New police car for $85,000

The assembly approved a request from the borough manager to pay $85,000 for a new 2024 Chevy Tahoe. The cost includes $51,880 for the actual price, to be purchased from Swickard Auto Group in Anchorage, plus modifications like radar, lights and radio for an additional $25,000. Most of the funding, $60,000, was previously budgeted. Some assembly members said they were initially concerned about the price tag. Craig Loomis said it prompted him to visit with the acting police chief, who showed him some of the current vehicles the department uses, including two of the 2014 Ford vehicles that were essentially unusable. “I looked at the current vehicles and they are pretty beat up,” said Loomis. “I think we need one for public safety.”

$41,000 for fire department strategic plan

The assembly approved a $41,000 expenditure for AP Triton to develop a strategic plan for the fire department. Member Debra Schnabel raised concerns that there was no project team named in the plan, and little public involvement with the proposal process. “I’m disappointed the assembly was not engaged in any part of the RFP. The thing that concerns me most is that it is not clear who the project team will be, in other words who will work with this contractor to develop this report,” she said. Schnabel introduced an amendment that would require the Public Safety Advisory Committee be included. The amendment passed unanimously, as did the full resolution.

Property tax assessment committee named

The assembly unanimously passed Mayor Tom Morphet’s appointments to a new ad hoc committee to look into ways to improve the city’s property tax assessment system. The assembly voted last week not to renew assessor Michael Dahle’s contract, which was up for renewal after a year of service. Dahle’s assessments have generated intense opposition from residents who said they overvalued certain properties. Morphet named Glenda Gilbert, Dan Humphrey, Paul Rogers, Kevin Forster and Stacey Prior to the committee with Scott Hansen and Diane La Course as alternates. The board will select a chair when it meets.

Assembly rule change

A rule change introduced by Mayor Tom Morphet passed Tuesday would allow any member of the assembly to introduce an item for public hearing at a meeting, provided they give a topic to the clerk eight days before the meeting.

Tie up tariffs for docks raised

The tariffs for tying up to municipal docks in Portage Cove, Letnikof and Lutak will increase under an ordinance passed by the assembly on Tuesday. The current hourly rates are $40 for regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and $80 in irregular hours. The new rates will be $50 for regular business hours and $100 for non-business hours. The changes were recommended by harbormaster Shawn Bell in a memo.

Rehearing on Lutak extraction postponed

The assembly postponed a rehearing on a project by Southeast Road Builders for resource extraction along Lutak Road. The current conditional use permit for the project allows the company to clear the area with some restrictions. The permit was granted at the final meeting of the outgoing planning commission early in November, despite concerns that the project presented erosion risks. Mayor Tom Morphet said the appellants requested that the rehearing of the permit be delayed until there was a full assembly. On Tuesday, member Ben Aultman-Moore was absent.