Talkeetna Community Council asks Borough for a nay vote on $47 million road bond

The Talkeetna Community Council board has instructed Assemblyman Vern Halter to vote against a $47 million  road bond package that has had little if no public input. 

The  council met at their regularly scheduled meeting Monday night to discuss various topics. One item that came up during the meeting was an ordinance introduced at the Borough that might pave the way for a road between Comsat Road and Beaver Road in Talkeetna.  Literally.  Ordinance 10-067 allows for a 47 million dollar road bond package Borough-wide.  Part of that package lists money for an alternative paved access road between Comsat Road and Beaver Road.  Assemblyman Vern Halter was at the meeting and said he only heard of the road bond package 2 weeks ago.  Several people at the meeting voiced their concern that there had been no public notice and that area community councils had not had the chance to discuss the issue.  Tonight the issue will be before the Borough Assembly.  The council board voted unanimously to send a quick letter to the Borough to suggest they vote down the idea of the bond issue due to no prior notice to Road Service Area boards, community councils and the general public.

They suggested if money for roads were to come to Talkeetna that B Street receive the money for repaving.  The downtown street was to have been repaved after the sewer and water system was improved along that street.  But public works never received enough money to repave the area.  Halter said he will be asking the Borough Assembly to vote against the $47 million dollar bond package…or divvy up the money accordingly between the different Borough districts and allow communities to decide what THEY want to do with their share of the amount.

The Capital Improvement Project list from the state and borough was discussed at length.  A number of Talkeetna projects are on the list, but the list doesn’t list amounts for each project.

It was suggested that the council get a Borough employee to come up and explain what projects are funded on the CIP list and for how much.  Either that or give time to Council chair Billy Fitzgerald and others to go to the Borough offices and get an explanation.

A nominating committee was selected at the meeting.  The recent resignation of Meghann Vaughan means that there will be 5 open seats.  The council is accepting nomination for Vaughans seat and will select someone at the September meeting.  They will also accept nominations for the other open seats that will run for election on October 5^th.

Other items on the agenda were a discussion with the FAA about their F street access, an update on proposed Nordic ski trails in the XY Lakes park, and a  United Way grant to be given to the Sunshine transit service.  Listeners can tune in later for reports on those topics.  In tka this is sd