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Minutes for HALO Board Meeting December 1, 2005
Holy Spirit Retreat Center
President Chris Hamre opened the meeting at 7:04 pm. Other board members present were John Weddleton, Judy Moerlein, Dianne Holmes, Bill Lameroux, Dan Stone, Gerry Guay, Annie Mabry, Rodney Powell, Katie Nolan, and Ryan Stencel. Jeff Lentfer was excused.
Approval of Minutes: Judy moved and Chris seconded the approval of the October minutes. Approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: Savings/Legal Fund $10,544.19; Checking/Membership Fund $3,724.56. Question—should the two accounts be combined into one savings account? The treasurer should advise us when he returns.
Legislative and Assembly Reports: Rep Bob Lynn said he has been visiting schools before he leaves for Juneau. Senator Bunde’s wife died last night. Judy moved and Katie seconded a proposal to spend up to $150 for a contribution to Mrs. Bunde’s memorial. Passed unanimously. Judy will deal with this. Janice Shamburg was present but had to leave before giving her report.
Mr. Lynn was asked if he could secure some of the federal DOT funding to complete the Hillside District Plan’s transportation study component. We are to send him a request and information.
Presentation: Don Keefer of AWWU (Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility) spoke on AWWU’s part in the HDP and AWWU’s water and sewer expansions. He explained that storm drainage systems are separate from sewer systems. Glossary he used: TID--Trunk Improvement District (sewers); WID—Water Improvement District; LID—smaller, lateral sewer improvement district; LUC—Levy upon Connection; Benefited Property—if a property would benefit by a line being run by the parcel, then a person may petition to be hooked up.
People pay for a portion of the lines across their property through 3 mechanisms:
1. special assessment programs under an assessment district,
2. special assessments under LUC Water Assessment Procedures,
3. developers’ extensions under a Main Extension Agreement.
There are misconceptions of AWWU’s programs with varying ideas on forcing hook ups.
The HWMP (Hillside Wastewater Management Plan) was last updated in 1982 and has been amended 13 times. It covers an area south of Abbott and recommends areas for public water and sewer. The 13 amendments have been made at the borders of the HWMP by developers.
Procedures for Special Assessment Improvement Districts
There are three hurdles to amending the HWMP to create a Spec. Assessment Improv. District after a neighborhood requests the improvement: 1) ballot goes out to determine residents’ preferred cost method; 2) 2nd ballot goes out and must get 51% approval; 3rd assessment of actual costs at end of project.
TRUNK (TID) District is for a much larger area than a LID, like when lines must go farther to reach a service area. Everyone pays 5-10 cents per sq ft (the benefited area) whether connecting or not.
Capial Extensions (public funds) & Master Plans Programs (no ballots) requires Assembly approval if there are to be assessments. This would be where lines are brought up a long distance and there would be a meeting of all the owners along the way; the assessment method will be Levy upon Connection (LUC) with a 20 or 30 yr pay out. The LUC cost will be determined by the costs in the yr of construction.
For Private Development and Master Plans (private funds) (no ballots)—would be for developers’ properties. Other properties that might benefit would pay by LUC. If utilities must pass by an area in order to reach a development beyond, the farthest development may elect to be reimbursed by those other properties when they hood up. The Assembly must create a LUC district but people will have a 3-yr reimbursement agreement for water although sewers follow a different method.
AWWU is now run by a management authority board under Title 31. __.
Regarding the question of requiring a household to hook up to public utilities—the banks often have the final say; good working on-site systems must be proven through perc tests, well yield, etc. Title 15.65.110 demands that connections must be made if a secondary waste disposal site isn’t available or if a sewer line is available along a side of the lot, or if the line will be available in a yr; or if the lot size is less than 40K sq ft. Public utilities can be extended to large lots but the cost is high. Health considerations also are a determining factor as is the Muni code (15.65.110), which addresses other connection requirements.
Don said that on-site services and AWWU should work together on HDP. The Assembly directed AWWU to look at the downstream infrastructure and to build their lines one size larger to accommodate future hillside wastewater.
The urban/rural boundary that is to be set in the HDP process, should also set where the HWMP boundary will be.
For public sewers, it is possible to have community wastewater systems rather than directing everything to the Pt Woronzof plant. Regarding water—will water for the new subdivisions come from huge community wells or Eklutka Lake? Eklutna Lake, probably.
Wayne Westburg, with M&W Drilling, reported that blasting bedrock for long distances may not create long-term effects, but now developers don’t have to blast because they have machines that ‘rip’ the rock.
Heritage Hills Subdivision will be built with on-site utilities at R-6 zoning.
Hillside Bus Tour comments: the recent tour included Connie Yoshimura’s representatives, Title 21 Real Estate Task Force members and some residents. They looked at street widths on steep slopes and better design techniques; 100 ft vegetative buffers are sometimes needed. What has been learned is that houses need to be placed close to the road on parcels with steep slopes as it means less fill is required, which leaves more buffers.
2020 is hindsight and realtors say that trails and such amenities relate to a higher property value and a make a better development. Utilities put along the front of the property disturb less land and vegetation, but Chugach Electric wants to put them in back.
Hillside District Plan (HDP): There are various methods to proceed: HALO and CCs can take action (which the newly passed ordinance allows for); we can ask the MOA for funds or get grants; or we can let the MOA do it.
There is about $300K this coming year of tax supported funds for HDP and perhaps there will be a similar amount in next yr’s MOA budget. Katie sees little community involvement in MOA’s scope of work. All three options should be e-mailed to the councils for their input, but this is a complex issue.
Wayne Westburg would like to see each issue/topic sent around to each council for their input so we can produce a position paper, eventually, on each of the eight topics listed in the 2020 Plan and each one listed in the MOA’s scope and others as noted at the HDP meeting on September 29th. The full HDP Committee should be involved in this process. Wayne would like to see the HDP updates posted to the HALO website. Wayne and Katie offered to work together to produce a draft for HALO and councils.
Motion by Katie and second by Ryan to write a letter to the MOA asking about the use of the $300K that was budgeted for the HDP and requesting that we have a seat at the table in how it is to be used as well as in the selection of the project manager. Passed unanimously.
Announcements: Judy reported that Amazing Grace Church said we have a file cabinet there and we need to retrieve it. Chris will do that.
Judy would like the board to share in ‘cookie’ duty. Dianne suggested rotating in alpha order of last name. Agreed.
Judy asked about the HALO/Hillside website and Katie reported it is ready to go. Judy said that we passed a motion previously to have all material for the website submitted to the president or some officers to ensure that the web reflects HALO values. It was suggested the bylaws and minutes be posted to the web. Wayne suggested that HDP updates be posted. Web address is Anchoragehillside.org.
Adjourned about 9:15pm
Submitted: Dianne Holmes, Sec
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