Port tops Anchorage's draft 2027 list of state and federal requests

Nolan Klouda, the mayor's policy director, told the Anchorage Assembly Legislative Committee Wednesday that Port of Alaska modernization tops a draft list of 2027 state and federal requests. The list also seeks road and utility money for housing tied to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and help conserving Cook Inlet gas. The Assembly is expected to introduce the program at its Nov. 17 meeting and vote Dec. 1.

Klouda said the outline remains incomplete while the city gathers requests from department heads. Most items carry over from past years, but the program includes federal priorities for the first time this year, he said. The port is "always, always going to be at the top of our list of priorities," he said. Other items include stable, inflation-adjusted K-12 funding and forward funding, higher assisted-living rates, drug interdiction and competency-to-stand-trial changes, unmanned aircraft for fire department wildfire response, weatherization, waste-to-energy money, community assistance, defined-benefit pensions and district capital projects. The list also seeks capital to use landfill gas at the Anchorage Regional Landfill, which Klouda said could expand what the landfill sells to JBER.

The port supplies more than 150 communities and 90% of Alaska residents, according to the municipality. Its modernization is estimated at $2.8 billion, financed by federal money, state money and shipping surcharges. The city settled its lawsuit against the federal Maritime Administration this year for $180 million, bringing its total legal recovery to $191.3 million, and expects the settlement money by early 2027. Each dollar of outside funding is estimated to cut surcharges by about $2.50.

Klouda called housing road and utility money "very important" and tied it to the Fighter Town recapitalization. An August resolution from the mayor's office cites Defense Department projections of about 1,050 more military personnel tied to Air Force recapitalization in Alaska and says JBER's 3,626 family housing units are near 98% occupancy. On gas, Klouda said the city wants "a coordinated approach to preserving, conserving natural gas and ensuring steady supply."

Wendy Chamberlain, a lobbyist with Legislative Consultants, said the state has a surplus this year. "There should be capital put on the table day one for Anchorage," she said. She floated a general obligation bond for the port and other needs, repaid first from high energy prices and later from gas line revenue. She disclosed her firm represents Glenfarne, which she described as owner of 75% of the rights to the gas line project. She said the firm will press the incoming administration for a chief behavioral health officer.

Assembly Chair Anna Brawley of West Anchorage asked how large the port request should be and how housing requests would balance repairs against expansion. Klouda said the city has no number it has "centered on," but that last year's request was about the right order of magnitude. He said the city does not want to overbuild but called outside housing investment a high return for Anchorage.

The committee plans its last discussion Nov. 6. Brawley asked members to bring changes before then to avoid last-minute floor amendments.