Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska's fastest-growing region and commuter belt for Anchorage. Home of the Iditarod headquarters, Hatcher Pass, and the Alaska State Fair in Palmer.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK, USA
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Edna DeVries
“So that resolution was passed. What it is saying is we're encouraging ADA to assist us as well as the whole state with the West Sioux Access, um, project as well as the port project. And so that will now today gonna be forwarded to the state. That was adopted.”Mat-Su Borough: MAYOR POST BLOG ASSEMBLY MEETING SEP15, 2026 · Sep 18, 2026
Edna DeVries
“Another item that was under reconsideration was whether the assembly should support DNR's allocation of 19,000+ acres to ADA. Uh, in 2 weeks ago, there had just been a letter, and then there— after that letter had been adopted by the assembly, the next day there had been reconsideration by an assembly person. So that put the letter on hold, but that also gave, uh, Deputy Mayor time to do a resolution and get it on the agenda for last night.”Mat-Su Borough: MAYOR POST BLOG ASSEMBLY MEETING SEP15, 2026 · Sep 18, 2026
Edna DeVries
“there's been controversy and a need for better connections of Engstrom Road and Bogard, and that project has been going on for several years. The latest report is that there will be a roundabout, and it should be here within the next year, 18 months, but still a lot of traffic at that intersection.”Mat-Su Borough: MAYOR POST BLOG ASSEMBLY MEETING SEP15, 2026 · Sep 18, 2026
Simon Gilland
“It's owned by a developer. Um, the landowners that are going to end up with a mile and a half of road through the middle of their homestead, 100-year-old homestead, no desire to develop. There's no, no inklings that I've heard from the other landowner that's adjacent, the Buffalo Ranch, that he wants to develop. This is a, this is a road that helps one developer.”Assembly Meeting - Sep. 15 part 2 · Sep 15, 2026
Michael Bowles
“I hope every member of this assembly supports this. We have a duty to support this, and it is a constitutional right that we have to privacy.”Assembly Meeting - Sep. 15 part 2 · Sep 15, 2026
Ron Bernier
“That's a state right-of-way. Does this ordinance prohibit those type of cameras? As a second-class borough, we cannot regulate the state's rights-of-way.”Assembly Meeting - Sep. 15 part 2 · Sep 15, 2026
Talkeetna's erosion fight reaches a new stage: buying people off the riverbank
The Mat-Su Borough reported one home lost and several structures damaged in Talkeetna after the Talkeetna River crested at 13.07 feet, its highest level since September 2012, following nearly three inches of rain in a single day.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
A $700 property tax break, paid for by a 1% sales tax
Mat-Su Borough voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to trade a roughly $700 property tax exemption for owner-occupied homes for a new 1% borough-wide sales tax.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly declares Talkeetna flood emergency, seeks state aid for permanent fix
The Mat-Su Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to declare a local emergency over Susitna River erosion and flooding threatening Talkeetna, unlocking 180 days of emergency authority and formally requesting state assistance to help cover non-federal matching funds the borough cannot provide alone.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Platting Board approves Primrose Point Phase 4 preliminary plat despite unresolved driveway questions
The Mat-Su Borough Platting Board approved the preliminary plat for Primrose Point Phase 4 without objection, relocating an internal road to meet grade requirements, but left shared driveway access for four to five lots fronting Lone Cub Drive to be resolved during pre-construction engineering. Neighbors who have tracked the project since 2005 called the timeline incomplete.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Platting Board approves Starlight Subdivision master plan over neighbor objections
The Mat-Su Borough Platting Board unanimously approved the Starlight Subdivision master plan Thursday, authorizing up to 184 lots across 200 acres near West Carmel Road in 13 phases over 10 years, despite written objections from neighbors citing traffic on a washboarded gravel road, mail delivery problems, and one landowner's concern about a planned private airstrip next door.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su moves to clean up 'forever chemicals' in its groundwater
The Mat-Su Borough will consider $400,000 to clean up PFAS "forever chemicals" in groundwater, traced to old firefighting foam and detected near Cottonwood Creek Elementary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su weighs a flood emergency and a tax overhaul
The Mat-Su Borough Assembly will consider a Talkeetna flood emergency declaration and a proposed November ballot measure pairing a 3% sales tax with a property tax cap.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Tessera hiring event comes to Mat-Su Job Center July 29
Tessera, an employer focused on hiring people with disabilities and veterans, will meet directly with Mat-Su job seekers at the Wasilla job center on July 29 from noon to 3 p.m. Walk-in resume help is available before the event.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A Wasilla argument ends with a gun pointed at a neighbor
Alaska State Troopers arrested Martin Registe on Friday after he allegedly pointed a .45 caliber handgun at a neighbor during a verbal altercation on Big Dipper Drive in Wasilla. Troopers seized the firearm and remanded Registe to Mat-Su Pretrial.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Matanuska Electric offers free EV chargers to local businesses, but hosts pay install costs
Matanuska Electric Association is expanding its Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Pilot Program, recruiting local businesses, nonprofits, housing authorities, and government organizations to host commercial-grade chargers at no equipment cost — but installation, electrical upgrades, and transformer work are the host's responsibility. MEA will collect anonymized usage data for three years to shape future energy planning.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su landfill fire draws multi-department response near Palmer-Wasilla corridor
A construction debris fire at Mat-Su Central Landfill drew Central Mat-Su and Lakes fire departments Monday evening, partially closing the site overnight while crews used an excavator to break apart the burning debris cell.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
If you're camped on a Susitna gravel bar this week, watch the river
Heavy rain will hit the Susitna Valley through midweek, with the Skwentna and Yentna rivers cresting Wednesday into Thursday and riverside campsites at flood risk.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A new Mat-Su road would cross the ground its drinking water comes from
A Seldon Road extension near Wasilla would cross two Mat-Su drinking-water protection zones, opening a state water quality review and public comment period.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Says No to Swapping Property Tax for Sales Tax
The Mat-Su Borough Assembly rejected putting a property-tax-for-sales-tax swap on the November ballot, citing impacts on renters, small businesses, and legal uncertainty.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission to schedule Eagle River annexation presentation
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission agreed by consensus Monday to schedule a formal informational session and a draft resolution on a proposal to annex Chugiak–Eagle River from Anchorage into Mat-Su, with Planning Director Alex Strawn noting an August assembly deadline if the question is to reach voters.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission passed Resolution 26-09 on Monday, recommending a rewrite of multifamily development standards to create tiered permitting, tighten drainage and fire access rules, and resolve a longstanding problem with how condo plats are treated under borough code.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Where Alaska's fire morels may pop next
Recent wildfires across Alaska's road system have created potential morel mushroom hunting grounds for spring 2026, with burns near Fairbanks, the Elliott Highway, Tok, and Southcentral offering foragers new places to search.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
MEA wins easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office granted Matanuska Electric Association a term non-exclusive easement Wednesday covering 0.007 acre on Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla for utility access and infrastructure work.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance weighs Alaska LNG tax worth $124M a year — and whether it's enough for host communities
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche told the Alaska Senate Finance Committee Wednesday that the House version of the Alaska LNG tax bill provides a workable 70% property tax reduction, while the original 90% cut would have left local taxpayers subsidizing the project.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Two Mat-Su subdivisions approved — and the small details say something about how the borough is growing
The platting board approved a three-lot subdivision in Palmer and a seven-tract remote subdivision near Big Lake. Both moved forward without public opposition at Thursday's hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su removes gravel permit barrier in Knik-Fairview
The Assembly passed an ordinance eliminating comprehensive plans as a binding standard for gravel permits. Planners must now give plans 'due consideration' but are not bound by them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission advances multifamily design standards rewrite
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission on Monday introduced a resolution to modernize multifamily development design standards, aligning permitting requirements with project scale and complexity, with a public hearing scheduled for June 15.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Underwood-Eastman rematch gives Wasilla voters another House District 27 choice
Rep. Jubilee Underwood and former Rep. David Eastman are set for a rematch in House District 27, reprising their 2024 race that Underwood won by 196 votes.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Palmer Courthouse finally gets funding for long-needed expansion
The Alaska Court System is moving forward with a $4.95 million expansion to address growing judicial demand in the state's fastest-growing borough, with bids due May 25 and construction starting by mid-August—a concrete response to Mat-Su's population pressures that larger outlets haven't covered at the procurement stage.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Assembly creates musher-led kennel board after 25 dogs died
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly on Tuesday created a temporary advisory board composed primarily of mushers and kennel owners to review kennel standards following the deaths of 25 dogs at a Caswell Lakes property earlier this spring.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Wasilla advances 63-unit affordable housing project as Mat-Su growth continues
A conditional use permit for up to 63 affordable housing units in North Star Estates—Wasilla's largest affordable housing proposal in recent memory—goes before the Planning Commission June 9, with the full application record now public and a June 2 comment deadline creating a narrow window for resident input on traffic, infrastructure, and neighborhood impacts.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly passes resolution affirming residents' right to use leaf blowers
Mat-Su Borough Assembly resolution affirming residents' right to use leaf blowers
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Borough Platting Board approves Bartlett Hills subdivision with road waiver
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approved a four-lot subdivision near Montana Creek on Friday, granting a variance that exempts the developer from building an improved access road despite staff opposition.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approves Settler's Bay Unit 11 subdivision
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board unanimously approved Thursday a preliminary plat for Settler's Bay Unit 11 despite neighboring homeowners' concerns about design compatibility and drainage in the swampy area.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly unanimously approved transferring nine borough-owned parcels along the Matanuska River to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to enable faster erosion protection construction and more flexible emergency response.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly blocks sales tax proposal before public hearing
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly voted 6-3 Wednesday to remove a sales tax proposal from the agenda before it could reach public hearing, sparking debate over process and whether members should allow public discussion of competing tax reform ideas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission approves Deshka River watershed land classification
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission approved Monday a resolution recommending classification of borough-owned land along the Deshka River as a salmon stream protection area, citing the river's importance to king and coho salmon populations.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Parks Recruiting Summer Trail Crew, Campground Workers
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Parks Department is hiring seasonal workers for summer 2026 trail maintenance and campground operations, offering hands-on training in outdoor recreation management.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Willow Woman Charged After 25 Sled Dogs Found Dead on Property
A Willow woman faces 26 felony animal cruelty charges after 25 sled dogs were found starved to death on her property following months of ignored complaints to Mat-Su Animal Control.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read