Video Clips
Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.
Tyler Young
“if the easiest fix for this to protect the borough, help the petitioner, protect the future development that could come is dedicated in Track B. We got to make sure that a collector road could be built there with whatever nuances that that may come with.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board Meeting - July 2, 2026 · Jul 2, 2026
Tyler Young
“Staff does not recommend that Track B at that width is well over 300 feet wide, plus the existing dedication of East Hillside Drive, which is another 60 feet. Being able to build a residential collector standard road without being a civil engineer and without being able to certify it, causing that may be an undue burden towards the petitioner.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board Meeting - July 2, 2026 · Jul 2, 2026
Tyler Young
“the vacation, if approved by the board, will have 30 days to go in front of the assembly for either approval or veto. That does not give the petitioner enough time, the petitioner being the State of Alaska. Enough time to make the decision over what they want to do, whether approving the— approving the full dedication of Tract B or choosing one of the other options”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board Meeting - July 2, 2026 · Jul 2, 2026
Reggie Carney
“I would personally be very comfortable making sure that the appropriate road could be developed in the space being dedicated before any type of vacation. That's just how I feel on it, because I wouldn't want this to come back on the borough later to have to purchase private land or anything like that.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board Meeting - July 2, 2026 · Jul 2, 2026
Kelly Allen
“we're standing here with a bunch of wood chips that were donated by Foremost Construction, Fonoff Construction, Assemblymember Sumner, and Assemblymember Fonoff.”Mat-Su Borough: Alantra Disc Golf Course Gets Improved Wood Chips Donated · Jun 24, 2026
Kelly Allen
“the course itself has been being used more and more every year.”Mat-Su Borough: Alantra Disc Golf Course Gets Improved Wood Chips Donated · Jun 24, 2026
Kelly Allen
“we've got several members from from the Mattoxu Disc Golf Association out here spreading these out around tee pads and the trails to help clear up all the muddy areas, 'cause we've got quite a few people that come and frequent the course outside of our club. We're just trying to clean it up and make it more presentable for the community.”Mat-Su Borough: Alantra Disc Golf Course Gets Improved Wood Chips Donated · Jun 24, 2026
Kelly Allen
“we're standing here with a bunch of wood chips that were donated by Foremost Construction, Fonoff Construction, Assemblymember Sumner, and Assemblymember Fonoff, and we've got several members from from the Mat-Su Disc Golf Association out here spreading these out around tee pads and the trails to help clear up all the muddy areas, 'cause we've got quite a few people that come and frequent the course outside of our club. We're just trying to clean it up and make it more presentable for the community.”Mat-Su Borough: Alcantra Disc Golf Course Gets Much Needed Improvement · Jun 24, 2026
Kelly Allen
“They get free discs, they run through a tournament-type setting. It's, it's fun for everybody, but the, the course itself has been being used more and more every year.”Mat-Su Borough: Alcantra Disc Golf Course Gets Much Needed Improvement · Jun 24, 2026
Fred Wagner
“the approval of this variance actually protects the public more than denying the variance. If you deny the variance, they can just go out there, start moving dirt, and the neighbor doesn't have— you know, he gets what he gets. So I, uh, I commend Ms. Runfeld on their variance.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker B
“there's been other developments in Big Lake where the developer did what they did and they ended up flooding other people's property and the roads, and it took years for that to get resolved, and the borough was on the hook for, for taking care of that.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker B
“We can recess for 15 minutes. Let me see if the attorneys are available. Okay, I'm going to call a recess.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Julie Matthew
“The request for a variance is really just a workaround to get it back to where we can do it as a condition of approval again. This is something that we've done many times in the past. It's just due to legal technicalities, we're having to go through an extra hoop. They will still have to provide a soils report as the conditions are laid out after all regrading is completed, showing that they meet the requirements.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Julie Matthew
“it used to be that it was common practice for regrading to be a condition of approval because that is a large investiture of money prior to getting board approval for a project. Recently, our legal department had come back and said the way code is specifically written, we weren't actually able to make it a condition.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker G
“let's say you guys do everything right, 100% right. The borough does 100% everything, 100% right. And I'm just going to use this as an example and not say that Mr. Maxey is going to do this, but just as an example, that a year or two down the road, all of a sudden his lot gets flooded. Maybe just something changed that no one knew about and it was going to happen anyway, but we as a borough approved this, the engineers designed whatever they designed”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker A
“we are going to have to move a considerable amount of gravel. Um, if you— the large remainder parcel to the west We have to make 10,000 flat square feet for the septic. So, at a minimum, we are moving at least 10,000 square feet of gravel in order to create— I think almost every lot we're going to have to create 10,000 square feet of, and we will have to do a drainage report.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Julie Matthew
“A variance request was submitted pursuant to code. If approved, it will allow for the regrading to take place after board approval, as opposed to completing the work prior to public hearing.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Julie Matthew
“I keep having trouble with the one person who has concerns about the grading, that after— if we approve this and then they grade and it's a mess for this other one, uh, what happens? So part of what they're going to have to supply is an updated soils report and do the work within the scope of our PD&E approval. So, if they're doing regrading, a drainage report would be a requirement if they're exceeding that minimum threshold of 10,000 square feet of total moved land.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Julie Matthew
“Eli Ward, a registered professional engineer, notes that regrading will be required to achieve usable area for septic. The petitioner is requesting a variance from Borough Code 4322-81 Area, as the regrading needs to be completed prior to achieving the usable area. Code would have required them to submit and complete the work prior to the public hearing. They're requesting it to do the work after board approval.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker B
“The request is to create 5 lots in Parcel 1, Matsubara Waiver Number 85-5, recorded as 89-10W, to be known as Tiniki Cove, Canadian— containing 10.44 acres plus or minus. A variance is usable— a variance to usable area requirements is being requested to allow for regrading prior to final recordation”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“Madam Chair, I move to approve the variance from Matsu Borough Regulation 43.20.281 area and the preliminary plat of Tennakee Cove, Section 29, Township 17 North, Range 03 West, Seward Meridian, Alaska, contingent upon staff recommendations 1 through 12.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker G
“What protects the borough from any litigation Mr. Mackey— Maxey might do, or anyone else in this situation?”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“we approve, uh, preliminary plats with drainage plans frequently. Uh, we have no absolute guarantee that those drainage plans do what they're supposed to, but we rely on an engineer's statement. I see And again, the fact that there's a variance involved here doesn't change any of that position for me.”Mat-Su Borough: Platting Board - June 18, 2026 · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker B
“I wanted 5%, I actually wanted very little tax, but the numbers that we were provided by Cheyenne basically show that we would need about a 6.5 to 7% sales tax to reach the same $130 million.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker B
“People that do not benefit from this, the people who will pay more, who shoulder more of the tax burden, are renters, the uninsured, and small businesses.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker B
“Right now, area-wide property taxes for fiscal year '26, I think it was, was about— it was just shy of $130 million. We didn't even run a 5% calculation with all the price elasticity of demand and all that because we never had this conversation. Like, we want to help you with these numbers, but some of this stuff is just happening right now. And there would— so there's been no analysis on 5% because no one mentioned 5%. We, we ran numbers on 6, 6.5, 7, and 8 to provide a range.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“I'm here representing the city in strong opposition to the ordinance 26032, and I just want to read our resolution into your record.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“the borough's ordinance serial number 26032 would impose a 6.5% area-wide sales tax in addition to the city's existing sales tax, resulting in a combined sales tax of 9% within the city of Wasilla. And whereas the proposed borough sales tax would substantially increase the tax burden on purchases made within the city and may negatively affect local businesses, residents, nonprofits, and consumers.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“7% Would bring in $138,179,000.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“6.5%, we estimate will bring in $128,309,000.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“This is a transfer of administration to the borough, and with an estimated $360,000 for 2 full-time employees to manage this, what I would say, a very complex tax system— we literally chase people around for $12.50.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“Based on the information that we've reviewed that came from your finance department, the impact on our city is a decrease gross sales of 9.75%. Consumers will shop outside the region. They'll go online and they will buy less.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker B
“In the 2025 assessed values listed here, $388,087 is your average value. Mill rate area-wide, 8.485. So the total tax paid would be $3,292. If you take 6.5% into that, you find out that you have to spend about $50,646 to meet the same tax you would pay for the property.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker C
“Executive session, please, Madam Mayor.”Mat-Su Borough: Special Assembly Meeting for the Annual Evaluation of the Borough Clerk - June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“I move to give the clerk a 3.3% COLA and a 2% step increase. Okay, discussion by the assembly? Any objection? Okay, hearing no objection, then the motion passes.”Mat-Su Borough: Special Assembly Meeting for the Annual Evaluation of the Borough Clerk - June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“hearing no objection, we will exit executive session at 4:48.”Mat-Su Borough: Special Assembly Meeting for the Annual Evaluation of the Borough Clerk - June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“Those present in executive session will be the mayor, the assembly, and the clerk. Okay, is there any discussion on the motion? Is there any objection to the motion? Okay, hearing no objection, then we enter into the executive session at 4:03.”Mat-Su Borough: Special Assembly Meeting for the Annual Evaluation of the Borough Clerk - June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Speaker A
“the next item of business is an executive session for this subject that Uh, tends to prejudice the reputation and character of any person, provided the person may require a public discussion. So, Madam Clerk, do you want your evaluation scheduled in executive session or public?”Mat-Su Borough: Special Assembly Meeting for the Annual Evaluation of the Borough Clerk - June 16, 2026 · Jun 16, 2026
Colleen Vague
“Reducing regulatory burdens for truly small-scale multifamily developments makes sense. Please ensure the proposed legislation has no loopholes”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Speaker C
“there's only so much time, and I— you know what I mean? Okay, if we could send them— and the last time they did it, it was overrun by a bunch of people that were like, bah, and everybody was like, what? And so this time it'd be a little more I'd like—. Yeah, I'd like more information on it for sure.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Colleen Vague
“Many of the recommended changes close identified gaps in the current code and should be advanced. These that should be advanced include emergency fire response access, traffic movement, and vehicle circulation. Developments with more than 10 dwelling units must follow the subdivision construction manual and the bridge and culvert crossing regulations. And new regulations for drainage and stormwater management. Those are all good ideas.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Alex Strawn
“this creates a new definition for, uh, what's called a vehicular circulation road, and it has a standard that all the exterior walls of your buildings have to be within 100 feet of your of your external or your vehicle circulation road.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Alex Strawn
“This actually requires that your drainage plan be stamped and developed by a professional engineer, and that— and then it has actually very specific standards of how much of the water you have to retain on site as a result of your development.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Ken McCarty
“$27 Million goes to the school district, whatever it needs to do. Of course, you have to take care of schools out over there, but it could do at discretion of the excess money there. So if you want to hear more about this, I'm happy to come back and present more in detail of these different things.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Ken McCarty
“December 16th, that, uh, Assemblymember Dimitri had a resolution to allow Mike Brown to assign projects to individuals in Matsue to research the viability of this, and if it's not viable, then it's just a dead issue. And there are people that came opposing that, the Alexa group, uh, saying that they are on the edge of getting their thing done and, you know, presented to the Boundary Commission. That was false.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Speaker C
“Time is of the essence. Yeah, but it seems reasonable to me. I would— I just think that the sooner we get it, if we liked it and we were like, heck yeah, it just seems the quicker the better.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Speaker C
“coming before us, I think it would be worthwhile for us to, to be able to discuss it, come up with something, and give it to the assembly like, we're online with this, this is what we would like to see.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
Alex Strawn
“are we looking for just general support of the annexation, or are we going to be more specific about we want to see it on the ballot, or what—. What would be the take-home message barring asking Mr. McCarty?”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026