Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Clips from Municipality of AnchorageClear

“I think to Ms. Counts' point too, I think that is a great thing that we could recommend in here is essentially robust public engagement, which I think we all strive to do, but we often get charging along on the timeline that we have for the budget.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“we have until November to really engage with the community and the public, and I think, yeah, there could be ample opportunity for discussion about what do we do and what are, you know, what are the expectations as a community for municipal services when we're facing, you know, a potential fiscal cliff? What are the trade-offs? What future revenue sources does our municipality want to have a serious conversation about?”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“the intent is that we bring this forward probably at the July 21st meeting, so we have some time. And of course, this does not need to reflect every single person's individual priorities. We want to find what, you know, at least a majority of us can agree on at this point.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

Ona Brause “this fund and the way this fund is recovered should be calculated and analyzed on an annual basis. There were a few years where that was not occurring, and during that time frame, the costs of the claims also increased. So the inflationary impacts of the cost of everything combined with the, the sort of lost corrections on an annual basis to do this annual true-up that we have now done sort of ballooned the deficit that we saw occurring.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“I think where I see this piece, this is sort of like the beginning of the budget conversation. And if you, as you read through a lot of the resolves, mostly these are informational requests, you know, provide for us these scenarios, you know, identify where we, there can maybe be efficiencies.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

Ona Brause “the larger the dynamic of the recommendation or the sort of prioritization that you would like to see the administration look at, the more time we need in order to be able to do it. And so if it is about reimagining the funding of a specific program or of cutting a specific program, we would need to know that by August at the latest, I think.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“the thing that Bill did not say, Mr. Fauzi did not say, was if we build more stuff, the Building Safety Service Area also fills itself back up, as we saw in the revenue. And so that is also a relevant piece piece of that conversation.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“what would it look like if we fully funded schools within the cap at our optional local contribution? How much would that require of cuts to other services? And the reverse situation, if we fully funded general government, what would that look like in terms of a reduction? 'Cause we know that that's on the table.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

“the very drafty version that you're seeing here with a bunch of notes and kind of fill this in is a first pass at doing this from myself, Mr. Boland, and Ms. Baldwin-Day, who has joined us as the third member on this committee. But this— the goal is not that this coming from three of us, it's from all of us.”

Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026

Thea Agnew-Bemben “the thing we're doing very directly right now is we're applying for funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program, and the, what we are applying to do is to implement client records at all three of our departments—fire, police, and health—which we are in kind of different stages of right now, and then to be able to connect those to the health information exchange, which will allow us to actually have a way to communicate and share information with hospitals.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Thea Agnew-Bemben “that's also the step towards us being able to bill for services. We have 13 clinicians just between fire and police, not to mention all the clinical folks at the health department. We're not billing for those services right now, and that's revenue that we could be capturing to help meet the need. And then also included in our proposal is 6 different pilot projects.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

“This is a recommended grant for $750,000 of Community Development Block Grant funding that was selected through a competitive request for grant proposals in spring of 2025 for purchase of a building that True North Recovery is proposing to use as a base for operations in Anchorage.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Kimberly Rash “at any time we provide HUD funding, whether it's a contract or grant agreement, and the use of it changes, so if it's a land acquisition, the use changes, the grantee or the contractor is required to pay the entity who provided the funds back. The funding, the full amount.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

“Services not proposed: crisis services. There'd be no crisis services at this facility. They will continue their current work of providing providing that through mobile outreach, and the new vehicle will assist in that and make that a more streamlined and efficient process”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Suzanne LaFrance “if the Assembly approves the grant award, a good neighbor agreement is required. between True North and the community. Keeping in mind though, this is by-right zoning use. Behavioral health services were once provided at this location and anybody could go in and provide those services without any additional requirements. But with a grant from the municipality and through— for the HUD funding, this is when a good neighbor agreement would be required.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “I'm curious about how this service change impacts financial feasibility of this project, if at all, for True North. It sounds like, based on the feasibility study, that those, the mobile services were actually the least financially viable or stable in the long haul, and there were some questions about whether or not that, that particular line of service could even be sustained after the first 2 years of operation if additional grant funds were not made available.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Suzanne LaFrance “True North has revised their proposal. I'll let them go into the details, but they are now proposing outpatient services and administrative office space to be co-located with Access Alaska. There will be no crisis services provided out of that facility. We all know that we still need more crisis care, behavioral health resources, and access to treatment. True North plans to purchase a mobile crisis command vehicle to provide these services wherever they are needed”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “we made that investment and there's still no crisis stabilization center open at Prov. And they are a massive organization with very deep pockets and lots of access to resources. And so I, again, I think that this line of questioning is fair when we're evaluating a $750,000 investment.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Kimberly Rash “after the grant expires, HUD requires us to track the progress project deliverables for 5 years after the end of that grant agreement. The use of the facility as acquired has to stay the same for at least, at least 5 years up to 15 years. And so the, the use does have to stay the same.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Thea Agnew-Bemben “The proposal, it's a 3-year proposal. The first year is gonna be about $3.1 million, then a couple million each year after that. So it's a big lift for us to do this, but the goal is that that will get us over a hump that will allow us to not only coordinate care within Anchorage, but also statewide.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “when I look at a feasibility study and there's an entire paragraph that says, you know, the mobile outreach team is the service line with the least amount of billable revenue associated given the target population of the service line, and then there's a question at the end about operational impacts if additional grant funding isn't made available. I have questions about sustainability when it sounds like we're shifting harder into that mobile outreach model.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Erin Baldwin Day “for these 45 to 50 people who are in this rotation, Is the actual need here for a different kind of facility that we don't currently have, or like, what's the constellation of solutions beyond just the sharing of medical records that actually gets us to a place where we don't have these 45 to 50 extremely vulnerable humans who are cycling through instability sort of in perpetuity?”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

“Under the revised proposal, these are the services that they are proposing to offer at this location. This would include integrated behavioral health assessments, telehealth therapy, medication-assisted treatment, medication management. All those would be outpatient services only, not any inpatient or residential services. Um, it also housed their administrative offices, office space for their mobile outreach staff, They are, as, as mentioned, also purchasing a mobile command center vehicle that they will use to move around the city to provide crisis services.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Thea Agnew-Bemben “one of them is to be able to do short-term assisted living for people who otherwise would be— Uh-huh. In shelter as a way to bridge them into the benefits that are needed to get them into actual assisted living.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Suzanne LaFrance “True North was planning a launchpad project where crisis services would be provided on-site.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

“she is putting this forward to the Assembly again for Assembly action at the July 7th meeting. This will be a revised Assembly memorandum outlining the revised scope of services being proposed by True North and requesting Assembly approval of the grant agreement.”

Anchorage Assembly: Housing and Homelessness Committee · Jun 17, 2026

Ryan Yelle “because we are doing this underneath AMC 2540, 25H. We can dispose for less than fair. Market value because of the public benefits. I do note in the memo as. Well that we are proposing a $0 sale.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Zac Johnson “Two concerns. One, that by doing natural burials, that we risk either water contamination or that predators like bears might unearth remains. And can you say that those have been addressed or mitigated?”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Zac Johnson “I have a question, but first, just want to highlight the fact that for people who are not interested in being cremated, there are very few options in Anchorage these days other than if you have access to one of those privately reserved spots of the cemetery. So just highlighting there that there is certainly unmet demand for people who wish to be a buried in that way. And as was also noted, we tried to increase cemetery capacity through a bond measure a couple years ago that failed.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“Over the years, we've received dozens of comments of support not only from community councils but also from the Parks and Recreation Department, Watershed Management Services Division, the. Municipal Cemetery Director, and a long list. Of residents who would love the opportunity to receive a natural burial in in. Such a beautiful location.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“Because the proposed disposal is pursuant to subsection H, which allows for the competitive disposal of HLB land in order to facilitate a specific project that will provide public benefits, it is required that the disposal also include conditions to ensure the proper development and completion of the project in the public interest.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“This type of cemetery relies on affordable. Low density burials, restricting the use of large monuments or gravestones so view sheds remain uninterrupted and the land can serve the community as a multipurpose space and as wildlife habitat.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“Alaska Natural. Burial is going to work with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to. Create a document with guidelines for best practices to avoid human wildlife conflict. And that this document will be supplied. To HLV prior to disposal.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Ryan Yelle “And also we have two conditions about. The Green Burial Council's natural burial ground standards that address those concerns”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Ryan Yelle “So it is just over $500,000.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“There is the direct public benefit that Alaska Natural Burials Project will provide much needed cemetery space for the municipality while also providing the indirect financial public benefit. By not relying on taxpayer funding or the passing of bond measures, this project. Has proven to be one of the. Most highly supported projects I've ever experienced during my time at hlb.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“The only other financial information I can. Cite is the amount of money that. The bonds were for to create a new municipal cemetery which would have been $1.57 million for the book for each. Each of the Girdwood and then the Eagle. Eagle river cemeteries.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Emma Gibney

“This property is located in South Anchorage on Golden view Drive about 1.25 miles south of the Golden View Middle School. It is across the street from Moen. Park and it is uphill from Potter Marsh Watershed Park. It is approximately 9.6 acres in size and is zoned PLI Public Lands and Institutions.”

Prefix — Anchorage Assembly: Worksession re AO 2026-72, authorizing competitive disposal with conditions of Heritage Land Bank... · Jun 1, 2026

Anna Brawley “Mr. Boland, move to continue the public hearing to the meeting of June 9th. Second, moved by Mr. Volin to continue the hearing to. To the Regular meeting of June 9th.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “if you're here to testify on item 14D, AO202662 to create a Public Safety Commission, the sponsors of which I am one, the other is Mr. Perez Fridilla, intend to open the public hearing and continue the hearing to the next regular meeting of June 9.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “I will state the intent of the sponsors is to bring a substitute version. And so folks who did testify tonight would be welcome to do so again on those changes.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “She was screaming, holding a cinder block over her head, tears streaming down her face. We ran outside as fast as we could to stop her before she damaged property, but we weren't in time. Marcella tried to calm her down and asked, what's wrong? Cassandra could only say one thing. They're after me.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “My name is April Ratchford. I'm the Anchorage local lead for Moms Demand Action. So we do a lot of gun violence prevention advocacy and I really want to thank members Park, Baldwin, Day and Martinez for sponsoring this resolution.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “I want to thank you all for your support and also share a little bit about the work that we have been doing throughout the state with the Be Smart for Kids program, which encourages secure firearm storage.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “An ordinance of the anchorage assembly recognizing June 5, 2026 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Anchorage and June 5 through the 7th, 2026 as Wear Orange weekend to honor all victims, survivors and families of gun violence.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “On a vote of 12 to 0 that amendment passes, the resolution as amended is now before us.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “What is devastating, infuriating is that Marcy, Marcel and I were not formed until July 2024, despite having put in a police report. And I'm just urging both the Anchorage Police Department, this assembly, to fully acknowledge the. The damage that has been done not only to my family, but to every victim's family affected.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

Anna Brawley “On a vote of 9 to 3 AR2026 144 passes the body.”

Assembly Regular - May 26, 2026 - 2026-05-26 17:00:00 · May 26, 2026

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