Assembly to decide on bed tax grants

The Mat Su Borough Assembly will be voting on project awards for the 2009 Bed Tax grants – otherwise known as infrastructure projects – at their regular meeting Tuesday evening.

A total of 26 project proposals were received Borough-wide. There are 14 proposals that have been identified to receive funding. A total of $125,500 will be awarded to various projects if the Assembly approves the resolution.

The Ski clubs in the northern valley are slated to receive over ten thousand dollars to for trail grooming in the Su Valley area. The Aurora Dog Mushers Club will receive close to fourteen thousand dollars and Hatcher Pass is set to receive 10 thousand dollars for non-motorized trail maintenance.

Three grant requests that are NOT on the reward list in the Talkeetna area are: the request for $22,871 for a Talkeetna Scenic Overlook interpretive display, a request to pay for development of an additional bicycle trail within the Talkeetna Lakes Park System and the Talkeetna Historical Society’s request for funds to paint three historical buildings in downtown Talkeetna. There were eight projects at a total of $111,000 dollars Borough-wide that were NOT funded.

This year, the Borough specified that nominations fit into a category of trail grooming, trail surveying and other tourism-related projects.

In an earlier interview, Linda Brenner, Community Development Director said that she encouraged every entity wishing a grant to apply so that the Borough would get a better idea of the many projects in need. She said, even if a project didn’t get funded, the Borough would get a better idea of the projects in the Borough in need of funding.

The Assembly votes on approval of the grants at tonights meeting.