Mat-Su Borough District 7 Assemblymember Ron Bernier proposed a new ordinance that could change the make-up of the Road Service Area boards. These boards provide recommendations to the Borough’s supervisors about which roads are most critically important for maintenance and major repairs, according to Caswell RSA Board Chair DJ McBride. And she says those recommendations are based on input from the community.
Bernier proposed that six RSA boards increase their membership from three to five members. He says he spoke to several board members and residents that requested the change, though he would not specify in which RSA those residents and board members reside.
Bernier says District 7 is the fastest growing in the Borough and that more residents need to step up to serve their communities on the boards.
Currently, two RSA members make a quorum so many board members survey the roads on their own and come back to the public meetings with their information. Bernier says by having a five member board, two members could go out together without violating the Open Meetings Act, which does not allow a quorum to hold a gathering without declaring a public meeting.
Trapper Creek RSA Chair Donna Massay says they have difficulty getting a quorum for their quarterly meetings. But that they’ve never had issues getting the work completed. She says the job of the volunteer RSA members is to be the eyes and ears of the community and communicate with the road superintendent about problems.
Four of those boards included in the proposed ordinance are in the Upper Valley and most have trouble finding three members. Without a quorum of two members, or three with the new proposal, residents could lose their ability to make recommendations, according to McBride. Without a quorum, she says, RSAs can’t pass resolutions to develop a road improvement program, or RIP list.
To date, the Big Lake RSA, which has a small portion in District 7, is the only one in the District with five members, according to the Borough website. That portion of the RSA is largely without roads, except for a few that are connected to the western edge of the City of Houston.
According to all four of the Upper Valley RSA Board Chairs, none requested an increase in their board membership. Greater Willow RSA Chair Tom Phillips says if it was optional for each board to decide and if it was Borough-wide, he might be in favor of the initiative.
The Assembly will discuss the proposed ordinance at their next meeting on February 18th.
