Mayor Mark Begich remarks
Eagle River Chamber of Commerce
Noon; Dec. 17, 2003; North Slope Restaurant

 Thanks, Chamber President George Lochner, for your introduction and service to organization and community. It’s an honor to join Eagle River’s civic and business leadership.

 I was just here last week for a productive meeting with Chamber legislative committee.

Today, I want to update you about progress made since I last addressed the Chamber in August. New Year’s Day will mark six months in office.

It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience so far. I appreciate all the support I’ve received across our community to join together to face up to our challenges. It’s clear that this community wants to be involved.

We’ve tried to bring a different approach to the mayor’s office. It can probably be described by a few simple phrases:

• Involve the public.
• Lay it on the line.
• And the glass is always half full – not half empty.

I am truly an optimist.

We’ve worked to break the gridlock on many issues over the past five months:

• A new sign ordinance after more than a year of debate.
• A comprehensive site condo ordinance after more than two years of discussion.
• Responded to safety concerns on Anchorage’s trails with the volunteer Trail Watch program. Put it together in less than 30 days.
• We opened five new dog parks.
• Closed nearly 2,000 delinquent accounts after posting the names of 21,000 people who owe the city money on the Internet and collected about $260,000.
• Re-energized the city Veterans Commission and advanced the possibility of an Alaska Veterans’ Home.
• Restructured the library to clear the way for future expansion.

The list goes on.

One challenge that occupied most of our energy was the $33 million fiscal gap, about 10 percent of the entire city budget.
My approach what was I called the “duct tape” approach. Think of applying a long strip of duct-tape to your arm, rubbing it down well and then jerking it off as fast as you can. The pain is sharp and immediate. But there is time to heal in the future.

Our goal was two-fold:

First, provide efficient core services while reducing costs. About $18 million or 54 percent of the gap is covered by improved efficiencies or reduced services.

Second, ask those who benefit from services to more equitably cover their costs, reducing or eliminating subsidies. Covering the actual cost of services raises about $15 million.

We also limited the use of one-time monies to avoid setting ourselves up in the future.

We achieved an unprecedented degree of cooperation from the community and Assembly to balance the budget. In the first time in my memory, there were nine Assembly co-sponsors of the mayor’s final budget proposal.

 There is considerable good news in the budget for the Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek and Birchwood areas.

 First, as you know, the Chugiak Volunteer Fire Unit is adequately funded and will remain just that – volunteer. The level and quality of service provided by the volunteers here is excellent.

At the same time, Eagle River Fire Station 11 will remain fully staffed and equipped, with fire and paramedic services and with all its apparatus.

We’re also beefing up police services. For the first time ever, we worked with APD on a management review to identify short-comings in staffing and other resource needs. The results were troubling. Anchorage has inadequate response to too many types of crime.

I know Eagle River suffered a rash of break-ins recently. And yesterday, a bank robbery. Fortunately, there have been arrests in both cases. I’m pleased to recognize and thank Officer James Conley for making the arrest in the bank robbery case yesterday.

One area of particular concern to me is our response to sexual assault. Unfortunately, the FBI determined that for 2002, Anchorage had the nation’s second highest rate of sexual assault. This is simply unacceptable. We’re launching efforts on three fronts to change that.

This morning, I announced an innovative program of community involvement called the Sexual Assault Community Intervention Partnership. It involves vital members of our community working with the police to prevent sexual assault.

Another initiative we’re pursuing is the creation of a new, specialized unit within the police department. This unit will focus on interrupting the cycle of sexual assault before the crimes take place. It is based on $500,000 I asked the Assembly to approve for the coming year to focus specifically on sexual assault.

Third, we’re working with our congressional delegation on what we hope will be up to $2 million in targeted funds to combat this terrible crime.

When it comes to education, I was pleased to join the community in July for ground-breaking for a new Eagle River High School. As you know, the third time was a charm getting public approval for this sorely needed school. I was pleased to support it all three times. The tity’s Heritage Land Bank has made 50 acres available free of charge for the school.

A new school will mean increased traffic on Yosemite, Hiland Road and South Eagle River Loop Road. As we prepare for the school too open in September of 2005, we’re working with the school district and state to ensure safety for those new students, especially those on foot and bikes.

Also on the education front, I support your efforts to solidify the University’s presence in Eagle River. Right now, classes are held in inadequate facilities at the former Jack White Building.

I’ve met with your board and talked to Chancellor Gorsuch about the great opportunity of increasing UAA’s presence in Eagle River. This, combined with other opportunities your Chamber has presented, could help lead to a more vibrant downtown core area located in the Valley River Center.

When it comes to transportation, there is good news. Last night, the Assembly passed an ordinance which changes the way your local roads are affected by the Anchorage tax cap. 

Since the Chugiak-Birchwood-Eagle River Rural Road Service Area has a self-imposed cap, it isn’t constrained by the muni-wide tax cap. This situation was specifically allowed for in the ordinance enacted shortly after passage of the tax cap charter amendment in the 80’s.  I don’t know why the former administration didn’t recognize it.

This means CBERRRSA can assess itself up to 2.1 mills to maintain its roads.  Along with the ordinance we passed last night, we also passed the 2004 budget amendment necessary to give you that spending authority. 

Based on the work we’ve done with Gail Dial, the CBERRRSA chair, this should allow you the resources to do a good job on your roads.

 To deliver other core services more efficiently, we’re doing several reorganizations of city departments. One is parks and recreation.

 Today, I’m pleased to announce good news for the Eagle River-Chugiak area. I’ve heard your request for a better presence here in Parks and Rec. So effective on January 1st, John Rodda will be come home to be the manager of Parks, Recreation and Community Development for the Eagle River division.

As you know, John knows this area well as a nearly 20-year resident. And he knows parks and recreation, with seven years under his belt for the city, following good work as manager of the McDonald Center. I’m pleased John has agreed to take on this assignment for the city and for the Eagle River area.

 John will have a full plate as we work to improve the parks and recreation opportunities of this area. Issues like the northwest quarter of section 25. And coordinating the efforts of the Heritage Land Bank, the Alaska Railroad and Eklutna on Beach Lake Park. Important capital projects like the Eagle River Commons, Loretta French Park Ballfields and expansion of the McDonald Center.

John also will be overseeing improvements included in next year’s capital budget:

• Completion of the Beach Lake ski chalet,
• Upgrading Chugiak pool,
• The Eagle River skateboard park,
• Upgrading area parks and playground equipment,
• Improvements to Edmonds/Mirror Lake Park,
• And continued development of the master plan for Eliassen Park.

It’s a big job but we know John is up to it.

Another city department we’re reorganizing is the assessor’s office. Our goal is more efficient, accurate, consistent and timely property tax assessments so property owners and treated fairly and the city receives its fair share.

To improve assessor’s office operations, we’re reinstating nine assessment positions eliminated in prior years, streamlining the assessment appeal process, and relocating some staff to the Permit Center.

We believe the result will be more consistent and accurate property assessments and a more equitable distribution of the city’s tax burden. Look for a new Assessment web site will which provide taxpayers with better access to property descriptions and assessments.

 As you can tell, I’m bullish on Anchorage and bullish on the Eagle River-Chugiak area. We have an ambitious agenda for our community’s economic development.

I believe our future is bright as we work together to take advantage of the enormous potential before us.

Thank you for having me here today.