be complete in the next few weeks. There will be more opportunities for public input at three upcoming Planning Commission meetings. Then it will go to the Assembly for discussion.
