Assembly Regular - May 6, 2025 - 2025-05-06 17:00:00

Another summer coming down. Do you ever think back, baby, when you were young and strong? Do you ever think back, baby, you're the one that's wrong? Do you ever lay and cry when you hear the lyrics of another summer coming down?

Another song will come and go. Another song will come and go.

How does one love? How does one sing? How does one be anything at all? How does one love? How does one sing?

How does one be? Anything at all. I get lost and I like it like that. Yeah, I like it like that. Love has its cost, now I'm all back, 'cause boy, I'm back.

How does one love? How does one see? How does one be anything at all? How does one love? How does one see?

How does one be anything at all? How does one love?

But it isn't there, but it isn't there. How does one love?

How does one sing? How does one be anything at all?

The sun is setting on our love.

Somehow you killed me.

Guess I haven't cried enough.

Let me love you down. Let me love you down. I never, I never came over.

I hate, I hate feeling so bad. Let me love you down. Let me love you down. I never, I never came over. I hate I hate when I'm sober.

Let me love you down, let me love you down, let me love you down, let me love you down, let me love Nothing's better than being home with your loved ones. You won't be alone when it's cold out. You'll be in warm in your own bed and from the storm.

Home is calling when you feel adrift. It'll always be there and never miss. Life has got you all around. You never feel you got your feet on the ground.

Home sweet home is where I want to be. Home sweet home, a place to find some Peace. You are worried of what's to come, but you never know until it's all said and done. You can stay home all night and day, resting your mind, keeping all bad thoughts away. Home sweet home is where I want to be.

Home sweet home, a place to find some peace.

Home sweet home is where I wanna be. Home sweet home, a place to find some peace.

Nothing's better than being home with your loved ones. You won't be alone when it's cold out. You'll be in warm in your own bed and in front of the storm.

Too quickly, and I know it's not like the earth is turning slow. I'm already gone, but we both know I can't sleep alone, or at least I won't.

If you're gonna go—. I hope that you take me seriously. I hope that nobody stays mad at me.

Oh! Ooh-ooh-oooh!

Oh, which way is up in your eyes? I hope I don't come down, 'cause we're dancing on the wall.

Words we didn't get to say.

And now that you take me seriously, and now that nobody stares mad at me, and now Let you take me seriously.

Oh, oh, sometimes the world moves too quickly. And I know it's not like the earth is turning, so I'm already gone. But we both know I can't sleep. Hello, let's go.

Let you take me.

Seriously? I know— I'd never let these days matter to me! And now that you take me seriously... Oh ho ho ho ho! Uh-huh.

Skip this bit. It's not the lack of your judgment that makes you a kid. It's the lack of your substance that keeps you locked in. Oh, and keeps them talking.

Oh, oh, oh. Find out a way to spend your whole life holding hands with empty faces that you'll never see again. Search out a way to find a version of you you like? Why aren't you getting tired of me yet?

Why aren't you tired of me yet? Why aren't you tired of me yet? Why aren't you tired of me yet? Why don't you talk to I'm scared that I'm gonna ruin everything. Left on my own.

It's easy. You're getting tired of everything we do. Why aren't you tired of me yet?

Why aren't you tired of me yet?

Why aren't you tired of me yet? Why don't you talk to me yet? Why aren't you talking to me yet?

Why aren't you tiring me out yet? Why aren't you— why aren't you done with it all yet?!

Oh, all of my life, waited for a sign to arrive.

Painted light round her eyes, her eyes. All of her life.

Call out my name. She arrives.

Lightning strikes in diamond mines. A bloody stone adorns our mind. A morning wasted on trivial. An evening wasted on primitive things. Around here everybody knows everybody.

Their past lives documented to the closest topic. At what time does the conversation start and end? Yeah. Oh, is it good? God's coming to save us, promise a good life.

Thank God that you came.

Always got Uncle Sam ready to save us. Thank God you came, thank God you came, thank God you came.

Honestly, I feel the breach. We want, we want, thank God. We want, we want, thank God. We want, we want, thank God. Thank God, thank God, thank God.

Always the good guys coming to save us, promise a good life. Thank God that you came. Always got Uncle Sam Ready to save us. Thank God you came. Thank God you came.

Thank God you came. Be a friend till the end. We'll fight the good fight. And the lives you've changed, the The mistakes you've made. Is this the life you made for me?

Always the good guys coming to save us. Promised a good life, thank God that you came. Always got Uncle Sam ready to save us. Thank God you came, thank God you came, thank God you came. Always the good guys coming to save us.

Promise a good life, thank God that you came. Always got Uncle Sam ready to save us. Thank God you came, thank God you came, thank God you came.

The air's so fresh where I'm from. Palm trees, ready-made goods. Don't frighten, 'cause you was on your own time coming. Don't stop running. Burning the leaves in the backyard summers.

Flower-scented breeze keep warming me. Tired of the priests keep warning me. Seconds from release, it's hard to treat. I'm too scared to breathe from my beliefs. The land of freedom, the land for me.

Too scared to seek, too scared to be my own, you see. But I know I just need some selfish time. I need my relics that give me truth to what I know. Give me ruthless Wait, all these paperweights, all these secret faces, aces placing, strangers wasting. Flutter while you fall across the gap, no bridge stood, no man could reach.

I pray 3 times at night, hope you hear it. I'm nearing heights I dreamt of, heights I And since nobody else can hear me, let my ears bleed, let my heartstrings rip. Following the tide, never was assigned to align to the ceiling on the moon. My stride, low G's, low weight, low everything. Cheap, these lights, these streaks.

My guy too bright, can't vision, need my lenses. Blue ball in the sky, keep turning on and on and me. Too scared to see, too scared to be on my own, you see. But I know I just need some selfish time. I need my relics back.

Give me truth to what I know. Give me ruthless weight. All this paper weights, all this fakeness.

But nothing could keep them at bay. In the town of Fighting Gumrunback, yeah, seems nothing would stop them or last. Da da da.

Up over buildings and I'm afraid of everything, like messing up around my friends or losing my mom, or going out after dark just to walk my dog. Well, my Christmas hat is glowing green right from outer space. It's a feel like I All right, good evening everybody.

I now call to order this meeting of the Anchorage Assembly. Today is May 6th, 2025. Madam Clerk, could you please call the roll?

Assemblymember Myers. Here. Member McCormick. Here. Member Martinez.

Present. Member Baldwin-Day. Present. Member Johnson. Here.

Chair Constantine. Here. Vice Chair Brawley. Here. Assemblymember Volland.

Happy to be here. Member Silvers. Here. Member Rivera. Present.

Member Gerker. Here. Member Perez-Rodilla. Here. Mr.

Chair, you have a quorum. Thank you. Next, I would like to ask Mr. Gerker to please lead us in the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Ms. Baldwin-Day, would you please read the land acknowledgment? Happy to, Chair. A land acknowledgment is a formal statement recognizing the indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present Indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy. It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity.

The Anchorage Assembly would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Dena'ina Athabascans. For thousands of years, the Dena'ina have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. It is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the Upper Cook Inlet. Denina. Thank you.

Next, we have minutes of previous meetings. Tonight we do have minutes. Item 4A, special meeting, April 16th, 2025. I'd like to ask for a motion to approve the minutes. So moved.

Second. Motion by Mr. Myers, seconded by Ms. Brawley. Any discussion?

Hearing and seeing no discussion, I'd like to ask unanimous consent. Any objection? Seeing and hearing no objection, the minutes are adopted. Next, we will have the mayor's report. Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good evening, everyone. Welcome to all the new members here tonight for your first full meeting. I'm happy to be here with all of you and get down to do the business for Anchorage. Aanigdzoó.

So spring is finally here. It's really happening. And this past weekend we kicked off the citywide cleanup with the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. We all know that after breakup there's a lot of litter on the ground, and I hope you all are able to get outside and pitch in. It really makes a huge difference in our community.

You can pick up free orange bags from participating locations around Anchorage. The cleanup runs through May 31st, and more information is available online at AnchorageChamber.org. I know that public safety is top of mind for everyone right now, and there are a few related items on the agenda that I want to touch on. We're seeking approval tonight to purchase security cameras for Town Square Park. We've continued to receive a high number of calls to that area.

And Town Square Park is the heart of downtown. It is imperative for us to fix public safety problems there, and we're continuing to push for solutions. And with the recent parks bond approval, we'll soon be making some improvements to the park that will help reactivate the space for positive public use. Tonight we're also introducing a measure that would add criminal penalties for anyone who starts an unauthorized fire. This ordinance addresses a gap in our municipal code, and right now criminal penalties are only imposed after an illegal fire causes property damage or gets out of control.

Any illegal fire is dangerous, and after a low-snow winter, fire is among the biggest threats to our community. The fire department's wildfire division has been hard at work doing everything they can to prepare and protect us. They'll be hosting a wildland fire town hall on May 19th. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] On the housing and homelessness front, some good news. The Anchorage Health Department will begin distributing over $5 million in emergency rental assistance this month.

These critical funds will reach hundreds of households that are at risk of losing housing or those that are already experiencing homelessness. We've worked hard to solidify a safety net of year-round shelter and services for those who need options, and I thank assembly members for your support and work in this area. And now we are taking immediate action to address the seasonal surge in camping that you all, I know, have been receiving communications from members of the community about. My administration has cleared 23 camps. We are increasing abatement efforts and cleanup of our parks and green spaces.

Anchorage isn't a free-for-all. It's not acceptable for anyone to stay indefinitely on public land. Large encampments aren't safe for anyone, not for the people living in them and not for the neighborhood. To anyone who exploits vulnerable people, commits crimes, or threatens public safety, we will bring a law enforcement response and we will enforce our laws to the greatest extent. I want to note that we now have a fully staffed prosecutor's division here at the municipality.

No one has the right to make people feel unsafe or unwelcome on public land or to put their neighbors in danger. Our parks, trails, and public spaces must be safe and accessible for all. And to all the moms and mom figures, happy Mother's Day this Sunday. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I look forward to working with all of you tonight.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Next on the agenda, we have the chair's report. Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the public who is here for our regular business meeting, and especially warm welcome to all of the new members who are here for their first full meeting of the Anchorage Assembly of their terms. On tonight's agenda, we have a lot of items to go over.

I'd like to specifically welcome Member Brawley as her— in her first full meeting as vice chair. And again, I will be Slow, and I will do my best to help you along, as will your neighbors on the dais, to ensure that you are up to speed on procedures. That's to all of the new members— how to make motions and how to become comfortable taking the floor. I know probably it won't be a real issue, but it's getting up to speed can be really challenging. So if you're unsure of anything, you can always ask point of information from me or talk to the neighbor next to you and get clarification.

We'll just work through it as we go, and it won't be long before everybody is up to speed. I would like to also note that this last week I took a very rapid trip to the capital, to Washington, D.C., with the delegation from Anchorage and statewide, the Anchorage Coalition on Homelessness, as well as the Balance of State Coalition, as well as members from the Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust and Cook Inlet Housing Authority for a meeting with HUD Secretary Scott Turner. And it was a really great meeting. Senator Sullivan organized it and made it happen. It was challenging to get the time because a secretary of a U.S. department is a pretty busy person and things went long, but they rescheduled for us on the same day and we ended up spending about an hour and 20 minutes with him and his staff, or at least with his staff and him in part.

The visit— the highlight of the visit was we're working on figuring out how to address the HUD funding formula because the HUD funding formula disadvantages small states in Alaska very dramatically. It doesn't reward performance of your co— your, your local continuum of care who are successful. Ours and the balance of state are very successful at moving people from camps to housing. We have a 90% success rate of moving people out, but we have this continuous flow into the system, which proves to be challenging. And the formula doesn't award funds based on the severity of the issue.

So it's just a strict population-based formula. And that issue is really disadvantaged us. City of Houston, as you've heard, receives such a sum of money that they have approximately $23,000 per individual who receives support who's homeless. We receive less than $2,000 per individual. So it's no question why we continue to face what feels like an insurmountable challenge when the funding that should be supporting communities to address the specific challenge of homelessness is just a general welfare program for large cities, and that's not an acceptable alternative.

The HUD Secretary did make the commitment to work really closely and to help work with us to set up a pilot program that will ensure that we don't have to wait many years to see a change if we can come up with a proposal. We'll be working on that proposal and getting it back to the Secretary. And the Secretary did ask, you know, we met with the previous Secretary, and what kind of action did we see from the previous Secretary? Secretary, and I can tell you this, the Secretary's staff reached out to me today, which was more than any outreach I had from the previous Secretary. So I'm very enheartened that we're going to start to see some response out of D.C. hopefully before I leave this body.

So also, for members of the public, young people in particular, we are now seeking new youth members to serve on the Anchorage Assembly. You can go to muni.org/assembly to find the application. We have a seat or seats open for youth aged 16 to 19, and applications are due at the end of this month. So please get your applications in.

As we approach summer, several municipal departments have reminders. Solid Waste Services wants us all to be bear aware and secure our trash out of reach of bears and other wildlife so that we can ensure our wildlife and our community can continue to coexist because it is a great feature of our community. They have a great video you can watch. Don't mind the fact that part of it's filmed in my backyard with my trash can. Also, as we approach wildfire season, our fire department's been really busy, as you heard the mayor report.

We have a code change introduction tonight that we'll see at our meeting at the end of this month, but they're also hosting a town hall here at the Lusak Library Monday May 19th at 6:30 PM. And there is a community survey available and lots of tips on wildfire safety on the Anchorage Fire Department website. Now is the time for us all to prepare for a safe and fun summer. And finally, City Nerd Night is coming back May 15th, next week. This time the topic is, quote, Hear Me Out.

It's going to be at King Street Brewing from 6 to 8 PM. These are 7-minute talks from local members of the community to talk about a topic that they are passionate about. We hope to see you there. That's generally my report. We do have 10 resolutions for reading tonight.

I think that we will only read 8. There are a number that we can delay reading. I'm going to put some constraint on members of the public who are here to receive those, 30 seconds maximum, so we can get through the work tonight. With that, this is a business meeting. We're here to do the work of the municipality.

Please help create a climate of respect in the chambers and refrain from personal attacks, speaking out of turn, shouting or clapping, and pacing unless clapping is in order on the item. Keep signs 8.5 by 11 inches or smaller. Please keep the aisles clear except when you're here to testify. If you have information for the assembly, please share it with the clerk up here who will distribute it to the members. If a point of order is called, please stop speaking so I may rule on the point and the record is clear.

If rules aren't followed, I may interrupt speakers to call for compliance. If compliance with the rules doesn't occur, then I may pause the meeting. If there's an actual disruption, I'll give a warning. If the disruption persists or happens again, the person will be asked to leave.

With that then, we are going to go ahead and move on with our agenda. Next we have committee and liaison reports. We'll start with Mr. Myers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Nothing to report. Thank you. Um, Mr. McCormick. No, I need to report. Thank you.

Mr. Martinez. Thank you, Chair. The Community and Economic Development Committee will meet again next month, June 5th. At the Permit Center. And Chair, just to put one note on it as well, tonight we talked about wildfire already from the mayor's report, and you also mentioned that at the CEDC we talked about the inaction of wildfire prevention economically.

And just to put a number on it, a modest wildfire in Anchorage could cost us between $50 and $100 million of home loss, emergency response and displacement, business shutdown, and health impacts. So there's a cost to not doing something, and so I thank the mayor for taking emergency steps forward. And next week, the Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its— I'm not sure how many years they do it in between, but they're doing a strategic planning process. And so folks who are members of the Chamber of Commerce may want to check in with the Chamber of Commerce next week as they start their strategic planning process. Thank you.

Hi, Mr. Martinez. Ms. Baldwin-Day. Nothing to report, Chair. Thank you. Mr. Johnson.

Yeah, thank you, Chair. The next meeting of the Infrastructure Enterprise and Utility Oversight Committee will be on May 15th, 11 AM, at City Hall, Room 155. We'll be getting an update from Solid Waste Services relating to the waste-to-energy project, and then also from Merrill Field, we're going to hear about a possible acquisition of the City Electric property, and then also a discussion around the proposed rate increase for 2026. That is all. Proposed rate increase for, I believe, users at Merrill Field.

Thank you. Ms. Brawley. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Two reports.

First, for the Budget and Finance Committee, the next meeting will be Thursday, May 15th, from 12:10 to 1:10 PM, City Hall, 155. And I'll also note we are planning out committee meetings as well as work sessions over the next few months educating our members about the city budget, topics related to the budget, and, um, really thinking ahead to the FY26 budget process, which will start this summer, uh, with the administration and departments working through, uh, their budget priorities, as well as an opportunity for the assembly to give guidance. So stay tuned for that. On the Legislative Committee, our next meeting will be this Thursday, May 8th, from 11:50 AM to 12:50 PM. City Hall 155.

We will hear a brief update from our lobbyist on the state of the state budget and legislative action in Juneau, and ASD staff will also speak to how state education funding, wherever it is at that point in the week, impacts the school budget in Anchorage. As we know, the school board has been taking up updates. And those are my updates. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Brawley. Mr. Voland. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have an update from the Anchorage Community Development Authority.

Actually, a few updates. The first is that the Weekend Market and Carnival have arrived in downtown Anchorage at EazyPark's Chinook Lot. The market starts this Saturday and continues until the first week of September. Second, EazyPark is finishing up its close to $1 million staircase renovation project in the 6th and 7th Avenue parking garages. The project will be completed during the month of June.

Third, EasyPark is updating the Fifth Avenue Garage Rooftop Park and adding pickleball and cornhole. The park also has basketball and ping pong. Free equipment checkout is available Monday through Friday. Uh, fourth, if you are hiring for downtown retail and service workers this summer, know that EasyPark offers a 70% discount on monthly parking for those who make less than $45,000 a year. You can find more information about that if you go to easyparkalaska.com, and there'll be some icons on the side.

One says Downtown Employee Discount, and if you, if you click that, you'll be able to see information about the application. And then finally, ACDA's next board meeting is this Wednesday, May 7th, at 3 PM. The public is always welcome to attend. Visit acda.net for more info. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. Thank you, Mr. Folland. Ms. Silver. Nothing to report. Thank you.

Mr. Rivera. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Quality Municipal Services and Ethics and Elections Committee met last week.

We focused on the election, and we heard from our wonderful elections team about 3 potential ideas to continue to refine and improve our elections I encourage folks to listen to the recording if you want to learn more. These ideas may be incorporated into the annual elections code update, which comes to the assembly in November for action sometime in December. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rivera.

Mr. Gerker. Nothing to report. All right, thank you, Mr. Gerker.

Mr. Presverdia. Thank you, Chair. Two updates tonight. Um, the first one is the Assembly Public Health and Safety Committee will meet tomorrow at 11:00 AM in Room 155.

It's a pretty packed agenda. We'll have an opportunity to hear the mayor's public safety strategy and, and all the components of that, as well as we'll hear from the Health Department on child care licensing revisions. We'll hear from the Police Department on Town Square cameras, from the Fire Department on wildfire, wildfire community town hall, and from the Department of Law on a number of items, including the APD policy review, a new ordinance related to fires, and prosecution staffing. So encourage folks to attend that. And then the next meeting of the Housing and Homeless Committee will be on May 21st.

Thanks. Thank you, Mr. President. So next we have the addendum to the agenda.

Just one second.

Just about ready. Sorry about the delay.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] All right, next I'll go ahead and read the new items for late on the table procedure. All of them, I'm told, are supplemental. So 10B3, 10B3A, information memorandum, unnumbered AIM, letter of support from Alaska Creative Economies Board and Volunteers for AR 2025-157. 10D7A, assembly memorandum AM 395-2025A, recommendation of award to AMCS Group, AMCS, to provide for waste management billing software upgrade.

Next, we have item 12A.7, Assembly Information Memorandum, Unnumbered 2025, Resolution AR 2025-24S1, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly regarding the renewal of municipal marijuana cultivation license M10237 for Alaska Sense LLC, DBA Alaska Sense. And then finally, we have 15E.2, Information Memorandum, AIM, Unnumbered 2025, 5, public comment regarding Resolution AR 2025-146, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly approving alcohol special land use permit for package store, license number 2386, for Holiday Alaska LLC, DBA Circle K, in the B-3 General Business District, located at 1501 Abbott Road. I believe that's all, but we may have more items as the evening proceeds.

So I'd go ahead and ask for a motion to incorporate the addendum as printed and distributed and the laid on the table items. So moved. Second. Moved by Mr. Volland, seconded by Mr.

Myers. I'd like to ask unanimous consent. Is there any objection to the motion incorporate? Seeing and hearing no objection, the addendum and laid on the table items have been incorporated to the agenda. Next, we'll have appearance requests.

Mr. Leyva, welcome. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes, and the microphone is off.

Good evening, Ron Leyva, and here representing myself. A little housekeeping, uh, in a request for public appearance, you have to be timely and fill out the form. I was timely for the last meeting. There was only 2 speakers, but 3 are allowed, and it turned out my request was denied and pushed forward at the discretion of the chair. Now, 45 minutes is allocated for public appearances.

That would be 3 speakers, 9 minutes, possibly at the most 20% of that 45 minutes allocated to hear public appearances. And any restriction on that is a restriction of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and also bringing our grievances before this assembly. So please review that. It's in the charter, in the code. And if someone doesn't appear allow for an alternative.

Why wait 5.5 hours and hope to speak? Because the chair can adjourn and then no one's heard. But I'm here tonight for the reasons that I think immediate action should be taken on public health. And the mayor addressed some issues of abating camps, but at the summit It was disclosed by the head of Parks and Recs that in 14 weeks, only 16,000 pounds of garbage is picked up from the camps. Well, you add that up, it's a little over half a million pounds, but there's 5 million pounds decaying out there, and it has to be picked up.

So that's a deep concern. In addressing the homeless problem because of sanitation. And the biggest cost to the hospitals are the homeless. They probably lose all 3 of them an average of $40 million each a year because they get sick. And when they're sick and go to the hospital, they take up space.

You have to de-louse. You got bed bugs. And there's unique viruses among the homeless that there's medical bulletins out on the street to medical facilities to watch for that. So they have their own viruses, it'll spread fast, and it'll— this will be worse than wildfire because of our recent encounter with COVID So I think it's time to look at that If you don't call out the National Guard, this recent garbage pickup, you indicated to the general public, don't clean up any homeless camps. Why did you state that?

Because it's a biological hazard that has to be addressed immediately. Your time has expired, Mr. León. Fine. In the remote possibility, are there any questions?

All right, next up on the agenda, we have the consent agenda. So the consent agenda items are numbered 10A through 10F and are typically routine or non-controversial items such as bid awards, new business information, reports, etc. The items on the consent agenda may be approved, accepted, introduced by the assembly by a single vote on a motion to approve the consent agenda. Prior to approval Items may be pulled by an assembly member for discussion and separate vote on each of those items. So under the assembly rules of procedure, all ordinances, some resolutions will have an opportunity for public hearing.

We'll go ahead and start with Mr. Presidio. Thank you, Chair. I'd like to pull 10A1, 10B4, 10D1, 10D2, 10D6 and 10D18.

So I have 10A1, 10B4, 10D1, 2, 6, and 18. Is that correct? All right, Mr. Gerker, anything to pull? Nothing, Chair.

All right, thank you. Mr. Rivera. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

10A10, and that's it. Thank you. 10A10, uh, Miss Silvers? Nothing, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Buland.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. 10A5 for reading, please. All right, 10A5, Miss Brawley. Thank you.

Just a couple items. First, for Mr. Constant, 10F1, and then a direction not to pull, but on 10G4 I'd like to set the public hearing for that for June 10th. So direct the clerk to set the public hearing on 10G4 for 6/10/2025. I believe that's it, just the one item for me.

Thank you. Um, Mr. Johnson. 10A3.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Ms. Baldwin-Day.

Nothing to pull, Chair. Thank you. Ms. Martinez.

10A11 if it hasn't been pulled. It hasn't. And also 10A2 if it hasn't been pulled. It hasn't. Gotcha.

10A2 and 10A11. Thank you, Mr. McCormick. Nothing to pull, Chair. All right, thank you. Mr. Myers.

Uh, 10A— where am I? 10A4 for reading. All right, thank you. So I'll go ahead and go through all these to make I got them all. 10A1, Mr. Perez-Verdia.

10A2, Mr. Martinez. 10A3, Mr. Johnson. 10A4, Mr. Myers. 10A5, Mr. Volland. 10A10, Mr. Rivera.

10A11, Mr. Martinez. 10B4, Mr. Perez-Verdia. 10D1, 2, 6, and 18, Mr. Perez-Verdia. 10F1, myself. Mr.

Chair? Yep. I'm just wondering if I can add my name to an item we don't need to pull it. Is it possible to do that? Yes.

Okay, I'd like to add my name to 10A8, please. Okay, we have that, Madam Clerk. It is so ordered. Okay, so now I'd like to ask for a motion to approve the consent agenda minus the pulled items. So moved.

And I'll note for 10D7, the A version. Second. Motion to approve the consent agenda and on 10D7 the A version, moved by Miss Brawley, seconded I believe by Mr. Myers. Yes. Is there any objection to the unanimous adoption of the consent agenda?

Hearing and seeing no objections. If you're here, member of the public, for any of the items not pulled and you're here to see action on those items on the consent agenda, those items are now adopted. All right, so we have quite a list of reading resolutions to move through tonight.

First up, we have item 10A1. 10A1 is Resolution AR-2025-141, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly Recognizing and Celebrating May as Bike Month in Anchorage.

Is there a motion? Oh wait, I guess this was Pulled by Mr. Presverdia. Mr. President, move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Presverdia, second by Mr. Voland.

I'd like to ask unanimous consent. Any objection to the motion? Seeing and hearing no objection, that item is adopted. So, um, we'll go ahead and have Mr. Presverdia read, Mr. Rivera present. I will just say, because we have so many of these resolutions, we're going to ask members of the public to speak, but very briefly if you're going to speak.

So, Mr. Presverdia, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing and celebrating May as Bike Month in Anchorage. Whereas biking is an economical form of transportation that encourages physical activity, positive mental health, and enjoyment of the municipality of Anchorage's scenic beauty. And whereas throughout May, residents will experience the joys of biking through educational programs programs, community events, and simply getting out and going for a ride. And whereas, Bike to Work Day is on May 16th, an annual event with thousands of participants. And whereas, the municipality's trail system connects activity-friendly routes every day, destinations, and attracts cyclists each year, providing economic health, transportation, tourism, and scenic benefit.

And whereas, creating a bike-friendly community has been shown to improve resident and employee health, well-being, and quality of life, growing our economy, attracting tourism dollars, improving traffic safety, congestion, and wear and tear on our streets and roads, and reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality, thereby improving public health. And whereas local biking organizations, municipality departments, hospitals, businesses, and civic groups will be promoting biking— bicycling during May 2025. And whereas these groups also help promote bicycle tourism to attract more visitors to enjoy our local restaurants, hotels, retail establishments, and cultural and scenic attractions. And whereas the municipality is dedicated to promoting greater public awareness and bike safety education to reduce collisions, injuries, fatalities, and improve health and safety for everyone on the road. Now, therefore, the Anchorage Assembly resolves to recognize May 2025 as Bike Month in Anchorage.

Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly this 6th day of May, 2025.

Hi there, welcome. Thank you so much. My name is Amy Brown and I'm the environmental health educator at the Anchorage Health Department and I manage, um, all of Bike Month. And I just want to thank you for your support of non-motorized transportation in the municipality. And I want to invite the public to join us in Bike Month.

We have a lot of events going on. Tomorrow is Bike to School Day. This Saturday in Muldoon is the Bike Rodeo. We'll be giving away 130 free bike helmets at the Chance New Muldoon Park. So make sure to stop by and get your helmet fitted.

And Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 16th.

Thank you so much. My name is Alexa Dodson. I'm the executive director of Bike Anchorage. Really proud to have this longstanding relationship with the municipality of Anchorage and the health department to deliver those Bike Month programs. So we are looking forward to Bike to Work Day coming up next Friday, May 16th.

We also have a couple yoga for cyclists classes going on this month to help us take care of our biking bodies. We have the bike rodeo, Bike to School Day we mentioned before, and then we're capping off the month with our Smart Cycling course, which is a really comprehensive bike education program that gets people comfortable riding on city streets and in urban environments. So we have more information on all of that at bikeanchorage.org. We would really love to see our members of the assembly, our leadership in the city, and the members of the public to come out and join us for Bike Month. Thank you so much.

Thank you. So, um, the vice chair just pointed out to me that I pulled the wrong item from the consent agenda, and so the clerk has offered that if there's no objection, we could substitute the item that I intended to pull for the item that was pulled. That would be 10F2 versus 10F1. So if there's no objection, we'll come back to that obviously when we get there, but it just would save us a motion to reconsider and a bunch of process If nobody objects. Okay.

I am seeing and hearing no objection. So we'll order it so. Next, we'll move on to 10A2. 10A2 is Resolution AR2025-148, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing young Alaskans engaged in climate justice and civic engagement in honor of Earth Day. This item was pulled by Mr. Martinez.

Mr. Martinez. Move to approve. Approve. Second. Moved by Ms. Martinez, seconded by Ms. Brawley.

Mr. Chair. Mr. Rivera. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Um, so this is a little bit silly, but I think a good exercise for the new members, um, to always make conflicts of interest. Um, so I'd like to declare a possible conflict of interest. This resolution honors teens who are part of the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, a program of the Alaska Center, my employer since March 17th. My work does not directly intersect with this program, nor is my position funded by this program. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. So I would determine that you do not have a substantial enough personal or financial interest in this question to recuse you, to find a conflict sufficient enough not to participate. Participate. Go ahead and ask if anyone objects to that. If there's any discussion.

There's none. So the determination then is that you do not have a conflict. So I would like to ask unanimous consent on this item. Is there any objection to the passage? Hearing no objection, item is adopted.

Then this one is being read by Mr. Martinez and presented by Ms. Baldwin-Day.

A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing young Alaskans engaged in climate justice and civic engagement in honor of Earth Day; whereas, Alaskans have greatly benefited from a way of life sustained by Alaska's lands and waters; and whereas, protecting our lands and waters is critical to sustain our current way of life and ensure a livable future for the next generations of Alaskans; and whereas, Earth Day has been celebrated for decades worldwide as an opportunity to celebrate our lands and our waters. And whereas youth voice has rang clear on protections of lands, animals, waters, and fellow citizens, and has been a driving force behind climate action in Alaska and globally for decades. And whereas young Alaskans are the future stewards of these lands and waters. And whereas 19 Alaskan teens including 4 Anchorage youth, attended the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action Annual Civics and Conservation Summit on March 9th through the 13th, 2025, to advocate to the state— Alaska State Legislature— for the creation of a statewide climate change emergency response commission, funding of public education, and other environmental policies impacting young Alaskans. Now therefore, the Anchorage Assembly honors and recognizes the young Alaskans advocating for their communities and future generations on issues of climate justice and civic engagement, and recognizes April 22nd, 2025 as Earth Day.

Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly this 6th day of May, 2025.

Thank you. We just really, we really appreciate this recognition. I think it's a really good reminder that environmental action, especially right now, is really important on the local level. And so I encourage with everything that you guys do to keep that in mind. Thank you.

What was your name? Oh, sorry, I'm Kai Thomas. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Next we have item 10A-3. 10A3 is Resolution AR-2025-150, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing May 11th to 17th, 2025, as Police Memorial Week and remembering and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our community. This item was pulled by Mr. Johnson. Move to approve.

Second. Moved by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Myers. Is there any discussion, any objection to the motion asking unanimous consent?

Seeing here no objection, the item is passed. I have Mr. Johnson reading, Mr. Gerker presenting.

A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing May 11th to 17th, 2025, as Police Memorial Week and remembering and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our community. Whereas Police Memorial Week is an opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of fallen law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our community and to recognize those who currently serve by enforcing our laws, bringing criminals to justice, and making our community safer. And whereas the citizens of the Municipality of Anchorage fulfill an important civic responsibility by supporting the work of —law enforcement in protection of our community. And whereas, behind the name of each officer who died in the line of duty lies a story of courage and devotion, as well as a deep sense of loss for the service, the country, and above all, for friends, family, and partners. We can never repay these gallant men and women for their service nor adequately comfort their families.

We can only honor their memory in our determination to forge a stronger, safer community, which they helped purchase with their lives. And whereas, since 1897, 68 law enforcement officers have fallen statewide, including the following Anchorage Police Department officers who gave their lives in the line of duty: Chief John J. Sturgis, 1921; Chief Harry C. Officer James C. Kavanaugh, 1924.

Officer Benjamin F. Strong, 1968. Officer William G. Falmer Jr., 1970. Officer Jonathan P.

Flora, 1975. Officer Harry Keir, 1980. Officer Harry B. Hanson Jr., 1986. Officer Louis G.

Mizell, 1989. Officer Dan R. Seeley, 1996. Officer Justin T. Woolam, 2001.

Now therefore be it resolved that the Anchorage Assembly remembers and honors all those officers who have died in the line of duty by recognizing May 11th to 17th, 2025 as Police Memorial Week. Be it further resolved that the Anchorage Assembly encourages all residents to thank to thank the men and women who serve our community and protect our citizens, and to remember and honor the fallen who gave their lives in this service. Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly this 6th day of May, 2025.

Chief, as always, just want to thank the assembly for the support, uh, for all the officers that currently serve and have served and, uh, and given their lives. I appreciate everything that you do for, uh, for the Anchorage Police Department supporting us. Thank you.

All right, next item on the agenda, we have item 10A.4. 10A.4 is Resolution AR-2025-151. This is a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the Municipality of Anchorage. Please come forward if you're here to receive this. This item was pulled by Mr.

Myers. Move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Myers, seconded by Miss Brawley.

I'd like to ask unanimous consensus. Is there any objection to the adoption of the motion? Seeing hearing no objection, item is adopted unanimously. I have Mr. Myers reading and Miss Brawley presenting.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing May 2025 as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the Municipality of Anchorage. Whereas 47,000 persons who trace their roots to Asia and the Pacific Islands make their home in Anchorage, constituting a vital part of Anchorage's diverse ethnic and social fabric, whose language— languages, cultures, and religious belief enrich our community and state in countless ways. And whereas Asian Americans and Asian American and Pacific Islanders' love of family, community, and hard work embody the founding principles of our city, state, and nation, with Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs strengthening our economy, our community through hard work, dedication, and ingenuity, and whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides an opportunity to promote and study of Asian American and Pacific Islander history and culture, and the importance of education, history, and ethnicity in creating role models and establishing a proud cultural identity.

And whereas Asian American and Pacific Islanders have a long tradition of military and public service with many serving as public employees and first responders in Anchorage and many having served in the United States Armed Forces. And whereas Asian American Pacific Islanders have distinguished themselves in community leaders in Alaska, including the election of Abid Mina as Alaska's second-ever Filipino-American state representative from Anchorage, and reelection of Scott Kawasaki as the state senator from Fairbanks. The first bridge in the United States named after a Korean-American in Mountain View in honor of Korean Anchorage resident Insook Baek— I hope I said that right— for her annual Thanksgiving meal and drive. And whereas Asian and Pacific Islander community organizations are hosting events this month in Anchorage to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. And whereas the Polynesian Association of Alaska, Alaska Federation of Filipino Americans, Inc., Korean American Community of Anchorage, Inc., Korean Cultural Center Alaska, Filipino Americans and Pacific Islander Cultural Day celebration at Delaney Park Strip on Saturday, May 31st, to commemorate the first rising of the American flag on Tutuila Island in American Samoa on April 17, 1900, the arrival of the first Japanese to this nation on May 7, 1843, and the Chinese workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad that was completed on May 10, 1869.

Now, therefore, in recognition of many contributions and achievements of Anchorage Asian and American and Pacific Islander residents past, present, and future, the Anchorage Assembly recognizes May 2025 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly on the 6th day of May 2025. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] There are a lot of folks. We have to keep the talks brief, but go ahead. Welcome.

Thank you. My name is Lucy Hansen. I'm the CEO for Polynesian Association of Alaska. We want to thank you, the assembly members, for passing this resolution for our month. We also invited you, and first of all, I want to thank 3 members that already confirmed they are coming to the 31st of May at the Parks strip to celebrate with us our month, Heritage Month of May.

So, but it's open to all of our members to attend and the public, free of charge. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Lorna Garcia, and I'm the president of Filipino Community of Anchorage, Alaska. I just would like to say thank you so much for recognizing us as we provide you with a strong impact of our contributions as a leader, resiliency, as well as our cultural heritage. Again, thank you.

Hi, I'm Shane Nuesca, representing the Filipino community, and I'm also the co-director of Make Us Visible Alaska. And I just wanted to let the community know that there's a bill in the Alaska legislature right now that would integrate AAPI history history education in Alaska schools. And so I invite everyone to please contact your legislature about Senate Bill 6 and to reach out to Make Us Visible Alaska if you'd like any more information about getting involved. Thanks.

My name is Emerita Duwal. I'm the president of Alaska Federation of Filipino Americans, Inc. And thank you for recognizing our culture. And yeah, we were invited to the event on May 31st. Thank you.

My name is Evelyn Abello. I am the Philippine honorary consul in Alaska. I just want to thank all the assembly members for passing this resolution. Thank you.

Evelyn, I want to say congratulations to you on your appointment. Thank you. Yeah. All right. Thank you.

I'm sorry. I wanted to also say to our Hmong community that is sitting behind that they're also a part of our Asian and Pacific Islander.

Thank you, everybody.

Right. Next we have item 10A.5, which is Resolution AR2025-154, the resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers 33rd Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, Saturday, May 10, 2025.

So this item was pulled by Mr. Voland. Move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Wallin, seconded by Miss Brawley. I'd like to ask unanimous consent.

Any objection?

Seeing, hearing no objection, the item is adopted unanimously. Mr. Wallin, do you have the floor? Thank you, Mr. Chair. A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers, NALC, 33rd annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 10th, 2025.

Whereas the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive is held annually on the second Saturday in May and is the largest one-day food drive in the nation, with local efforts in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. And whereas one in eight Americans face hunger daily, and the food drive is to remind everyone they can show kindness and empathy to fellow citizens by donating food to help many struggling Americans. And whereas Saturday, May 10th, 2025 will be the 33rd anniversary of the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, and with the help of local postal employees and volunteers from Alaska to Florida and Maine to Hawaii, letter carriers will again collect and provide non-perishable food donations to local food pantry partners. And whereas the NALC Stamp Out Hunger food drive has collected over 1.9 billion pounds of non-perishable food since the pilot drive began in 1991 and has become the nation's largest single, single-day food drive. And whereas donations to the local food pantry partners generated by the Stamp Out Hunger food drive are critical to the operation of the partner agencies who provide food annually for thousands of households and people statewide.

Now therefore, the Anchorage Municipal Assembly supports and applauds the cumulative success of the annual food drive. Residents of Anchorage are encouraged to join in this community effort through their donations of non-perishable food left at mailboxes and in U.S. post offices. Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly, this 6th day of May, 2025.

Okay. Thank you. My name is Allison Harp. I'm a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 4319 in Anchorage, Alaska. We also represent city letter carriers from Wasilla up through Homer.

I would like to thank the Anchorage Assembly for their continued support for the letter carriers' food drive. As mentioned, this is our 33rd anniversary for the food drive. Letter carriers are in every neighborhood 6 days a week. Carriers create special bonds with their customers. Carriers see the need and the struggles of families that have to decide whether to feed their family or pay a bill.

That is why this food drive is such a natural fit for the carriers to help out, and we're happy to do it. The food— the food we collect this Saturday goes directly to our local partner agencies and back into our community. Our partners this year are the Alaska Workers Association, Fellowship in Serving Humanity, FISH, Lutheran Social Services, Mountain Coast Vineyard, and St. Francis House. Our food drives— timing is critical. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations through—.

During the winter holiday season. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, and during the summertime, low on supplies at a time when many schools' breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need. Participation is simple. Just leave non-perishable food donations in a bag by your mailbox or at your local post office on Saturday, May 10th, and your letter carrier will do the rest. Again, the letter carriers thank you for your support.

All right, thank you all.

On the agenda, we have item 10A.10. 10A.10 is AR 2025-160, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing and honoring National Construction Safety Week. This item was pulled by Mr. Rivera. Move to approve. Second.

Moved by Mr. Rivera, seconded by Miss Brawley. I'd like to ask unanimous consent. Is there any objection to the motion? Seeing— Miss Brawley. No objection, but I would like to be added as a sponsor.

All right. Go ahead and add you as a sponsor. Any objection to the motion? Seeing and hearing none, the item is adopted. Mr. Rivera, you're reading.

Mr. Johnson presenting. Thank you, Mr. Chair. A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing and honoring National Construction Safety Week. Whereas the construction industry is a vital pillar of Alaska's economy Employing more than 20,000 people and generating over $6.5 billion in economic output annually.

And whereas construction workers in Alaska face an elevated risk of dying on the job compared to workers in the rest of the United States due to hazardous conditions and the remote, challenging environments in which they often work. And whereas nationally, construction has accounted for the highest number of workplace fatalities of any private industry from 2011 through 2023. And whereas nearly 40% of injuries in construction result in days away from work, with injured workers missing an average of 11 days to recover, highlighting the ongoing physical and economic toll on this critical workforce. And whereas construction and extraction occupations have the highest rates of suicide compared to all other industries, and construction workers are 7 times more likely to die from substance overdose than the general population. And whereas Alaska ranks second in the national— in the nation for suicide mortality and third for alcohol-related deaths, further underscoring the importance of prioritizing the mental health and well-being of our construction workforce.

And whereas National Construction Safety Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the critical importance of safety on job sites, support for mental health initiatives and honoring the contributions of construction workers who build and sustain our communities. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Anchorage Assembly recognizes the week of May 5th through 11th, 2025, as National Construction Safety Week in Anchorage and calls upon employers, workers, and community members to recommit to fostering a culture of safety, wellness, and support within the construction industry. Passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly of the 6th 5th day of May, 2025.

Mr. Shaddy Farnsworth, welcome. Hello everyone. My name is Gabe Shaddy Farnsworth and I'm with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, Carpenters Local 1281 here in Anchorage. So thank you very much to the assembly for recognizing National Construction Safety Week here in Anchorage and to Mr. Rivera and, uh, probably for sponsoring. Um, sorry to be a bit of a downer tonight, um, but I did want to celebrate, you know, the fact that yes, indeed, construction is, always has been, a dangerous industry, particularly here in Alaska.

Um, but in the last several decades, uh, you know, injuries in our industry have been on the decline, and in large part due to to the advocacy and organizing of organized labor and different construction unions as well, like ours, and the strong policy and funding of federal and state oversight and enforcement agencies like OSHA and NIOSH, which, if I could just briefly point out and raise awareness to, I think what two of the biggest threats are right now to continuing the improvement of the safety record of the construction industry right now. One would be the pending and already executed in some cases crippling cuts to funding to OSHA and NIOSH at the federal level, as well as what I think was mentioned in a couple of the whereas statements in the resolution, the fact that though many injuries in the construction industry have been becoming more and more rare. Unfortunately, mental health has become a bigger and bigger problem and continues to trend in that way. And, um, just to point out one statistic briefly, a construction worker is 5 times more likely to die from suicide than they are from a work-related injury. And that's what the statistics say.

And that bears out in my personal experience in almost 15 years working in the industry. Never once times did I actually lose a fellow worker on a construction site during the day because of a work-related injury, but 4 times did I go home and come back the next day to a job with 1 less worker on that job because they died at their own hand or from substance abuse-related death. And then just last month, um, Carpenters Local 1281 lost another member to suicide. And so just to point out that there's a long way to go, and particularly raising awareness and reducing the stigma of mental health issues and struggles in our industry. I appreciate the opportunity to do that here today.

Thank you.

Right, finally we have item 10A.11, Resolution AR 2025-161, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly Recognizing Hmong Veterans Memorial Day. This item was pulled by Mr. Martinez. Mr. Martinez, move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Martinez, seconded by Ms. Baldwin-Day.

I'd like to ask unanimous consent. Is there any objection to this item? Hearing and seeing no objection, this item is approved. Mr. Martinez, you're reading. Ms. Baldwin-Day, you're presenting.

Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly recognizing Hmong Veterans Memorial Day. Whereas during the Vietnam War, Laos served as a covert battleground for the Pathet Lao communist forces and a strategic corridor for the transportation of troops and material from North Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, directly impacting military operations against United States forces in South Vietnam; and whereas, recognizing the unparalleled expertise of the Hmong people in navigating the dense terrain of Laos, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency organized and trained a clandestine paramilitary force known as the Special Guerrilla Units, SGU, SGU, initially composed of 7,000 Hmong men expanding to over 30,000 combatants, including conscripts as young as 10 and men as old as 65; and whereas, under CIA operational command, the SGU executed critical missions to interdict North Vietnamese supply routes, conduct reconnaissance, and rescue downed American pilots, thereby substantially degrading enemy logistics and fortifying allied efforts in Southeast Asia. And whereas the secret war in Laos resulted in the deaths of approximately 40,000 Hmong soldiers and airmen, with an additional 50,000 Hmong civilians killed or injured by 1975, after which those who allied with the U.S. faced systemic persecution and including genocide, imprisonment, and forced displacement, compelling survivors to flee to Thai refugee camps before they secured resettlement in the U.S. in recognition of their service and sacrifices; and whereas the SGU, led by General Vang Pao of the Royal Lao Army, exemplified the valor of the Hmong people, catalyzed the Lao diaspora, encompassing diverse ethnic communities such as Lao veterans, the Luming, and the Khmu, and other tribal groups, which stands as a testament to their enduring courage and solidarity. And now, therefore, the Anchorage Assembly recognizes May 15, 2025, as Hmong Veterans Memorial Day, honoring the legacy, sacrifices, and contributions of Hmong veterans and their families to the Defense of Freedom and Democratic Values, passed and approved by the Anchorage Assembly this 6th day of May, 2025. Thank you, everyone.

My name is May Ramirez-Jong, and I am here with everyone here on behalf of the many proud descendants of the Hmong veterans, one who is with us today, several of them who are with us today. We are deeply honored by this resolution. The Hmong people gave everything, risking their lives, their family, and their future to fight alongside the United States in a war that not many knew we were a part of. Though we carry deep scars, we also carry immense pride in our strength, loyalty, and sacrifice. We are proud to be American and grateful to live in this beautiful country.

The freedom and the opportunities we enjoy here are a powerful reminder of why our families fought and sacrificed so much. This is our home, and we cherish it deeply. We want to thank the Anchorage Assembly for honoring not only the Hmong people but also the neighboring tribes who shared our struggles and stood with us especially the Hmong people. We are especially grateful to have members of the Hmong community here today standing in solidarity as they have always been. This resolution affirms our place in American history, and now with great pride and love, I would like to introduce a Hmong veteran who represents legacy and courage and resilience, my father.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Thank you very much. My name is Mr. Zhang. I am grateful that you guys are here and you guys are remembered by our sacrifices where we fought alongside each other against one enemy. Thank you.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] The partnership isn't just in the past. It's from here and moving forward. We are one people. Thank you.

Hello. Thank you, guys.

My name is Benjamin Saiphon. I'm here to represent the Mien community. Our community is pretty small, but we're getting known now, so thanks to the Hmong community for helping.

I wasn't in the war, but my dad was in the war, and that puts me in this— makes me feel like I'm in the war because my life is transcendent from them. And as a Hmong, as being Hmong, which is our people right here, we fought alongside with the Hmong people in the war, the Secret War. So I am honored to be here to accept the resolution recognizing the Hmong Veterans Memorial Day alongside the Hmong community and the Hmong community. It affirms the shared sacrifices of the Hmong and Iu Mien and other Southeast Asian people who endured the devastating losses of the Secret War. Our stories of displacement, survival, and resilience are forever intertwined, marked by grief separation, and the longing for homeland left behind.

This recognition strengthens our collective memory and unity, and I thank the Anchorage Assembly for honoring this painful but powerful legacy then and the deep bonds amongst our people. Thank you.

Could we get a photo op with the mayor and any assembly members who would like to be a part of it? Sorry, we're just standing so nicely here that I thought it would be nice.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Economic Development Framework Core Principles as a Guiding Approach to Strategic Investment. This item was pulled by Mr. President. Move to postpone to the meeting of June 10th. Second to postpone to June 10th, made by President Diaz, seconded by Miss Brawley. Mr. President.

Yeah, I'm actually really looking forward to, to discussing this more in depth and having some time to do that. I'd love an opportunity, whether it's a work session or whether it comes to it, to do it to a committee. I just think I need more time, and I think the body needs more time to discuss this fully, and also want an opportunity for the administration to weigh in as well. So I appreciate the additional time, but I really appreciate this being brought forward and looking forward to the conversation around it. All right, any discussion on the motion?

Hearing no discussion, members, I ask unanimous consent. Any objections? Any objection? I'm seeing here no objections. That item will come back before us on June 10th.

We will schedule a work session for this item, probably— all right. I think that the meeting of— excuse me, on the Friday, I think it was the June 6th was a day when we only have our joint meeting with Anchorage School District. So if this is coming back on the 10th, we'll aim for a work session. We'll confirm that and have a notice out Soon.

Mr. Bond. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I did want to point out to members, I believe this was a presentation at the most recent Community and Economic Development Committee, so members might take the opportunity to watch that meeting back in advance of the work session.

Thank you. All right.

Thank you. I'm sorry to have missed that one. I was in DC. Okay, next up we have item 10D1. 10D1 is AM385-2025 Amendment 1 to Cooperative Purchase Order with Stone Security for security camera equipment and installation.

Mr. President, you pulled this. Yeah, move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. President. Mr. President, yeah, if someone from the English Police Department could come up, I just have a few questions I'd like to ask.

Thanks. Well, I know this is on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting at the Public Safety Committee meeting, but I wanted to First, just give you an opportunity to explain the purpose of these cameras and how they are going to be used so we have a sense of the why, which I don't think was articulated very well in the written item itself. So maybe just a more explanation as to why this is necessary and how they're going to be used. Thank you for the question. Through the chair, Mr. Presverdia, the— I think it's no surprise to this community that our parks Our parks and our green spaces are of high priority to this community.

We see the bonds pass with flying colors every year to take care of these areas, particularly in the downtown area. We have Town Square Park that's really at the center of downtown. We have had a whole host of issues in and around that park for years, whether it be crimes occurring, victimization, damage to property. And over the last couple of years, we spent a lot of time in that park, not just the Anchorage Police Department, but Parks and Recs and other municipal services. And we still see that there are some issues that are of concern to the communities.

So these cameras are attempt to do a couple of things. First of all, the collection evidence when we do have crimes in the area, uh, it become challenging sometimes the nature of the crimes when we arrive on scene and we try to investigate them, whether we're missing some witnesses or key people. And then also later testifying and the challenge that we, what we have when we come to the, to the court process. So being able to collect and, and, um, use that evidence later on. Uh, we also get complaints from, uh, from businesses or passerbyers in the area and being able to view some of that footage to see what actually happened, uh, when we get those complaints so that we can better investigate them.

Those are the primary purposes, uh, of the cameras and having them in Town Square Park. And we think this is an opportunity because it is such a high-traffic area. And I think we're all aware of some of the issues down there to, to pilot a program like this and see if it is in fact beneficial to spend money in this way.

Thanks. Just one other question. Do you also see them as a deterrent? Absolutely. There will be plenty of markings.

This is not a secret thing. This is going to be out in the open. So people that are in around the park will have signage. And we're hoping that that is the primary success actually of the cameras, is that as a deterrent we don't see some of these activities and crimes continuing. Thanks.

Thank you, Chief. Um, and just a reminder to members that we will have some— a little bit of time tomorrow at the Public Safety Committee meeting to discuss this further if there are questions. But I just want to encourage my colleagues to support this. This— thank you very much. Any further discussion?

Members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AM 387-2025— excuse me, 385-2025— has passed the body. Next we have item 10D2, Assembly Memorandum 387-2025, Amendment 3 to Grant Agreement 2024-000407.

With Catholic Social Services for Brother Francis Shelter Operations. Uh, this, this item was pulled by Mr. Presverdio. Move to approve. Second. Um, Miss Rash, would you come up for just a moment?

I have just a couple questions for you. Moved by Mr. Presverdio, seconded by Mr. Voland.

Welcome.

Thanks. My primary question is, again, in the item itself it talks about what Catholic Social Services and Brother Francis, what they do, and the cost changes, but it doesn't necessarily talk about why this increase. If you can share as to why we need this increase, if this is extending the period of time, or if this is being used for a specific specific purpose around the operation. If you could just give us more information as to why this and why now. Yes, through the chair, uh, great question.

So this is for their Brother Francis Shelter operations, which is 120 beds. It was originally approved under AM 993-2023 as amended, which exercised an original contract from January 1st of 2024 to December 31st, and then it has 4 option years. So this is just, um, executing that option year with the, uh, general government funds. The alcohol tax funds have already been executed, so this is just complementing that. And, and what percentage of the operations does this cover?

Do you know? I do not know offhand how— what percentage that is. I can find that out for you though. Okay, thanks. That's all the questions I I don't see anyone else in the queue.

Seeing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 11 to 1, AM 387-2025 has passed the body. Next we have item 10D6, which is Assembly Memorandum AM392-2025, Amendment Number 1 to Contract Number 2023-002634 with Axon Enterprise Inc., an addition of contract change order authority to provide body-worn cameras. This item was pulled by you, Mr. Presverdia. Yep, move to approve. Second.

Motion to approve by Mr. Presverdia, seconded by Miss Sprawley. Mr. President, Chief Case, can you come up for a question please? And while you're walking up, I can ask the question just to utilize our time. The, the request is $156,000 to cover the additional costs of the, um, body camera slash car cameras, I believe, but there's an additional $343,000 that is— that is, it's not clear what that's for or what it's— what the plan is. Um, can you give us an idea of why you're asking for those additional funds and what those may be used for.

Uh, through the chair, Mr. Presveria, this is covering, uh, body cam, dash cam. So as we bring our fleet back up and, and add cars, we gotta— we're gonna add more dash cameras to our vehicles. And then I'll knock on wood here and say that our next academy looks, looks to be full, and we hope that trend. So as we continue to add more officers We need more body-worn cameras. When we originally put the bid out, we put that bid out for what we currently had at the time, not what our staffing numbers would allow.

And now we're starting to see our numbers creep back up. Do you have a— it doesn't have in there a formula that was used for that. Do you have an approximate number that you're— or a number per car or per unit that you can share with us? And I don't think I need it before I vote, but I'm just I'm wanting more detail in terms of where you're getting your numbers. It is based on per car and per officer.

So all of our uniformed services— so don't think of just patrol— so our traffic officers, all of our SROs, all of those officers are included in our body cam and dash cam numbers. And then we just take the projection that we're going to have over the next year to to, to outfit those vehicles and those officers. Okay, maybe I can get— work with you offline and get a more specific detail. Absolutely. Thanks.

That's all my questions. All right, anyone else? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AM AM392-2025 has passed the body. That brings us to 10D18.

10D18 is AM413-2025 Amendment Number 1 with MASH Property Management LLC, MASH, for non-congregate shelter services for the Municipality of Anchorage. This item was pulled by Mr. Presidio. Thank you. Move to approve. Second.

Moved by Mr. Presidio, seconded by Mr. McCormick, I believe. From the administration, who, who will be— I just have a couple questions. Who's the right person to ask? Uh, to the chair, I should be able to answer the questions tonight. So I think, I think, I think most of us have a pretty clear understanding of what happened here, but I'd really love to just have it articulated clearly so that we understand why this change was made and, um, and, and, and what it's, what it's resulted in now.

Certainly, and I appreciate you asking asking the question. So through the chair to members of the body, I think with this one it's important to understand that we are actually not contracting for any real new services that we hadn't already intended to contract for. So as laid out in the item, at the beginning of April we exercised an option that we held under a contract with Henning Inc. to continue to procure 200 non-congregate beds at various locations around the municipality. From very quickly thereafter, we had some notice from the contractor that they were having some concerns about being able to provide those beds after May 15th. So we had several weeks of negotiations about how we would fill this gap, and one of the pieces of the puzzle is proposed in this item, which is an extension of a contract with our separate non-congregate operator to provide almost essentially the same rooms.

There are also rooms in the Alex Hotel complex, um, for through the end of June. So essentially we're just just using a different provider to provide the same service that we had already intended to provide and represented that we would provide through the end of June. Chair, I just have another follow-up question. It's my understanding that in the negotiation that both of the parties actually agreed to make a change to their rate. Can you share that as well so we understand what happened?

Absolutely. So through the chair, I think the important thing here to is that the overall cost remains the same. We will not be spending any additional funds to obtain 200 beds than what we had originally intended to. And as part of this, we're also working to— or we have amended the contract with Henning Inc. to change the pricing of the remaining beds that we will be procuring from them. And that, combined with the negotiated price here with MASH, leads to, again, an overall spend that it does not exceed what we had already intended to spend on this service and keeps us at the ability to offer 200 beds.

Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Right, thank you. I have myself in the queue. Thank you.

Um, I just had a number of conversations over the weekend. A lot of folks have raised concerns about further concentration of services in the north of town, and I want to thank the administration for and this is over multiple administrations, creating services in a number of parts of town. Since 2018, when that resolution was passed, there's a clear, very clear distribution of services across a number of parts of town, and probably there are other parts of town that could participate in the process. So I just want to first say that. Second, I want to say thank you to Henning, actually, because I was told by certain staff, the municipality, that them coming forward with their kind of approach and saying, we just can't do this.

It's a sea change to an organization just fronting that they could do the thing and then not doing the thing. And then after the fact, us figuring it out and making a nightmare scenario. And that wasn't the case this time. And I think that's an evolution of performance we're seeing within the industry, the kind of community of people providing services that it's definitely better to be up front and just try to figure it out, that we'll work with you. And so I want to say that that seems to be the theme, and it's a good theme.

So with that, then Mr. Myers. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Actually, uh, in the queue for Mr. McCormick, his computer's not working. We have some IT challenges going on.

We're trying to work them out right now. So Mr. McCormick. Thank you. Uh, I had a question, I, uh, I guess for the administration on— I understand that this contractors for services that were already bid for and that Henning is trading over to MASH, is it the exact same capacity and same pricing per capacity?

Through the chair and Member McCormick, it is a little more complex than that because the original contract with Henning provided for a blended rate for rooms that were provided at across 3 locations. There's been some reshuffling in the course of trying to find this solution. And so there will be some reshuffling within locations where Henning is providing the remaining number of rooms that they will provide through the end of June. And then we are keeping this 106 beds at the Alex Hotel pursuant to this extension of our separate contract with MASH. So the overall roll-up amount remains, again, not exceeding what we had intended to spend on these rooms, but it's some reshuffling within that that's slightly more complex than just a one-for-one trade because we're moving— there's also a third facility that is closing as part of this process.

And so those beds are going to be reallocated within the two remaining locations. You know, it's a little bit of a complicated answer. And then is this considered a sole source, uh, going to MASH? No, through the chair to member McCormick, we have an existing contract with MASH that was bid competitively for exactly this service. And so we have had two providers, both providing us with non-congregate sheltering services, both at the same physical location, since last fall.

And so this represents an extension of an existing contract to continue to provide the service that was competitively bid and awarded in November. Thank you.

Yeah, he is in the queue, Mr. Johnson. I was just grabbing that spot for Member Baldwin-Day, who's having similar technical issues. Ms. Baldwin-Day, welcome to the assembly. Technical challenges are real.

Um, I, I just wanted to ask a follow-up question to Ms. Wynn Pearson. Did I hear you correctly that our overall shelter capacity remains the same with this change? Through the chair, to Member Baldwin-Day, that's correct. We have We had intended to have 200 non-congregate beds through the end of June, and this allows us to remain at that number. Excellent.

Thank you. All right. Any further discussion on this? I'll just add that when we decided to go with both, which was an unusual decision through the solicitation process, it seems it proved valuable. So good work, everybody.

With that, then members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 9 to 3, AM 413-2025 has passed the body. So next we come to item 10F1— uh, 10F2. Thank you again, broken.

Um, Mrs. Barley— oh wait, I got to read it. Sorry. 10F2 is information, member of IAM 102, 2025 status report for collective bargaining agreement negotiations with International Association of Firefighters Local 1264. Miss Barley, move to accept. Second.

Motion to accept by Miss Baralee, seconded by Mr. Boland. I'll go ahead and take the floor. Mr. Constant. Thank you.

Um, so in reading the brief memo from the mayor, the, the statement was made and agreed to by both parties that they would work continuing and believe they will get through this. And but it, it talked about impasses and remedies. I'm hoping to have a little bit of a narrative presented what the process is, kind of worst case, best case, for members to understand where we are and where we are going. To the chair and to the members, happy to do that. The current IAFF contract expires on June 30th, and we are still very hopeful that we will end up with a negotiated agreement well ahead of that.

To that end, we are meeting with IAFF twice a week until we get this over the goal line. But we are also bound by timelines and requirements that are in Title III. So Title III anticipates what happens if in any scenario we are unable to come to an agreement. The first of the requirements is that 60 days before the contract expires, if you have not yet come to an agreement, you must involve a third-party mediator. We've crossed over the 60-day deadline on May 1st, and so we have recruited— we're retaining the services of a mediator.

Mediator. 30 Days before the expiration of a contract, you have to then involve a fact-finder who will make various binding factual determinations. If we come to that, then that's what we will do. And then finally, 10 days before the expiration of a contract, in the case of the public safety unions or the so-called A-1 unions, you have to submit it to a binding arbitration process, and so an arbitrator would be involved. Again, we are hoping to get to the goal line here through negotiation and at the bargaining table.

Thank you. I will add just for a little color of this conversation that I recognize some complexity was added by an action of the assembly to move the battalion chiefs out of the executive pool and into the bargaining unit. I think there has been a mis— an unfortunate circumstance of time that's occurring right now where that ordinance was passed and it had a timeline set in it. Action was supposed to occur and the administration asked for more time and we said okay, and then a second time more time and we said okay. And it feels like these processes now have blended into one.

And I just want to put on the record that there was an intent when we passed the ordinance to keep them separate. In fact, we had an ordinance that dealt with the Battalion Chief question and a guidance resolution that passed that set the terms for the negotiation. I don't believe anywhere in that guidance you'll see reference to the Battalion Chief question because it was really intended to be done by now. So for the purposes of if we do find ourselves down the road of arbitration and all of that awful stuff that could come, this record hopefully will clarify where that ordinance was supposed to fall in the process of negotiation. Negotiating.

So with that then, if there's no one else, members may proceed to vote. The motion is to accept.

On a vote of 12 to 0. AM 102-2025 has been accepted. Before our dinner break, we're going to go ahead and take up item 11A. The administration has asked for us to continue that item. So Assembly 11A is Assembly Memorandum Number AM 351-2025, Grant Agreement with Institute for Community Alliances to Fund Homeless Management Information System Operations.

Um, there is no motion at this point.

Move to postpone to the meeting of May 20th. Second. Motion to postpone to May 20th by Miss Brawley, seconded by Mr. Boland. Miss Brawley. Yeah, just to— for context, um, the administration did ask us to postpone this, and there's just a technical issue, uh, regarding funding, so we'll see a correction soon.

All right, I'd like to go ahead and ask unanimous consent on the question of motion to postpone to postpone. Is there any objection to the motion? Seeing here no objection, that item is postponed. We'll now go ahead and take our dinner break and be back to take up item 12A.

Back to order. Since we're all here— So we're going to go ahead and take up Item 12A, which is Resolution AR-2025-24, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly Regarding the Renewal of Municipal Marijuana Cultivation License M10237 for Alaska Sense LLC, DBA Alaska Sense. We also have an S version and an S-1 version. So there's been substantial process on this item before us. But at this time, there is a motion to approve the as amended version on the floor that was moved by Chair Zolotow and Member Brawley.

So before we start the discussion on the specific and substantive item, I'm going to go ahead and allow any members to speak to any potential ex parte communications that they may have had since we last briefed and discussed this item. Mr. Voland. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had on two separate occasions limited communications with members of the public that I don't think went into any of the substance or merits of this.

But after we discussed this at a previous regular meeting, I gave a report to the Northstar Community Council, was asked about the contentious debate that we had. And I said, yep, we spent a lot of our meeting time on the topic of a cannabis license. I said, you know, when we're considering protesting a license and potentially closing a business that has many employees, that's something we take seriously and why we took our time with that matter. So that was that. And then the following weekend, I was volunteering at the Fairview Mobile Food Pantry, and I was approached by Mr. Peterson, Kenny Peterson, who's a member, I believe, of the Midtown Community Council and is in some of the communications communications that we've had for our review.

He approached me and said, thank you for listening to me from the dais. I said, thank you. That's part of my job. Thank you for being here to volunteer. And that was the end of the communication.

So just wanted to put that out there for my— the knowledge of my colleagues. One else wish to declare— Mr. Rivera and then Miss Brawley. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I believe it was the day after the assembly meeting where we debated this item.

Um, the Midtown Community Council held their regular monthly meeting and I gave a procedural update. No substantive issue clarification came up, just procedural on what we did, and the fact that we're going to be having this meeting today. That's it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rivera.

Miss Brawley. Yeah, thank you, and apologies, my, my cue isn't working at the moment. My only disclosure is I had a brief conversation with Mr. Peterson at a community event on April 14th. We did not speak at all on this item. It was more of a social conversation about his appliance business and did not get anywhere into this this topic.

Otherwise, I haven't had any contacts with anyone involved. I know we have received emails to the Assembly, but I have not responded to any of them. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Baldwin-Day.

Yes, thank you, Chair. I would like to disclose that on April 8th, during the first quasi-judicial proceedings on this matter, prior to certification of the election and being sworn in, I had a brief conversation in the audience with Member Silvers about this matter. We did not dive into the substance, just noted that we would likely be called upon to hear this item. And I have consulted with, with counsel about that conversation, and, and they have agreed that does not constitute ex parte communication, but I wanted to disclose regardless out of an abundance of caution. Thank you.

Miss Silvers?

Yes, I just wanted to disclose the same conversation. Member Baldwin-Day. Anyone else? For my part, I have not discussed this with anyone outside of council or the kind of management of the process, so I have nothing to disclose. Okay, so we have the motion to approve.

There's a note you'll see up on the dais or up on the board that I'm listed as the mover. It was a previous member who was the mover, and that member is no longer here in the system, and the system requires a mover. So the clerk has substituted me in, in that role and will fix the record on the back end when they get to the minutes. And so that is not an accurate reflection of who moved. The mover is no longer on the body.

So, um, now I don't have anyone in the queue. Now would be a time— point of information, Chair. Yes, Ms. Baldwin-Dave. So the motion on the floor is to approve the, the S version as amended by substitution with the S-1.

No, so that the motion to approve is on the, the main version, or that is it the S version? Ah, okay, I'm looking at the main version. And so if we wanted to take up the S-1, it would be a motion to substitute. Uh, so moved. Second.

All right, so there is a motion to substitute the S S1 by Ms. Baldwin-Day, seconded by Ms. Brawley. Ms. Baldwin-Day, would you like to speak to it? Uh, yes, I, I— Chair, thank you. The, the S1 version I think more, more properly reflects, um, what the current status of, of this proceeding really is, uh, and I, I do believe that there are a couple of tweaks that are needed in order to make that make this, the S1 version, even more accurate. So I would like to move Baldwin Day Amendment 1, please.

So there is a motion to amend by Ms. Baldwin Day. I don't know that I have that. Is it just a floor amendment? Okay.

Oh, right. So before we move to amend, we have to discharge the motion to substitute. And so—. Oh, my apologies. She's made two motions, right?

So we're not gonna— I know, but let's not do that. Let us be really clear and take the vote on the first question. So if you don't object, Ms. Baldwin-Day, then we'll just hold on that motion. And is there objection to the motion to substitute? Mr. Rivera.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, so at the last And this is the— well, I'll just give my comment and you'll tell me if it's off base. At the last assembly meeting when this item was brought up, I held firm that this operator has done harm and will continue to do harm in the community and towards my constituents, and that no amount of promises from the operator would convince me otherwise. I still do believe that.

Even so, we got a communication today from the Midtown Community Council board. So I just want to emphasize that, not the full Midtown Community Council, but just from their board of directors, suggesting a 6-month grace period, which I believe is in line with the S-1 version put forward by Chair Constant and former member Zolotow. I think that the Midtown Community Council board is being quite gracious with this offer considering all of the prior recorded failings of this operator. All that said, I will support their efforts and hope the board, uh, does not come to regret this olive branch. More than just hope, I will be actively following this license and frankly will not give a second thought to bringing this item back before for us should this operation be unable to come into compliance as expected in the S1 version.

So I encourage my colleagues to support this S1 version, and hopefully we can get to a vote in short order. Thank you. So the motion is a motion to substitute. Is there any further discussion on the motion to substitute? Hearing none, I'd like to ask you unanimous consent.

Any objection to the motion? The motion carries unanimously. So we now have the S-1 version before us. Miss Baldwin-Day, now.

Yes, thank you, Chair. I would like to move Baldwin-Day Amendment Number 2, please. Second. Motion to amend by Miss Baldwin-Day, seconded by Miss Brawley. Miss Baldwin-Day.

So substantively, um, I I would like to amend in Section 2 that the memorandum of understanding that was executed in 2016, the original text in the S-1 says that there is evidence in the record that the applicant failed to adhere to the requirements of the MOU. I think it is really important that we are clear that an MOU is a two-way obligation and that both parties failed to adhere to the requirements. Set out. Secondly, um, it's the— because the memorandum of understanding with Midtown Community Council is not yet complete, I would like to add to the, um, to the conditions that are listed that the third condition state that they have actually executed that MOU, the new MOU with the Midtown Community Council, and that that MOU will govern any future complaints brought to their attention, that they will actually use that process. And then pursuant to the Midtown Community Council's email from the Board today that this— the municipal license shall be set to expire 6 months from the date of the Clerk's confirmation that the conditions have been met for approval of the license.

I believe that these 3 adjustments bring the S-1 version into— I don't want to say reality, but they bring us forward to the current state of affairs.

Mr. Constantine. Thank you. So I had been in discussion with counsel. Really, the first two parts, easy. The second part, I generally agree with the community council asked for 6 months.

Council asked me what I want to do, I said defer to the member from Midtown, but I realize this amendment might create a problem in the last part, number 3, that 6 months from the date the clerk's confirmation the applicant has met the 3 conditions required. So I think that the application period is ended in August 31st, or not the application, the licensing period has ended for this license at that point. And so this appears to extend the license beyond the licensing period and then creates a nonspecific function that makes me wonder if this actually is going to meet our licensing process, just the language of it. It's— so, um, Mr. Herd, maybe, maybe is— do we have Ms. Honest on the phone?

Actually, yeah. Are you there, Ms. Honest? I am, yes. So do you have the amendment form?

I don't have the one that was just, um, talked about in front of me, no. So the language, I'll read it to you and we'll send one to you. It states the license will expire 6 months from the date the clerk's confirmation that the applicant has met the 3 conditions required above.

So part of me thinks that that is not going to work now that I see the language.

Because if the conditions aren't met, then the license doesn't expire.

Right? That's what it reads.

That would be correct. And through the chair, I think also something to consider, um, this is a renewal from before And so we're coming up on a new renewal time. Um, and so it might be a whole lapse in an application.

Um, and I'm not sure how our code would work with that. We do have the allowance that if they've submitted a timely renewal application and it's still under review and the assembly hasn't taken action on it, they could continue operating. Operating under it until that happens. Um, okay, Mandy, so I'm going to interrupt and just defer to the author of the, the amendment. Mr. Hurt, maybe you can help us understand the intended operation of this portion of the amendment.

Thank you, through the chair. So I can offer some clarification, but I will 100% defer to Mandy in all things, uh, questions of licenses. The three conditions listed in Section 4, which are referenced in that portion of the floor amendment, are the conditions upon which the license is being approved. And the reason the six months runs from that date is because if you go to Section 4 and look at line 40, this approval and lifting of the municipality's protest to the state license renewal by AR 2025-12S is amended as effective only upon confirmation by the municipal clerk that all conditions have been met. If the conditions aren't met, the— essentially, the license never goes into effect in the first place.

And so this floor amendment was crafted to give them 6 months running from the date of the effect of the license, if that makes sense at all. Nope. Sorry. And then I'll defer to Mandu.

Makes sense to me, actually. Um, can you— Mandy, Mandy, can you restate that so we— I make sure we all understand what it says? Because you're our expert on license. So the previous activity on the license, the previous AR that went through and separated the action from the state and the muni processes with the separate licenses, we submitted that protest to the state, and currently they're under an abeyance period for getting the stuff resolved with the municipality in order to lift the protest on the state license. Um, and so my understanding is this amendment, um, extends the time that they can operate so that we fall within that abeyance period, um, and they, they don't have to lapse and lose the time with the state.

Okay, I am unclear on what that means still.

So when is the expiration date? Um, may I ask a follow-up question, Chair? Hold on, Mandy. Miss Baldonde, go ahead.

Ms. Honest, this is Member Baldwin-Day. Are there— could you outline any potentially negative unforeseen consequences in the licensing process of this amendment being written this way?

And if there are none, that's lovely, but just to clarify, just to be sure we're dotting all our i's here. Yes, through the chair, I do not. I see the— I see what the amendment is doing as far as taking into consideration the state license. This is allowing them to continue operating for the 6 months and not have the consequences unless they don't fulfill those conditions.

Thank you, Miss Honest.

So, so why wouldn't we pick a specific day, Mandy?

Like, 6 months from today is November 4th. We have a meeting— or November 6th. I don't understand why it would be nonspecific.

Okay, I'm just going to remove my objection. I don't understand it, which is hard because I'm pretty good with these, these codes, but I do trust counsel and Mandy, so I'll just go with it. Mr. Voland, actually, you can take me out of the queue. Thank you. Mr. Gates.

Um, I was asking to speak about, uh, the earlier statement that this would normally expire August 31st. That's not quite the case. There's also a code that says, or other date that determined by the assembly. So the 6 months is just triggered, as I understand it, by execution of the MOU according to those three conditions, that's the last one, and certification of those things, 6 months from that date is fine. I mean, I think this works.

Fair enough. Okay, I'm gonna step back into the truck. Anyone else? Hearing and seeing none on this amendment, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 11 to 1, the amendment has passed. I don't have anyone else in the queue. I'm going to go ahead and invite counsel for the petitioner to come make a couple minutes statement.

Hello, Jana Wiltzing, attorney for the, um, licensee. Thank you for letting me speak. I hope you got the big packet that I sent, um, that addressed the two questions that you asked last meeting. Um, let me pull it up. Sorry, I wasn't ready to bounce up quite yet.

Um, but at the last assembly meeting, I heard the assembly ask for two things: a clear explanation on the corrective action that's been taking place to mitigate the odor, and what the plans are for correcting the ventilation and the cooling systems. And then the second was a third-party confirmation that the odor mitigation efforts were successful. So since April 8th, that's been our focus. Um, so as you're aware, there was damage to the HVAC facility back in October of 2024. And we started what— and LASAR since started doing on March 19th was Ron Thompson developed plans to address the, the interim fix, we call it, and the permanent fix.

So the interim fix has been installed. It got installed April 4th— or April 1st to April 4th. And then Ron Thompson went to look at the work and realized that the work wasn't done precisely to the plans. So then Sage Mechanical went ahead and adjusted the work, and on April 22nd, the planning department— am I echoing? Is Chris— is that the— no, okay.

Um, on April 22nd, the planning department approved the work to be done, and greatly, actually, from, um, Glenn Klingkart's report, who's here and could ask and answer any questions about his report that he wrote up seemed to fix the odor issue. I did want to bring some clarity on the difference between the permanent fix and the interim fix. So it's really important to get— wrap our heads around these two because I think we've had to kind of intermix the two fixes. The interim fix addressed the interior ventilation and the odor control system in the interior. So that fix incorporated 22 new carbon filters, 4 of which were additional.

The rest were just replacements. Incorporated 4 new inline fans, 4 additional blower fans, 4 additional airbox units. And in my memo, you'll see the reason that the odor control kind of got out of hand, in addition to the HVAC system, is that staff thought they were helping by adjusting the, the fans and adjusting the ducting work. And that didn't help. And so Ron Thompson had to figure that out, diagnose it, and fix it.

The permanent fix— this will give the full HVAC restoration, and that includes fixing the HVAC units that were damaged by the vandalism. So it's 22 refrigerated coil coils and service valves and filters. Those were ordered on April 15th. They should be here between June 23rd and June 30th, and then Sage is ready to install them, hopefully start the installation on July 7th with a possible completion date of July 11th and 12th. Once it's completed, then we'll be able to return to normal when it comes to the airflow.

So the airflow is really important. Before the vandalism, there was only about 4,000 CFM, so carbon— I'm sorry, cubic feet of— cubic feet per minute of airflow into the building, which also meant airflow out of the building. But after the vandalism, it had to be increased to 12,000 CFMs, which is way more air in, obviously, and way more air out to make the temperature at least bearable for humans. So to give you a concept on what that did to their production is in a normal harvest, they were harvesting about 130 pounds, 150 pounds. Right now, since the vandalism, they're down to 20 pounds per harvest.

So they've substantially reduced capacity. So once these permanent HVACs are installed, the— this will be kind of an interesting test. The— they'll have to, you know, start ramping up their production, which we've retained Glenn Klinkert's firm to continue monitoring the smell, to be that objective independent observer, because right now they're, you know, at that reduced capacity. So I encourage you, if you haven't taken a look at his report, it's excellent and it does a really great job. He's a law enforcement professional forever, was one of the best directors AMCO's had for about 3 years, and he's here in the audience for any questions.

And he— I actually had him continue his smell checks past April 29th, and I have those copies of his findings. There were zeros across the board except for one date. And I have 12 copies here with me if the assembly wants to see the additional.

And, you know, we've had positive communications with the Midtown Community Council. I think we're on a much better track. Now, um, I'm the only attorney involved anymore on this matter, um, so we're just working hard. I had a good call with Chris the other day. Hopefully she'll be back on her feet soon, and she's been working on the MOU that I drafted and has some additional changes, so she hopes that we can get it done by June.

They don't meet in May, so I'm hopeful for June as well, and I'm here for questions, and so is Director Klinkert. And obviously, uh, Smotty Warden, the licensee.

You meant Chris Stoner, the president of the Midtown Community Council? That's what I meant. Yes. Thanks. Um, Miss Silvers, did you do a harvest during the monitoring period?

Yes, yes, that would have been, um, it was one of the first few days actually, and it was during when Sage was doing the mechanical installation. And so I think that actually there was two harvests, right? Just one. Um, what dates were that?

The beginning of May. So I think it was May.

Hold on, let me pull the— beginning of May, beginning of April. Yeah. So I think it was— actually, no, I think it was April 17th. It was April 17th because it was between Wednesday and Thursday. So the Thursday dates are the ones for you to look at there.

So it handled pretty good. At the beginning, it was a little rough. We had 5 and 3s, but that was during when Ron came in and he noticed that Sage didn't build the plans to spec. And so he provided further adjustments, and that seemed to, seemed to help. Will you have monitoring during the next harvest to make sure that you can keep that odor down?

We— I've asked, and he's, and again, he's here— I've asked Glen Klingkart to continue monitoring. It doesn't— I told him it doesn't have to be every day because I don't, you know, want to burden him too much, and he's got a regular day job. But we want to continue continue it through the whole 6-month— if we're granted 6 months, 6-month period. Thank you. All right.

Next in the queue, Mr. Martinez. Right on. Thank you. Just to ask a question of some of the substantive information that you offered. Does 20 pounds of marijuana smell less than 100 pounds of marijuana?

Of course, yes. Right on. So essentially, the reduction of the the amount of grow in the business has an impact on the amount of smell being released? It's been reduced since October, yeah. Right, and so presumably with the— when the new system comes online, that's when the production will increase again?

Mm-hmm. Compatible to the ability to handle the smell? Right, and that's why we continue the monitoring. And hold on, somebody— I maybe misstated something. I just want to add that we spoke with Ron prior to him implementing the new plans, and we made sure that he takes that in consideration.

So he will really provide us with the, you know, the best plans for the future, not what we are experiencing right now. So yeah, if you look at his report, it says something like that's going to quadruple the existing capabilities that were there, right? Thank you. Just would note for the record, Smati Warden, the petitioner, spoke briefly there. Sorry.

No, that's okay. Um, others? Mr. Gerker. Yeah, Miss Wilson, did you ever get an email back or any communication back from code enforcement or air quality? So I didn't, but I did see that he said that he let me know that they didn't have staffing.

I never got an email for saying that. Maybe, I mean, my only guess is maybe he thought he emailed or maybe he called my office and it didn't get relayed to me, but that's pretty unlikely 'cause my staff works with him a lot. So no, I didn't get an email saying that, but I did read that this morning. Okay, thank you.

Mr. Constant. Thank you. So I'm glad to see the one reflected on this addendum document. I think that it's been better, but maybe not perfect.

I'm sorry, hold on, hold on. What was it? I said it's been better, but maybe not perfect. It's been a lot better.

And, you know, I think if the members agree and extension happens and we get through this whole process, the whole industry needs to think about how it addresses smell because smell is the number one issue that neighbors are going to be impacted by. And an argument made that essentially none of it ever happened didn't happen. It didn't happen in the face of the fact that everybody is like— We know it happened. You know, it just hurts the industry. It hurts the operator and it hurts the neighbors a lot.

And, you know, I'm a strong supporter of this industry and have been put in a very difficult spot because I don't want to harm an operator and send 50 people to a place of joblessness. But if I have to choose, I have to choose the people who live in those neighborhoods and the people whose homes are right there. I have to. I don't have a choice in my conscience. And so please, let's find a way not to have to do this again.

This is round 2, right? 2019, 2018, Here we are. I don't have the same level of kind of nihilism that some of my peers might on the question. I have hope still. Can you— the license plate is Have Hope.

And so let's match hope with action and fix this. That's where I stand in this question. So, Mr. Brizardia. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] Yeah, I just wanted to add a few comments for the record.

Um, I, I agree with what you're saying. I agree that, that, uh, when the smell impacts communities, houses, people's lives, it, it's— that's not what we want. And I, and I, I would agree with that. And I also just wanted to thank you and, and all of you for the work you've done to, to, to try to respond to the requests that we've made and I read through all the materials and it sounds like we're getting there. And I'm hopeful if you're given this extension that we can get there all the way and be back on a good path.

I guess I would also just say that this is a really new industry for all of us. And I'm curious about the future and about the millions of dollars that are being spent on smell. And I don't know if I really sort of understand that. I certainly wouldn't want to be next to any business that emits a strong smell, and I wouldn't want that. But I've visited some of these facilities and seen the incredible amount of money that is being spent just to minimize the faintest of smells.

And so I just think down the road, as as we are learning more about this industry and as our community is figuring out how to find the right balance, that we'll be able to come back to some of these questions. Because I think there is a point at which zero smell when you're standing right next to a door, I think, may be a little bit too far. So I'm going to definitely encourage my colleagues to give the 6-month extension. I think, I think it's worth it. And, and I would encourage also the colleagues that want to monitor this very closely, I would encourage them to do that as well.

So, but I appreciate the work that's been done, and I'm sorry about how this all has unfolded for, from the community's perspective and from the businesses' perspective. But looking forward to seeing this resolved and moving forward. Thanks.

So I don't see anyone else. I'll make one last note. You know, this is a quasi-judicial proceeding. New members are getting a quick lesson what that means. We are constantly figuring out what this means because we are generally a political body and find ourselves in a quasi-judicial position on alcohol licenses and marijuana licenses.

But this is rare for us, and this process was difficult on our side because we don't have 60 years of history of how we are supposed to do these things. And so that is actually a credit to the industry as a whole, right? We haven't spent a ton of time in the last 7 years or 10 years managing problems because the problems are few and far between. And I hope that we can keep it that way and kind of build, as I previously suggested, but our lack of a kind of very thoroughly defined procedure is actually a credit to the industry, more defined now than it was before. With that, I would ask members to proceed to vote.

On a vote of 11 to 1, AO 2025-24 So S1 as amended has passed the body.

Actually, I think we need to do some— one other thing. We have a weird effective date. Does it matter? Was it fixed in the— can we verify? Okay.

The amendment got it. Thank you. Mind. With that then, do good. Next in the agenda, we have item 14A.

We're into our public hearings.

14A is AR 2025-109, a resolution of the Anchorage Assembly appropriating an amount not to exceed $800,000 of area-wide general fund 101000 fund balance to the maintenance and operations department to pay the settlement of Pinnacle Construction Inc.'s claims against the Municipality of Anchorage. Public hearing on this item is now open. Anyone wish to be heard? Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none, public hearing is now closed.

What say all the body? Move to approve. Moved by Miss Barley, seconded by Mr. Rivera. Any discussion on the item?

Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-109 has passed the body. Next we have item 14B, which is AR 2025-117, resolution of the Municipality of Anchorage appropriating a total of $60,250,000 of proceeds of general obligation bonds to the Area Wide Capital Improvement Project Fund 401 in the amount of $12,200,000 to Chugach State Park Area CIP Fund 410 in the amount of $300,000. Anchorage Fire Service Area CIP Fund 431 in the amount of $2,400,000. Anchorage Roads and Drainage Service Area ARTSA CIP Fund 441 in the amount of $33,700,000. Anchorage Metropolitan Police Service Area CIP 451— CIP Fund 451 in the amount of $3,000,000.

$3,400,000 Anchorage Parks and Recreation Area CIP Fund 461 in the amount of $8,250,000 to pay the cost of public safety library senior center and other municipal facility upgrades, Chugach State Park access improvements, fire protection road and storm drainage projects, and parks and recreation improvements. Public hearing is now open. Anyone wish to be heard on this item? Anyone at all? Seeing and hearing none, public hearing on this item is now closed.

What's the will of the body? To approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Wallin, second by Ms.

Brawley. And Ms. Brawley? Yeah, I'll just say, um, thank you to voters for passing these. These represent the items that were approved on the April 1st ballot, um, so thank you, and this will go to do good work in our community.

Okay, anyone else? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-117 has passed the body. Next we have Resolution AR 2025-123, a resolution of the Municipality of Anchorage appropriating $1 million from the Eagle River Chugiak Parks and Recreation Operating Fund, 1620- 1600 fund balance to the Eagle River Chugiak Parks and Recreation Operating Fund, 16200, as a transfer, and appropriating said transfer to the Eagle River Chugiak Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Projects Fund, 462800, to pay the cost of turf installation on two ball fields in Loretta French Park, and amending the 2025 capital improvement budget. Public hearing on this item is now open. Anyone wish to be heard on this item? Anyone at all?

Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote. How about a motion? Move to— sorry, God, second. What's the will of the body? So, move to approve.

So is Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Gerker. Thank you for keeping me on point.

Wait, so is Mr. Myers and Mr. Gerker? Got it. So moved by Mr. Myers Mr. Myers, seconded by Mr. Gerker. Mr. Myers, anything? Okay.

Anyone should be heard? No? Okay. Now members may proceed to vote. Sorry about that, guys.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-123 is passed the body. Next we have 14D AO 2025-54, an ordinance approving annexation of properties within South Lakewood Hills subdivision. Way of reading. Thank you. The public hearing on this item is now open.

Anyone wish to be heard on this item? If you wish to be heard, please come forward. The microphone isn't on, so there's a little green button.

Welcome. Please state your name and what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes. Time. Uh, yeah, good evening.

Thank you. My name is Matt Pauli. I'm a board member on the Upper O'Malley Limited Road Service Area. Been in that position for the last 4 years. If anybody's some familiarity on this particular item, it was deemed in 2000, year 2000, money appropriated by the state.

The road was approved, improved to O'Malley Elementary School between, uh, O'Malley Road and 112th Avenue. At that point, money just for improving it, but no money for maintenance. At that time, the Upper O'Malley Limited Road Service Area took over operation and maintenance for that, basically clearing snow and any other work that was required. The current board, or in 2023, was not aware of that. Because if you look at Upper Rome Alley, it basically— the road service area encompasses everything above Hillside Drive for the most part, uh, with a little stretch down there a mile away.

It's not even— it doesn't even adjoin, uh, the road service area. So at that point we said we're not going to do it anymore. Of course, that was Snowmageddon, uh, none of the kids got to school, and we said, okay, we didn't know that. Let's do it. We started talking with our assembly people at that point.

How could we rectify this, or at least see some additional funding for that? Because of the road service area, we've got to make the decisions on what type of roads have to be improved and what have you. But certainly Assemblyman Johnson and Salty worked with us and came up with this ordinance, and I'm just speaking on behalf to approve this so we get that funding. And appreciate the time. Thank you.

Any questions for me? Okay. I don't see any.

Welcome, sir. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes. My name is Gary Lawley, and I own property in this— one of the 8 houses that you're going to suck into this Upper O'Malley Road Service District. Um, it's not connected to that area, and I realize, uh, we've been getting service from that group, but I'm questioning why we're getting sucked into Upper O'Malley instead of, uh, Lakeview Hills or Valley View, which would be the two closer road service districts.

Just doesn't seem to make sense to suck us up there and jump over these other two road service districts would increase our property taxes, um, more than being in the— anyway, that's 2 mill points versus 1.5 or 1.4 for these others. And I also question why you're not taking in Michigan Avenue or 112th to also into these districts that are getting service. If I am, and I I understand we're getting service. I'm all for paying my taxes, but it just seems illogical.

Does anyone know why we're being included in that upper group instead of the two closer road service groups?

So we don't generally answer questions in public hearings.

So when your time is up, members might have questions for you. All right. Are you done? Okay. This point.

Yeah. So I have a question for you. You mentioned, uh, Lakeview Hills, and what was the other road service area? Valley View. Valley View.

Okay, thank you. They're both closer. I mean, we're almost abutting them. Okay, I'm sure we'll— that'll be brought up in the public hearing, or after the public hearing. Thank you, sir.

All right, thanks. Anyone else wish to be heard on this item? Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none. Public hearing on this item is now closed.

Let's roll the body. Move to approve. Second. Moved by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Ms. Brawley. Mr. Johnson, you wish to speak to it?

Yeah, thank you. Um, I think I'll keep it brief. First, I want to thank the administration for their, their help in coming up with this and then I think finding a creative solution. Um, to, to answer the questions about why specifically this is going into the Upper O'Malley LURSA, it's because Rockridge Road is in the Upper O'Malley O'Malley LURSA, and to annex Rockridge out of Upper O'Malley LURSA would require a different process, including a ballot measure, which the Assembly indicated some time ago that there wasn't really an appetite for. So we can't simply move Upper O'Malley or Rockridge out of that LURSA.

What this is doing is taking the properties that use Rockridge for access and bringing them into LURSA. So that's why it's not one of the others. In the neighborhood. We are somewhat constrained by the preexisting conditions. And then also in terms of why only these 8 properties, it is because the mechanism that the administration identified to annex properties into the LURSA so that they will contribute towards the maintenance of the road they use can only be applied to those properties which solely rely on Rockridge for access.

So the neighboring households on 112th and Michigan Boulevard So if there was an interest in joining the LURSA, that would require following a different process that would necessitate a ballot measure. So I will say I think that this is a fair and reasonable step and will certainly, I think, serve the best interests of the community that is in the neighborhood and those that rely on Rockridge to get to school.

Ms. Brawley. Yeah, thank you. And thank you, Mr. Johnson, for the— excuse me— for the explanation, and to the South Anchorage members for bringing this forward with the mayor. I recall it must have been, I guess, 1 or 2 years ago now with the whole issue, like one of our testifiers mentioned, where O'Malley Elementary did not get plowed essentially, and so folks couldn't get to school. All of that to say, this is a good resolution, I think, of something that was identified a while ago.

I sympathize with folks who are now going to be in that service area, but at least you'll be getting that service. And really, I think it's a good solution. And I know generally there's the larger issue in service areas where a lot of folks are not in a service area at all. And there's the mismatch in terms of cost too. So I know that is a much bigger discussion, but I am glad we were able to solve this one specific issue.

Thanks.

Anyone else? So there was a question raised to me, and I am sure you have a great answer for this, Becky. Why is it that we can do this by ordinance and it doesn't take a dual vote? To the chair, there is a state statute that allows it and is contingent on this concept that Member Johnson noted, that we are there is no other means of egress other than a road that is served by a limited road service area, state law allows us to do the annexation this way as opposed to doing the dual vote. And I will add as a further comment, part of our thinking in proposing or working with Member Johnson, Member Solt to propose this solution was that we see it potentially as step one in a longer reconciliation process.

One of the reasons that the other very closer LURSSAs are not interested in taking on the maintenance of Rockridge Drive is because it comes with no contributions from the adjoining properties, and it's relatively unique in the municipality. There are a few other oddball examples of roads that don't actually belong— have any properties that belong to them to pay for the service that's provided on that road. So the idea was by taking this initial step, this is potentially part of a longer process where the road may be something that one of those other adjoining lurses may be interested in taking on, since it does come now with a pertinent permanent contributions from the adjacent landowners to support that maintenance of the road. Okay, thank you. I don't see anyone else in the queue.

Not— members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AO 2025-54 has passed the body. Next we have item 14E.

14E is AO 2025-55, an ordinance of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly amending the Anchorage Municipal Code by adding a new chapter protecting food security by declaring unlawful any restrictive covenants on real property prohibiting grocery or food store uses. Public hearing on this item is now open.

Anyone wish to be heard? Okay, we'll go ahead and call Mr. Klein.

Hi, you're great. So we'll go ahead and call, um, Mr. Smith, and then And we'll try Mr. Klein one more time.

Hey, this is Harrison.

Good evening, Mr. Smith. This is the Anchorage Assembly. We're taking testimony on AO 2025-55. You'll please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes.

Hi, yeah, thank you. Uh, my name is Harrison Smith. I'm an Anchorage resident in the Fairview neighborhood. Um, I wanted to thank Assembly Members Constant and Balland for bringing this ordinance tonight. Um, when I learned several weeks ago about Safeway Albertsons' decision to abruptly close our beloved Carr's on Gamble Street I began doing research about the experiences of other communities.

Uh, one issue that quickly came to my attention is that often when corporations like Safeway-Albertsons close stores, um, they will place conditions on the property to prevent it from being used again as a grocery store. Uh, called restrictive covenants, these can be conditions on a lease or property sale agreement. I and many others I've spoken with believe this amounts to unfairly restricting competition. It is cruelly telling neighbors that no, we won't allow you to have another grocery store, you just have to find another way, you just have to find a way to get to our next closest store. Responsible businesses compete by offering value, not by keeping competitors out of the market and neighborhood.

I spoke with community leader in Bellingham, Washington. A restrictive covenant on a former Albertson's store has kept another grocer out of her low-income neighborhood since 2016. They have made some amazing efforts to distribute truckloads of fresh food, but it still pales in comparison to having a well-stocked store in the neighborhood. She encouraged us to pass an ordinance preventing this as soon as possible to avoid similar years of struggle. This ordinance is modeled on those in other states that have successfully protected them from this abusive practice.

We are facing a large core of Anchorage that will soon be without convenient access to fresh food. We still desire a grocery store and believe we are worth investing in. We cannot afford to see this or other buildings sit vacant for reasons like this. I kindly request your support for this ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Smith, and thank you for bringing this information to us to show us what other communities have done. So can we go ahead and call Mr. Klein?

Hi, this is Jay. Hello, Mr. Klein, Anchorage Assembly. Uh, we're taking testimony on AO 2025-55. Are you speaking on behalf of the community council? Yes, I am.

So we'll start the clock for 5 minutes. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 5 minutes. Okay. Super.

Uh, we have time right now. You're started. Okay, great. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman. Uh, my name is SJ Klein.

I am, uh, a board member of the Fairview Community Council, um, and happy to represent on behalf of the council. Um, so I have a story to tell about Cars Gamble, which is really what this ordinance is about. Um, you know, Cars Kars Gamble, you could say, brought me here. My father came to Alaska in 1970 to work for the Kars Gotsny operation, and he brought the rest of us with him when they offered him a full-time job. And he and the team that built Kars worked at Fairbank Street and 14th on that site.

In the building, the office building next to Carr's Gamble for 20 years before, 25 years before selling to Safeway.

You know, and that store is, has so much history. It's given so many people a step up. It's given so many people jobs. The, the civil rights history of it, just the fact that there were protests and the first Black hired cars were hired at that store. I mean, the store is a gem in our neighborhood.

And, you know, now to this day it provides, it, you know, it has provided such essential services that really closing that store is pulling the rug out from under our neighborhood. The Fairview neighborhood really needs a grocery store. It needs a pharmacy. I mean, these are things that we really as a neighborhood can't do without. The Fairview neighborhood has 35% of our neighbors don't own cars.

42% Of the kids that go to Fairview Elementary don't have a means of transportation. And so having a store that we can walk to is really, really important. So as far as this ordinance goes, we've got a, um, the experience of, of Birchwood, Washington really kind of tells us how Albertsons operates. Um, in Birchwood, Washington, Albertsons had put a 20-year covenant in that you couldn't have a competing operation in that, in the building that they sold when they sold the building. And 8 years later, that building is still empty and there isn't another grocery store for over a mile, and it's a scar in the middle of their neighborhood.

We're in the middle of a revitalization of Fairview. I mean, between the Reconnecting Communities grant, the Stuart Glen Pell, um, the, the, um, the Mulcahy Stadium redevelopment. There's a lot going on in our neighborhood, and to just have, have something that large that, that you can't do anything with for as much time as Albertsons is proposing to do It's really— it's pulling out the rug from under our city— from under our neighborhood again. I mean, for years Albertsons has kept that store going and really doing a service, doing real good to the neighborhood by keeping it open, you know, even though it didn't turn a profit. By contrast, Albertsons is going to do irreparable harm to our neighborhood.

Not just by pulling out, but if they're allowed to sell the property, dispose of the property with these covenants in it that would prevent another store from using that site, it's really doing that area of the neighborhood to— I mean, to irreparable harm for who knows how long. So I guess I'm speaking in support of this resolution. I hope Assemblymembers really take it seriously. I mean, I realize we're a town where you should have the right to dispose of property and, and do what you want, but, you know, I would say, you know, in the past we had covenants in Fair— you know, in, in downtown, for instance, where you weren't allowed to sell property to somebody who was Native or Black. And that was, that was a travesty as well.

And, and allowing a covenant like the— you know, covenants like what Albertson's is proposing to move forward would be a travesty too. So thank you for considering this resolution, and I hope you'll support it. Thank you, Mr. Klein.

All right, anyone else wish to be heard on this item? Anyone at all? Seeing and hearing none, public hearing on this item is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve.

Second. Moved by Mr. Bolland, seconded by Ms. Spraulley. Mr. Mr. Voland. Thank you, Member Constant. I think I'm going to just jump right into amendments.

We have two of them. I'm going to move Constant-Voland Amendment Number 1. Second. Motion to amend by Mr. Voland, second by Mr. Brawley. Mr. Voland.

Thank you. So this is a language change that we had suggested to us by a member of the public. I'm grateful for the feedback that we received on this. It just changes some language language describing the location.

Instead of saying ideal location, we are substituting that for allowed and appropriate location. In the narrative of the amendment, the purpose summary, you'll see that ideal locations may set the bar too high for application of new rule.

And I think this also helps clarify what the underlying main motion, or what the main item does not do. This ordinance does not call for grocery stores in areas where they are not currently allowed. It doesn't do anything to impact, impact zoning, or to say, you know, we think we know where ideal locations what the limitations for grocery stores are. We— what we are simply trying to do is prohibit a property owner looking to sell a grocery store from putting a restriction that that could not be used as a grocery store to continue to be used by grocery store by another operator. So I think that this is just a helpful language tweak, and I hope my colleagues will support it.

Thank you. Thank you. On the amendment, Mr. President? On the amendment, Mr. Gerker? Okay.

Any further discussion on the amendment? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, the amendment has passed. Mr. Voland.

Okay, move amendment, um, Councilman Voland, Amendment Number 2. Second. Motion to amend by Mr. Voland, seconded by Miss Sprawley. Mr. Voland. Thank you, um, and I think my co-sponsor on this amendment may also want to speak to it, but, um, this is just, I think, getting at our legislative intent, working on an expedited timeline with Assembly Council.

My colleagues will remember that this was laid on the table for introduction at a previous meeting, and the urgency there was that this store is scheduled for closure very soon. This is, this is imminent. And so what this amendment does is it, it takes out the 2 and 3 year timelines and just says No, you cannot do this. You cannot enter into a restrictive covenant on prohibiting grocery stores or prohibiting competition on any timeline. It's just not an acceptable practice in the municipality.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the amendment, Mr. President, yeah, no. All right. And anyone else on the amendment?

I would just speak to it as well. I'll say this again on the main that all of this is constrained strictly to properties that are currently operating as grocery stores. We're not making a broad and sweeping ban on these kinds of covenants on properties in general, only on those that are currently operating as grocery stores. So keep in mind the narrowness of this question when you see these concerns written out this way, and I'll come back to that. So, um, Anyone else on the amendment?

Hearing and seeing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, the amendment has passed. We're back on the main motion. Mr. Presverdia.

Yeah, I, I, I I would first like to hear from the Administration on this and to see if they would have a chance to review this and where they stand on it. And then I have a couple of comments and questions.

Mr. Downey is approaching to provide some input.

Thank you. Through the Chair to Mr. Presverdeya, we have reviewed this and did not have any objections or concerns. Okay, thanks. Um, I guess the only, um, it, um, yeah, the only thing that I've been trying to catch up with is, is, uh, the, the opportunity to sort of dive into this a little bit more. It feels quick to me.

Um, I would have really appreciated a work session or something that would have allowed it, allowed us to look at other cities and, and how this affects us. So changing the code in this way feels abrupt. But Mr. Downey, do you have anything to add in terms of whether this is, from your perspective, something that would have any negative effect on us? Is this something that is common? Give us some context from this, from your perspective.

Sure. Absolutely. So my understanding is this is modeled on similar legislation from several other places. Some sense of this has worked in other places. My sense from the urgency is that this property will be for sale soon, and there is questions about whether we could retroactively have this effect, right?

Impacting an already agreed-to contract is different than preventing a future contract. So I think that's where some of the urgency comes from in this case. I think, you know, in my analysis of the policy and looking at other communities that have adopted this, I think I'm not particularly concerned about unanticipated consequences or negative side effects. Okay, thanks. And to the sponsor, is that, is that the urgency?

Is the urgency because it's, it's imminent and, and we need to act now? Okay, I'm seeing a head nod. Thank you for the answers.

Mr. Holland. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now that we're back on the main motion, I just kind of want to speak to it briefly, um, to also Add on to the answers to, to Member Perez-Fordia's questions. In the memo that goes along with the ordinance, it does highlight that there are several jurisdictions, including Chicago, Illinois, Madison, Wisconsin, Bellingham, Washington, and Washington, D.C., have implemented laws like this ordinance to protect access to food and Pharmaceuticals.

So as we heard, I don't necessarily need to rehash all the public testimony that we heard here tonight or over the phone from two Fairview residents, but there is a high percentage of folks who live in Fairview who do not own a car, and their way to get to the grocery store is to walk, bike, wheelchair roll, non-motorized travel.

And it's also, you know, it's It's really unfortunate timing, the closing of the grocery store, not only for the access reasons, but also because the community is in a process right now, the Reconnecting Fairview project, which this body has supported. We funded the local match for a federal grant for that process, and community members are reimagining that corridor, the Gamble-Ingra corridor, We have transportation and infrastructure projects programmed for that corridor in AMATS. And so there's positive momentum happening right now in Fairview. And so this is kind of like a gut punch in the midst of all that. I do want to thank the administration, the mayor, her team, public transit for the efforts that are underway.

I also want to thank my colleagues for their support of those efforts to create a a shuttle so the folks can, at least in the interim, get to Midtown where there are grocery store locations and pharmacy locations. But this is, is the one in Fairview. And I guess another layer that I, I want to add here, you know, we've had— so I guess part of the, the reasoning that has been put forward for the, the closing of this store that I've heard just talked about in the community is public safety issues. And do we have some public safety issues in that neighborhood in my district? Yes, we do.

And we're working on them. Stuff got pretty gnarly in Fairview when we were doing mass shelter at the Sullivan Arena. And I think we just don't have experience operating large-scale shelter. We did, again, this body make an appropriation to help support Fairview with some of those public safety issues. Whether or not they were implemented to our intent by a previous administration, I think, is subject to debate.

But there's another issue here that I just have to call out because I think it is pervasive and it continued— it continues to need course correction. This is the second time. I know I'm just starting my second term, and this is the second time in my tenure as an assembly member where a grocery source for a neighborhood has closed. And I think it is partially in response to generational uncertainty around transportation projects that causes economic disinvestment in neighborhoods. This uncertainty causes blight, and it is malignant.

And so I'm calling on DOT, Alaska State DOT and PF, to support the neighborhoods in my district. Make it your priority to fix these corridors and stop causing uncertainty with mega boondoggle projects that you're putting forward. We have to do better. Entities both local and at the state level must actively work to end this type of inequity and damage to neighborhoods. We had the Tesoro station in Government Hill closed.

That was where folks could walk to get a jug of milk and a carton of eggs. And now this, this grocery store, which is just an integral part of the neighborhood. And so when we let these projects linger, Kabadda Bridge or the highway to highway, and they never get done, it holds the neighborhood down. And so I just have to state on the record, no more. And I will do everything I can to move things forward from the neighborhoods that I represent.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Folland, thank you. Mr. Krueger. Yeah, thank you, Mr.

Chair. I guess my question is to the the author of the ordinance, is there any actual indication that there's going to be an attempt at blocking any future competitors coming into this location? Not specific to this location now, but we are going off of a pattern that we've seen in the lower 48, and there's a number of, um, you know, even, even a cursory Google search will result in a number of different sources commenting on how this is a developing problem resulting in food deserts in similar communities. I can add to that, Mr. Gergen, that we did receive one public comment from a member of the Fairview community who has long history in the neighborhood who asserted that in fact, yes, they are intending to do this. And I wrote back with that exact question, how do you know this?

And he stated that the storm manager said it's in the works. And so I did not— I asked, do you have it in writing? Can you— and I couldn't get that. But I had the same question and I ran it down and I got that answer. Okay.

Well, I appreciate that. I guess I would just have a comment to that then is that I intend to vote yes in supporting this because I think it makes sense to not have artificial barriers and keeping grocery stores from moving into neighborhoods. But there's underlying reasons there as well. And if we don't deal with the underlying reasons for why people are pulling out and not wanting to do business in this town, we're not going to— nobody else is going to come in anyways. So I'm going to vote in support of this, but I do encourage the administration, we have to deal with the issue of lawlessness in this city if we want to see business come in and start up.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Martinez. Thank you, Chair. I was going to ask a similar question around— and so I just want to acknowledge that that question was a really accurate question with respect to any evidence that folks are pursuing that now. I think your anecdotal information is interesting, although it's not definitive proof.

Doesn't really matter to me. I'm going to move to support this. But I also wanted to just note maybe a historical reference. Have there any— have there In the past, had there been covenants similar in this town, or is only— we're only referencing national or other places?

The Safeway hasn't been here that long, and it is a habit of the Safeway and Albertsons Corporation. So no, there is no known example here in town that currently exists. So I would say that fundamentally, I think, you know, it's interesting that Covenants are private contracts until they cross the public good and interfere with the public good. And just to note, what I hear is essentially preemptive action based on a model that describes equity and opportunity access.

Based on some fundamental economic truths about the area where these conditions are and where this resource is going to go away from, and fundamentally the nature of the idea that we don't want any covenants to potentially undermine the future stackability of the return on investments. Basically saying we don't want to limit any future growth or opportunities based on covenants that would undermine our ability to stack up. Because food security is a stackable ROI in neighborhoods, to Mr. Voland's point. As economic development comes on board, food security is vital to growing neighborhoods healthy and prosperously. So I will be supporting this, but I just wanted to articulate those four elements that helped me make a good decision today on this were items essentially in our economic development framework that I introduced earlier as well.

So I think there's— this is a really good step forward, but it is a preemptive step that I think we should take and send a message of how important food security is to all of the businesses in our community. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Mr. McCormick. Thank you, Chair. I have Two main issues surrounding this proposal, and that is it seems quite targeted, targeted at one specific business, and it's Safeway, that they have provided service to our community for, for a long time.

For years they've run good businesses. They've been able to stay open. And echoing what Member Gerker said, in that there's an underlying reason why it's closing, and we're making a lot of assumptions here. In that Carr's is going to close. And are they going to sell the building?

We don't know if they'll sell the building. There's no promise of that. There's no promise of even if this proposal passes that they don't maintain the building and hold on to the building as a loss. So I have issue with it there. And then also issue with it as this is government reaching in and imposing itself on a private business dealing that two parties have agreed agreed to.

Thank you. Miss Brawley. Thanks. Yeah, I appreciate the dialogue and the timeliness of this issue. It's interesting, the, the issue of private covenants and basically private land use is something that I as a planner have, have looked into.

There was a recent conference I attended and there was discussion about this, and it's really for governments, it's actually a very sticky problem. Which is if you essentially have private zoning or the equivalent of zoning or the equivalent of use restrictions put into your plat notes by another, another private party, it makes it really difficult to deal with. So I think that's one thing to think about is as local government, we use zoning and land use rules in a certain way. And then we've already discovered really other layers of, of, of issues that really make it difficult for a place to, for, for, to the point of property rights, for property to change over time as it changes hands. Can lock property in in a way that is not conducive to the public interest and is not flexible and is, and is completely separate from government regulation, essentially, and which is what land use and zoning is.

In terms of— these are also anecdotal stories, but another couple of stories I heard, one was I talked to a developer who's worked in this town for a long time about just— not before this issue came up, about how grocery stores are are sited. And there's been multiple instances in this town of, for example, a company buying the land across the street or really, again, kind of using— if you look at it like the chessboard, right, they're using our land as a chessboard of where they want to control or keep influence and keep their competitors out. So this is one example of that. Another one is literally where you buy land and preclude your competitors from operating there. And that's, that's happened as well.

Another one is this, this store in Anchorage is closing at the same time that one in, I think it was Beaver City, Oregon, is closing. And it was framed in the article I found as two old stores closing. So I think we should also be careful about making assumptions of why these businesses are closing. It is very common for retailers or any business really to— sometimes they remodel their stores. A lot of Oftentimes they just build a new one and they sell that property and they close it.

In Oregon, there was literally a new— it wasn't a Cars, obviously— it was a new Safeway store built across the street several years before they closed this store. So clearly when they built that store a few years ago, probably that was when they decided to do that. And so I think it's also important to keep in mind these industries do make very long-term decisions and they make strategic decisions for their own interest. And then the problem is where it does not intersect well with the public interest. So all that to say, I support it.

I think it's true that Safeway has not been operating in this town very long, but I think the, the grocery industry and really the real estate industry is very sophisticated and has a lot of reasons for what it does. And also, we need to protect the public interest. And so I appreciate this item. I appreciate the kind of preemption of using de facto anti-competitive restrictive plat notes to keep other people from doing business in a neighborhood. And again, appreciate the sponsors bringing this forward and Mr. Smith for doing that research.

Thank you.

Mr. Voland. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I do want to respond. It was asserted that this is targeted toward one business.

I'm going to argue that that is not the case. There may be, you know, a situation that is precipitating this code change. I think that often happens in policy where you have to be responsive to something that's happening in your community. But this same prohibition would prevent Red Apple or Nusagaya or Little Bear— what was that— Three Bears from, you know, from doing the same. It's not just targeted towards Safeway and Carr's.

So it would be broadly applicable. On the note about, you know, this— I don't know, I'll just say when it comes to, like, the anti-competition element, I think these type of restrictive covenants actually work against a free market economy. Economy. And then in terms of the government reaching in, I'll just say, you know, if the federal government hadn't reached in, we would still have potentially racially based deed restrictions. Those were an acceptable practice at one time in our country, and it's shameful now, and it's easy to try to distance ourselves from that.

However, there are deed restrictions that are still, you can find them. They are no longer legally enforceable because the government reached in and said, "No, you cannot do this. These are not, these don't work anymore. These are null and void." But there's deed restrictions in neighborhoods like Rogers Park. The reason that Fairview partially— I'm not going to say it's the sole reason, but one of the reasons that Fairview is so diverse, and it's something we celebrate now, but one of the reasons is because of a history of redlining, racist housing practices.

Yes, in Anchorage. This is not something that just happened in the South. It happened here. And people were told these are the neighborhoods where you You cannot live. These are the neighborhoods where you can.

And adding to that history is what I was alluding to earlier, when what happened to that vibrant neighborhood where people of color were allowed to live? We drove a highway through the middle of it. We attained right of way. That neighborhood has been systemically Depressed. Economic disinvestment because of transportation mistakes of the past.

That is one of the reasons. So if we're looking for context and we're looking to play the blame game and we want to just blame it on public safety issues, we, we also need to pay attention to that element. And I'll just reiterate that this body did appropriate hundreds of thousands of dollars for public safety response in Fairview. To do, partially because some of the issues that were happening at the grocery store. And what did we want?

Our intent at the time was we wanted patrols. We wanted officers on the ground walking in the neighborhood, being a deterrent force to crime, because folks were worried about the grocery store.

The administration at the time chose not to spend that money for months. I repeatedly had to follow up. What is happening with this money? When they finally did start spending it, what did they do?

Officers were in their cars issuing traffic tickets, traffic citations, not what was requested by the legislative intent, which was boots on the ground, people in the community building relationship, really addressing the public safety issues. So I just want to add all of that into the historical context and the more recent context. Thank you, Mr. Chair. All right.

I have myself in the queue. Mr. Constantine. So there wasn't one thing that Mr. Bolland just said that I disagree with. I can say to my friends in Fairview who are listening right now, who are facing this crisis, my work is almost done here. Someone is ready to take on the challenge.

This ordinance is about restrictive covenants on depressed properties, essentially. And so I can comfortably also speak about the road. And the fact is, DOT in 2017 had $5 million appropriated to start fixing that road, and then it pushed to 2018, and it pushed to 2019, and then it pushed to 2023, and now it's 2027, and someday never comes. The systematic infrastructure-based failure to fix this part of town, and part of town in which when you're walking to the grocery store in the piled-up snow, if you stand on the sidewalk and you put your elbow on your hip and you reach your hand out from your hip, you will lose your hand to an 18-wheeler blazing down the road. And then 300 feet on either side of it is in the shadow of the right-of-way of that highway.

So ultimately, we have a federal highway that's done more damage to this property than any poverty issue, any crime issue, any failure of the state to address behavioral health care, any failure of the state to provide enough jail and courts. And so all of that is true, and this is a very narrowly tailored piece of legislation that will protect a very narrow use, though there very likely will be a secondary version of this coming forward that addresses pharmacies. We didn't get it in the kind of short timeline we had between the announcement of the potential sale and today to capture that without having to take 2 more weeks to sort it out. And this contract could be closed in 2 weeks. And so I do understand the concerns about the kind of— is this government reaching in?

And I would note that in the version we had, it says that if there is a grocery store essentially within half a mile of this location, then this ordinance doesn't apply, right? And so we're— we did our very best to be as narrowly targeted as possible to capture the essence of protecting the neighborhood. I also would add that Albertsons is the new kid on the block. The newest grocer in Alaska from outside. So they haven't for a long time possessed that property.

And in fact, Safeway hasn't really been there that long. This store has been a grocery store before Albertsons, before Safeway. And it was traded in the transaction when Albertsons acquired Safeway. That's why it transferred there. And then before that, it was a Carr's, an actual true Alaskan Carr, you know, Larry Carr, David Gottstein grocery operation in the middle of kind of historic Anchorage's heart.

And so there is no argument that this property was Albertsons' in spirit. It's the neighborhoods, and this protects the neighborhood. So I ask you to support this. Anybody else? Members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 10 to 2, AO 2025- 55 as amended has passed the body.

Miss Baldenday, at the risk of drawing the ire of my friends on the dais, uh, I would like to move to reconsider AR 2025-24 S1. That's— we have two important things, omissions to clean up. Second, there is a Motion to reconsider item 11A, which is a— oh, it is AR— AR 2025-24 S1 as amended. Moved by Ms. Baldwin-Day, seconded by Mr. Martinez. Any discussion?

If there is no discussion, I would like to move constant amendment 1. Hold on, we have to take the motion first. We have to take up the motion first. Mr. Rivera. Yeah, thank you.

Um, could you specifically detail what the issues are? Uh, yes, absolutely, Mr. Rivera. Um, so, um, we need to create some accuracy within this document. We've actually adjusted the conditions for approval, but we did not adjust the assembly's findings with respect to the timing of the new MOU between the Midtown Community Council and the applicant. Which is addressed by Constant Amendment 1.

And then we failed to add a date for completion of the HVAC installation, that permanent solution, in Section 2. And so those are two important pieces that need to be rectified before we can put this matter to bed. Okay, thank you. All right, with any further discussion on the motion to reconsider? Hearing and seeing none.

Yes, urge a yes vote on this question, please.

Member Presrudia.

On a vote of 10 to 2, AR 2025-24 S1 as amended is now back before us. Um, Miss Baldwin-Day, uh, move constant Amendment 1. Second.

Yes. Uh, so as I— hold on one sec. There's a motion to amend by Miss Baldwin-Day, seconded by Mr. Voland, and I don't know that I have it in front of me. Go ahead and read it if you wouldn't mind.

Now I have to find it.

I think it's here. Here you go. Different binder. I got it. All right.

So the purpose here is, again, to alter the language of the S-1 to reflect that the applicant and the Midtown Community Council are in the process of crafting a new MOU that is not, in fact, completed. And so, um, Ida, AR Section 2, page 5, beginning at line 14, reads, the Midtown Community Council and the applicant are in the process of negotiating a new memorandum of understanding that will specifically identify a process to discuss any concerns around the applicant's operations and community impacts. The community council and the applicant anticipate executing a new MOU in June of 2025. Any discussion Any discussion on the amendment? Mr. Voland.

I'll just say as a point of information that we're on item 12A, not— oh, I think you said 11A. 12A. Thank you. Anything on the amendment?

No. Okay. Then members may proceed to vote on the amendment.

On a vote of 11 to 1, the amendment has passed. Ms. Baldwin-Day.

Thank you, Chair. I would like to make a verbal amendment to add a date for completion of the HVAC installation. This is in Section 2, page 5, line 26, and that date will be July 14th. That is the Monday following the projected date of reception of the needed parts, the HVAC system itself, and the installation timeline that was provided by the applicant in the letter that they filed. Second.

So motion to amend by Ms. Baldwin-Day, seconded by Mr. Voland. Any further discussion? Ms. Silvers.

So how does that work if they delay and don't put it in by that date? Then what happens?

So, um, I, I, so I, can I restate the question slightly? So what happens if delivery is delayed because of shipping matters or some other items occur? Is that a fair restatement of your question? And, um, I think that my initial reaction to that question, to this date, was it might be wise to add just 2 more weeks even though they gave a date. And then press them.

But what would happen is they would be out of compliance. Yeah, Miss Sprawley. Yeah, I'll move, uh, to amend the amendment to change the date from July 14th to July 31st.

I will second. Mr. Hurt, there's a question on the amendment. Um, What are we deleting?

Sorry, if you— the chair, if you look at the actual AR, there is an insert date in braces.

Thanks. So we're deleting insert date? That's being deleted, yes. Thank you. The clerk is now clarified.

Voland.

And then also Ms. Brawley made an amendment to the amendment seconded by Voland which changes the date to July 31st.

7:31? Yeah.

And then I think to answer your question a little more pointedly, if they are showing good faith and things are close and it is just a matter, then the assembly could delegate to the clerk action, certain action, and they could figure it out. So by resolution, we can figure this out.

Any further discussion on the amendments? Hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 11 to 1, AR 2025-24 S1, as amended, as reconsidered, as amended, has now passed again. I actually—. I believe that was just the amendment. Yes, I'd like to call the Call the question. I'm ready to be done.

You don't need to call the question. Any further discussion? Any further discussion? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote. Sorry, I thought that was on the main.

So now we're voting on the amendment. Sorry, guys.

Yeah, July 3rd. Member Silvers.

On a vote of 11 to 1, the amendment has passed. Now we're back on the main motion as amended. Any further discussion? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

Okay, now on the main motion as amended.

All right, on a vote of 11 to 1, AR 2025-24S1, as amended, as reconsidered, as amended, has now passed the body again. Okay, that is all of our standard public hearings. Oh no, we have one more. Item 14F is AO 2025-57, an ordinance amending Anchorage Municipal Code Section 3.2 20.070 and 26.30.025 to clarify the responsibilities from the municipality for implementing the 1991 Fish and Wildlife Agreement. The public hearing on this item is now open.

Anyone wish to be heard on this item? Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none, public hearing is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve.

Second. There's a motion to approve by Miss Brawley, seconded by Mr. Voland.

Mr. Constantine. Thank you. So this ordinance is a bit of a restoration ordinance, I think, is how I would frame it. We are restoring the code to the posture we were in, in 2000— or 2020, let's say 2020— in relationship to how we operate our utilities. So the charter grants the assembly the authority to manage and operate utilities.

It's a very interesting carve-out for policy setting. And during kind of the time when the tensions rose the highest, when there were agreements being made and signed that had approval requirements that never made it to this body for deliberation as the law required, the assembly asserted a more direct role in the navigation of policy setting and implementation of our utilities. And so what this ordinance does is restores us back to the position where we were at, which leaves generally the operation to the administration and the mayor to guide the policy process. And, um, what this does ultimately is it it helps to harmonize the relationships between the primary parties of the 1991 agreement, which really are Chugach Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association, and the municipality through its ownership of Anchorage Hydropower. And so this is an attempt by the former vice chair and myself and this body to harmonize the process so we can make progress in restoring our vote on the Anchorage Hydropower Utility, because this is an essential ingredient, we believe, to getting approval by the, like, Regulatory Commission of Alaska to get our vote back.

Because at this point, it seems that they have made the decision that if, if we all don't come to an agreement and refile something that is in harmony, then we won't see that vote for 30 years or more. And so that's an untenable position. So with that, I don't know if the administration has anything to add, the Department of Law, but I think that generally covers it if I haven't missed anything. And so with that, I'll recognize Ms. Brine.

I just had a very small— doesn't even need a floor amendment, um, just a scribbler's error. Page 3, line 26 should read beginning July 1, 2024. 2024, Not 2025. So I just wanted to note that. Thank you.

Page 3, line 26.

All right. Anyone else on this question? Seeing, hearing? Oh, you took yourself out and now you're back. Go ahead.

So to clarify, you believe that this policy change needs to happen in order for the municipality to restore its vote? Well, it's not quite so simple, but ultimately it is a key step in the process of harmonizing the relations between all the parties so that we can have our vote back, among other benefits. Yeah, if it were only so simple. You'll all come to learn If nothing else, then members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AO 2025-57 has passed the body. And you might not be able to see it, but the attorneys are clapping inside.

So next up we have item 15A. 15A is Resolution 2025-136. 7, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly stating its conditional protest regarding the renewal of restaurant eating place license number 5635 for Falena East LLC, DBA Falena Downtown, located at 137 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Public hearing on this item is now open. Anyone wish to be heard on this item?

Anyone at all? Seeing and hearing none, public hearing is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve. Second.

That was moved by Mr. Wallin, second by Miss Raleigh, I think. Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-137 has passed the body. Next we have item 15B, Resolution 2025-138, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly stating its conditional protest regarding the transfer of ownership of restaurant eating place license number 563— that can't be right.

I'm going to postpone or hold this item. I'm going to read 15C.

We're going to skip on to item 15C. We'll come back to item 15B. 15C is AR-2025-139, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly stating its conditional protest regarding a new restaurant eating place license number 16324 for Uncle Joe's Inc., DBA Uncle Joe's Pizzeria, located at 6839 Jewel Lake Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99502. Public hearing on this item is now open. Anyone wish to be heard on this item?

Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none, public hearing is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve. Second.

Moved by Miss Brawley, seconded by Mr. Myers. Any discussion on this matter? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

Member—. Oh, there we go.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-139 is passed the body. Next we have item 15D. 15D is Resolution AR 2025-140, Resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly stating its conditional protest Regarding the transfer of location of package store license number 2386 for Holiday Alaska LLC, DBA Circle K, located at 1501 Abbott Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507. The public hearing on this item is now open. Anyone wish to be heard on this item?

Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none, public hearing on this item is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve. Second.

Moved by Mr. Myers, second by Ms. Baldwin-Day. Any discussion on the matter?

Seeing and hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-140 has passed the body. Next we have item 15E, resolution AR 2025-146, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly Approving an alcohol special land use permit for package store license number 2386 for the Holiday Alaska LLC, DBA Circle K, in the B-3 General Business District, located at 1501 Abbott Road. The public hearing on this item is now open.

Anyone who should be heard on this item? Anyone at all? Seeing and hearing none, public hearing on this item is now closed. Let's poll the body. Move to approve.

Second. Moved by Ms. Brawley, seconded by Mr. Boland. Any discussion on this matter? Seeing, hearing none, members may proceed to vote.

Uh, moved by Brawley, seconded by Boland.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR2025-146 has passed the body.

Got it. Okay, thank you for clarifying, Mr. Johnson. So it's from— thank you. Item 15B then is Resolution 2025-138, a resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly stating its conditional protest regarding the transfer of ownership, restaurant eating place license number 5635 Hollows Inc., DBA Alaska Burger and Brew Downtown, located at 137 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501.

Public hearing on this item is now open.

Anyone wish to be heard? Anyone at all? Seeing, hearing none, public hearing is now closed. What's the will of the body? Move to approve.

Second. Moved by Mr. Mullin, seconded by Mr. Rivera. Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, members may proceed to vote.

On a vote of 12 to 0, AR 2025-138 has passed the body. That concludes our business agenda tonight. We'll take up audience participation now. Anyone wish to be heard? Welcome, please come forward.

Come forward, state your name, what part of town you are from. You will have 3 minutes.

Guten Tag. Mein Name ist Sharon Jackson. Ich lebe in Deutschland, wenn ich 10, 11 und 12 war. Ich spreche Deutsch. I'm speaking German.

You noticed? The reason I'm speaking German is I'm scared of what's happening here in Anchorage, Alaska. And we're wonderful people. So if it's happening here, it's happening elsewhere. I'm passing out this stuff because I complained about 3 things that happened to me in the Anchorage library.

And I'm really, I'm really sad because I did not tell you the full story. I have been gang stalked for 11 years. Please vet me. I have 4 psychologists, mental health experts that will support what I'm saying.

In the packet, you'll find definitions some things I saw on websites about hate groups. You'll see the hurdles I faced while I was trying to get the footage of the police officers. You'll see the timeline of my gang stalking, and I call myself Me Too times 4. I'm Black, I'm a female, I'm old, and I'm fat. And I'm not listened to.

Please help us. There are other people in this town that are being gang stalked. I'm not the only one.

But I'm the canary. I'm the canary in the coal mine to let you know what's going on.

United States is better than this. Anchorage is better than this. The reason why I haven't called you guys is my phone has been hacked. I can call out, but when I have people call in, the phone gets— well, it gets hacked. I mean, it doesn't work.

I was going through 4— no, 7 phones in a year. I have information you You can hear about the hacking. There's pictures. The worst picture is when I went to the FBI. I got home soon after.

I was taking a shower and my shower exploded. It was a couple days later. But I mean, things like this have been happening to me. And I've given you a lot of information.

I want to ask for your help. And a lot of the Jewish people weren't listened to in Nazi Germany. Please listen. Thank you. Thank you.

Welcome. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes. Yes, sir. Thank you.

My name is Joyce Marsh. It's spelled M-A-R-S-H. I'm from Spinard. I'm here about the illegal camping at URE Park. That's spelled U-R-E.

I sent an email to all of you on April 24th about this situation. It's a unique camp that— or it's a unique park. I'm not good at public speaking, sorry. It's about 3.5 acres. And it's surrounded by residents on all sides.

Mine is right next to it. I only have one chain-link fence between this park and mine. And I only got a response from two of the assembly members, and I've been in contact with Thea, who's been, you know, really helpful in communicating with me. However, I have just been notified that abatement people are going to be busy for at least the next month with the big camp. And I know there's problems everywhere.

And so it will be over a month before Uri Park is even on the list. In the meantime, we've had multiple fires, a huge 6-foot fire with 3 explosions and propane tanks, and the fire department— and this is next to my home. I understand that the present administration says housing first. I believe safety first. I am not safe in my home.

I do not feel I can leave without constant—. Having constant surveillance what these people are doing. And I've lived here since the '80s. And I used to think having a park next To me was a good thing. And we had the Spinnard Lions Club there, the food bank, we'd help out.

And if there were illegal camping or destruction, they'd be gone within 3 weeks. Now we have drug use, constant foot traffic, people coming and adding to the camp. I'm asked how many people. I— the topography is such I have to walk halfway through the camp and peer over and down. I don't feel safe doing that.

The first time I walked down the trail and saw them, they all started yelling at me. I'm worried about my dog in the backyard. I understand the homeless need homes. But we've got to admit, there's a certain percentage of them who will never accept housing or the rules that are required. They need a place to camp because they always will camp.

And when you make this big abatement, then they just move into the neighborhoods, and that's what happened here. I'm sorry. Thank you. Just if I were your mother, would you say this was okay? Would you let me live like this?

Ma'am, your time has expired. I know. Thank you.

Welcome. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes. I'm William Baxter. I'm from Fairview, but I, uh, I, uh, went to the FFA convention, the state convention.

It doubled this year. Future Farmers of America. The FFA is in the high schools, junior high, and also 6th graders can go in the FFA. But usually it's around schools and that. But I have, I also at my church we have 4-H meetings and they complain about not, you know, they have goats and sheep at their, you know, raise chickens.

And stuff like that. But, but, you know, the 4-H FFA is growing, really growing a lot. There's a lot of interest going on. And thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome. Please state your name, what part of town you're from. You'll have 3 minutes. Oh, it's on. Oh, you just turned it off.

There you go. I'm sorry.

Hello, I am Ms. Sophia O'Neill, and I'm a resident of Eagle River.

I'm here to talk about rentals, safety, and landlords. On February 11th, I gave— here I gave my gun speech. I look so tired, suffering from 6 weeks of sleep deprivation. I went to my landlord to plead why construction is 11 PM to 6 AM. No accommodation or compensation was offered, only a promise it would cease and be done at a more reasonable time.

He was out of the country and he said he was doing his best. I asked him to promise because I would pay him 3 months' rent or I could move. He accepted the payment of rent ahead. I did this to move things along and to ensure he would attend to the problem. Well, that didn't happen.

In total, 6 weeks of unimaginable noise and earthquake-type vibrations. All 10 apartments dealt with this. I called finally code enforcement myself and the problem finally stopped. Code enforcement led to abatement inspections and fines. The laundry room, a dryer sitting in water, all fixed, and then a notice to us to vacate in order to do repairs.

But a call to code enforcement allowed that not to happen because repairs could happen without forcing anyone to leave. But then a notice to all tenants, a $60 increase of rent would occur. Everyone was angry at me. All year, leaks, electrical shorts, plumbing problems. All tenants were afraid to complain and buying bottled water to drink and experienced electrical shorts.

No one would speak up with housing shortages, but I did, using documented evidence and patient diplomacy with the landlord, until the noise went just too far and I called the code enforcement. I presented the landlord with the rights of a tenant in regards to it all over the course of a year, and his response: "I'll give you one month's compensation, but no one else." I got this knowing how to argue my legal rights. And knowing I put up with— his knowing that I put up with a lot over the course of a year, he conceded. The other tenants are all equally entitled to compensation, to not have to face a $60 increase in their rent. Well, I'm here before you and the public today because I was able to prove and be compensated, and I did not expect him to say, "Just you." I am also here because I speak the truth, and I've been hammered for it by fellow tenants and members of the public.

Thank you for listening.

All right, anyone else wish to be heard?

Not— please come on down.

Welcome. Please state your name or part of name of town you're from, you'll have 3 minutes. Yeah, hi, uh, Jamie Lopez, East Anchorage, uh, formerly Coalition for the Homeless. So, uh, totally unprepared remarks. Um, uh, it's tough act to follow in a lot of different ways from the various speakers, the first to the last.

But, um, the one that kind of hit me was the lady who's over in the Spenard area, and she was describing a situation of fire that happened at Northwood. And I can tell you, I know who that lady is because I tried to help her literally a day after by calling somebody who was privately going to purchase her a tent. She'd been out there the better part of years, close to 4 to 5 years, and the situation was typically, you know, people when you're in a survival aspect or environment, you either chop down firewood or you have to find a way to pay for propane or you're frostbite early losing fingers and toes, or excuse me, or death. And so the main thing is she had propane tanks. Somebody was attempting to refill one, and it essentially, you know, did not end well.

And so there are ways that you can deal with this problem, but a lot of the times the things that get reported in the news are specifically, you know, the incident. But what about the people? The people that are affected by this and not just the homeowners, but the people that are stuck outside and they don't have places to go. And so as a result of this, you know, she got some temporary support, but then the camp was abated. And so naturally it just shifts and it doesn't go anywhere.

And so without pushing this issue much further, I hope there's more discussion in the coming weeks about how to support people that are outside. Because the shelters are decompressing, specifically non-congregate hotels, and there still will be some beds. But there will be hundreds of people left outside, and they do need places to go. They do need support. They do need food, electricity, and some of the other things.

And the question then becomes, what is the planning to try and help these people, not only in the short term, day to day to the next day, but in the coming weeks and months and years to follow until housing this bill. And also, not everybody's going to go into housing. This lady said some will not acclimate back into society, and that also needs to be part of the equation on how you deal with this problem. Thank you.

All right, anyone else wish to be heard tonight? All right, we'll move on now to member comments. Mr. Presverdia.

Thanks, everybody. Great meeting. Good job, Chair. Have a good night. Be safe, everyone.

Mr. Gerker. Yeah, Noah, if you're watching this, it's past your bedtime, bud. Go to bed. Mr. Rivera. No comments, thank you.

Ms. Silvers. No comments, thank you. Mr. Boland. I will just say congrats to our new leadership team and to all of my colleagues on a very efficient meeting. Thank you.

Ms. Brawley. No comment, thanks. Mr. Johnson. Mr. Wilson. No comment, thank you.

Ms. Baldwin-Day. I would just like to express gratitude to my colleagues here on the dais for their patience with the procedural issues and also gratitude to Mr. Hurt for being an invaluable resource. Mr. Martinez. No comments. Mr. McCormick.

No comments. Mr. Myers. No additional comments, thanks, Chair. I have a couple of things. One, I think one of the coolest things about the election that just passed, I'm just going to keep pointing this out.

How many members of this body have children? Raise your hand.

So full half of this body is currently parenting. I think if we were to do some research into the history of this body, this is the first time this has ever existed in our municipality. And it is— great considering some of the great challenges we face, that your perspectives are going to be real and firsthand and help get us to a finer point on the questions that matter relating to children and childcare. And I will speak to one last thing. I won't keep you much longer, I promise.

I do want to thank the administration for putting forward their Turning the Tide document. Obviously a document is just a document, and unless it follows up with action, it doesn't mean much. But this document, and I won't read all 5 pages, but some of the key points, it states that, and this I agree to be true, that for the first time, the municipality has established a year-round safety net of both shelter and services. This is starting to work. That we are shifting out of crisis mode, which means we will have a steady hand instead of we We ramp it up in the winter and we shut it down and then we have to figure out how to ramp it up again every year.

That cycle is disastrous in the terms of continuity. For the first time, we are going to sustain 300 beds of shelter.

Problematically, though, of course, every year we see a surge of homelessness in camping as the summer comes around and gets warm and we're seeing people all over town and it is realistic and it's it's difficult. We've been working to— and they're working to tighten the safety net so that people have options for services. But at the same time, we have to abate camps. We have to clean up neighborhoods. And so this administration has cleaned up 3 substantial camps, and that's not counting the quick short-term ones that have had to be dealt with.

But as we know, Anchorage is not alone in this. Cities across America are experiencing greater homelessness, and Alaskans are experiencing this. And this ends up becoming an issue in our neighborhoods statewide. So the administration recognizes no one has a right to make people feel unsafe or unwelcome on public lands or in their neighborhoods. And so what that means is the administration is committing to securing our public spaces like we haven't seen in years.

And I look forward to seeing what that looks like. They will, according to their publication, enforce the law to the greatest extent possible to respond to both public safety and health threats in our community, which we heard testimony about tonight. And so we do have limited resources. It is going to take time to ramp this up. But for those who have expressed concern that we need to take a more firm hand on the question of what people do in our public spaces, I think The answer to that is it's starting to happen, and I hope not for forbearance, but I hope that we see the results soon.

With that, then, I would say thank you all for your work and your first meeting, new members, first full meeting. You're starting to get a flavor of— and to all of us old hats, thank you for a fairly efficient meeting. With that, I would ask for a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second.

We are adjourned. Turned.

They all think I did something bad, I did something bad. Never question the hell they ask. Say, if they owe me money, if they owe me something, let's go round and spend it all. Say, I'm not very lucky. If they owe me something, let's go round and spend it all.

Very lost. Oh, things hadn't going my way. I've been on both lows and the grass is greener over on this side. Let me take.