Video Clips
Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.
Clips from Mat-Su BoroughClear
0:14
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
0:18
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
0:18
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
0:36
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
0:11
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
0:31
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
0:37
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
0:33
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
0:29
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
0:09
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
0:22
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
0:33
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
0:38
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
0:35
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
1:09
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
0:31
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
0:25
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
0:40
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
0:08
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
0:30
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
0:32
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
0:34
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
0:11
Speaker A
“6.5%, we estimate will bring in $128,309,000.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
0:48
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
0:59
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
0:50
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
1:44
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
0:03
Speaker A
“7% Would bring in $138,179,000.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Assembly Meeting June 16 · Jun 16, 2026
0:44
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
0:22
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
0:18
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
0:21
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
0:19
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
0:38
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
0:42
Alex Strawn
“regardless of the size of your lot, You can have your main residence and a mother-in-law suite without any permitting whatsoever.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:26
Ken McCarty
“540-page document was submitted to the Boundary Commission saying you know, is this viable? And they're like very interested.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:22
Ken McCarty
“the big question they asked is, what does Matsu say? And so that's the big question. It's like, well, what does Matsu say? And that question is not being addressed.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:19
Ken McCarty
“what this is is a condensed version of close to 800 pages.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:52
Alex Strawn
“if you're doing a condo plat and the lots that you're creating are over 40,000 square feet, that those are just create essentially treated as parcels.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:30
Ken McCarty
“if this would happen, a little over $19 million would come into the borough at your discretion, whatever you want to spend. And I know that Matsui is all looking for different revenue sources to come in.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:58
Alex Strawn
“They're communities that are created through a state process that allows people to sell interest in land without going through our standard Title 43 subdivision process. So, if you have a 10-acre lot, for instance, you can hire a surveyor to divide up the land, and you can essentially create condo association and rules and go record it And you never have to go through the subdivision process.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:42
Alex Strawn
“we have been processing multi-family development permits for these condo plats, and it's not— it's kind of a square peg in a round hole type situation.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:20
Alex Strawn
“Fire trucks, when they get to your house, they don't like to go beyond 150 feet from their fire truck. I guess they start losing pressure or something happens at that point.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:41
Alex Strawn
“any rule that you write has unintended consequences, no matter how well it's written or how well-intended you are when you write it. There's always unintended consequences and there's always loopholes to be found.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:30
Alex Strawn
“if somebody did a condo plat for 40,000 square foot lots, uh, then— and I addressed this earlier— then if you did, if you had a 40,000 square foot condo unit, then you could do 2 units on that without a multifamily permit. If you go beyond that, you have to get a permit and you're subject to the provisions of this.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:33
Colleen Vague
“neither the IM nor the draft ordinance mentioned using fencing instead of perimeter landscaping for multifamily developments. It appears a requirement for perimeter landscaping is being removed for all multifamily developments, including large-scale ones. Is this really what is best for the communities and neighborhoods.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026
0:21
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
0:17
Speaker A
“Hearing and seeing none, Resolution 26-09 has passed.”Mat-Su Borough: Regular Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2026 · Jun 15, 2026