What is the Glen Alps Service Area?
Glen Alps Service Area, GASA, is one of 24 road service areas operating within the Municipality of Anchorage. Service areas (SA) and Limited Road Service Areas (LRSA) were established by the Anchorage Assembly under Anchorage Municipal Code (AMC) Title 27, to provide limited road maintenance services for rural roads on the Anchorage hillside. They are formed when the voters in a defined area petition the assembly to place a ballot proposition on the municipal general election ballot, and the majority of the votes cast within the defined area favor the ballot proposition.
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27.30.190 Glen Alps Service Area.
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- There is established, pursuant to Section 19.09 of the Charter, a service area within the municipality to be the Glen Alps Service Area (GASA) of the municipality, as outlined on the map located in Section 27.30.700 .
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- All of those services formerly authorized to be performed in the City of Glen Alps under state law and ordinances of the former Greater Anchorage Area Borough may continue to be exercised in the Glen Alps Service Area, provided that services formerly provided, or which could have been provided, in the former City of Glen Alps, may be transferred to new or other service areas where the assembly by ordinance consolidates service areas in which services are provided by the municipality at the same level. The Glen Alps Service Area may also provide for road maintenance/reduction and/or improvements with funds generated from a levy not to exceed 2.75 mills.
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| (AO No. 78-172; AO No. 78-229; AO No. 83-117, 1-1-84; AO No. 94-50(S), § 4, 5-3-94; AO No. 94-197(S), § 1, 1-1-95; AO No. 2004-44, § 2, 1-1-04)
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What services does the Glen Alps Service Area provide?
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Winter Road Maintenance
Keeping roads and streets clear and safe through the winter is a top priority for GASA. We also want to keep you informed about our snow-clearing program. New information will be posted on this Web site.
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- Snow and ice removal – Snow hauling activities will occur in conjunction with regular snow removal activities, when plowhed or piled snow impede the safe and efficient movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, blocks access to fire hydrants, creates unsafe sight distances, etc.
- Deicing/Abrasives - In general, roads with the highest traffic volumes are sanded first. Special attention is given to hills, curves and intersections. We inspect roads constantly to determine where traction sand is needed.
- Culvert Thawing - Culverts are steamed when ice accumulations in culverts are creating flooding problems on the road surface or private lands.
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Summer Road Maintenance
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Road grading - Grading gravel roads takes place several times per year to remove potholes and washboard conditions.
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Roadside Ditching - Ditches are inspected on a regular basis throughout the year to identify required maintenance.
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Dust Control - Calcium chloride is used once or twice per year during the spring and summer months to control dust along gravel roads.
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| Capital Projects |
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How does GASA pay for the services it provides?
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Glen Alps Service Area has a fixed independent mill levy specifically for road repair and maintenance. The Municipality of Anchorage maintains a separate fund for GASA to account for revenues and expenditures. Tax revenues, plus any other revenues, are used exclusively for the direct benefit of our service area. Expenditures of a service are expended exclusively for our service area. Revenues not encumbered or used each budget year for GASA are maintained in a fund balance account until appropriated by the Board or the Municipal Assembly.
The maximum mill rate is established by the voters in the service area, and the mill rate and annual service area budget is adopted by the Assembly. The current maximum mill rate for Glen Alps Service area is 2.75.
Prior to 2004, the mill levy rate was considered part of the Municipal Charter “tax cap” calculations performed each calendar year. However, the assembly removed service area revenues from the “tax cap” calculations for services areas that have voter approved service area mill levy, allowing service areas to request tax levies up to the maximum mill rate established by each service area voters to fund annual budgets.
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| Does the State of Alaska provide any funds for Glen Alps Road Service Area maintenance? |
In 2003, The State of Alaska eliminated service area shared revenue funding based on road miles maintained. However, service areas may be eligible for state grant funding, depending on state budget appropriations. It is anticipated that each service area will have to use their own funds for state matching grants.
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| Who determines what and how services will be provided? |
Each service area has a locally elected Board of Supervisors (Board). The Glen Alps Service Area has a 5-member Board. For more information about how the Board is elected, see How does one become a member of the Board of Supervisors?
Each Board determines the scope of work and directs the contractor doing the road work. The work consists of summer grading, road repair work, pothole repairs, drainage ditch clearing, dust control, snow removal, and ice control.
All road maintenance work is carried out by private contractors, through competitive bids, for each service area. Each service area maintains a separate fund for use exclusively for that service area. Funds not used in any calendar year are carried over to that service area fund balance for future road maintenance and repairs.
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| What are the limits to the authority of the Board of Supervisors? |
- As elected and representatives of the Municipality, GASA board members are subject to the same legislative and administrative laws of the municipality. The Board’s authority is limited to the powers and authority granted under the ordinance which created the service area, the Anchorage Municipal Charger, Anchorage Municipal Code provisions, and rules and regulations developed by the administration.
- The board has no legislative, administrative, contractual, bonding, taxing or other authority to deal directly with the public, an individual or an entity. Generally. All actions of the Service Area Board fall under the administrative authority of the municipal manager. The municipal manager has delegated certain administrative functions to Resurce Management Division, subject to the Director of maintenance and Operations Department oversight.
- The service area and board do not have authority to place any traffic signs or traffic devises. The Municipal traffic department handles traffic signs, speed bups, speed humps, etc.
- The board has no authority to use resources, including contracted services, for the benefit of private persons or property.
- The board has no authority to go onto private property without the explicit permission of the property owner.
- The board has no authority to provide services on gated private roads.
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How does one become a member of the Board of Supervisors?
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There are 5 members of the Glen Alps Service Area Board of Supervisors. Members are elected “at large” within the service area at the annual municipal general election (1st Tuesday in April). Board members are elected in accordance with the procedures prescribed in Title 27.
The term of office for a board seat is 3 years, and the terms are staggered so that as nearly as possible, a pro rata number of board members are appointed or elected for each year.
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Board Member Qualifications:
- Registered voter
- Resident of the service area
- If an elected office, not be an employee of the Municipality
Note: If a vacancy occurs between elections, an employee may be appointed until the next election
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Vacant Seats
In the case of board vacancies, a new member is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the assembly until the next municipal general election.
The seat of a board member becomes vacant in the same manner as any other elected office:
- No one files for election to a board seat.
- A board member resigns.
- A vacancy occurs on the failure of a board member to:
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- Attend 3 consecutive regular or special meetings without excuse; or
- Attend 2/3 of the regularly and special scheduled meetings during any calendar year without excuse.
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If a vacancy occurs on a board, the mayor may appoint a qualified person subject to confirmation by the assembly upon nomination from the board. The mayor also may consider individuals nominated by community councils and property owner associations.
If a resident voter in the Service area wishes to be appointed to a vacant board seat, the person should submit a letter to the mayor requesting the appointment through RMD, with a copy to the board. RMD will process the request to the mayor.
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| How will I be notified of Service Area Road Work? |
- The service area is required to provide notification to residents of roads of any pending work at least 4 work days prior to the start of work whenever summer repair work will substantially interfere with a long delay to resident driving to and from their property.
- The notification shall contain a description of the work and the duration of the work.
- The notification may be by US mail, telephone, e-mail, newspaper publication, door hangers, road signs or otherwise at the discretion of the Service Area.
- Examples of roadwork that would require prior notification are:
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Oiling of roads
Ditching affecting driveway culverts
Installing or repair of culverts across roads and intersections if detours are not available
Chip sealing, RAP work and paving
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- If the service area road work will interfere with the permitted driveway access to resident/renter private property for any period of time, the Service Area shall provide temporary access at the expense of the Service Area during the work period.
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How do I report road hazards or emergencies?
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All members of the GASA Board of Supervisors attempt to respond promptly to telephone calls and inquiries from residents regarding road maintenance, road hazards and road conditions that require immediate remedy.
For information on contacting your local Board members, go to: Current Board.html
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| What are my responsibilities as a property owner, regarding our local road service? |
GASA does not provide road maintenance or snow removal on private property. Our only concerns with your activities on your property are in regard to how those activities impact the service area roads and road maintenance. Some of these concerns are addressed in Municipal Code.
Driveway Snow Removal (Anchorage Municipal Code 24.80.090): When plowing driveways, the snow must be pushed from the driveway onto private property. Snow shall not be taken from driveways and pushed in or across the street or stored at the intersection of the street and driveway. For driveways off of a cul-de-sac, snow shall not be placed in the middle of the cul-de-sac. If configuration of the driveway will not allow for snow to be pushed onto private property, it must be either blown or placed onto private property.
Landscaping (Anchorage Municipal Code 24.70): It is the duty of the person responsible for trees growing on property abutting the road or right-of-way to:
Trim trees so as to not cause a hazard or interfere with street lighting, street maintenance, utility lines. Trees may extend over the roadway when kept trimmed to a height of 14 feet above a roadway.
- Remove any tree which become dead or is in such condition as to be hazardous to the public.
- Provide proper setback of trees, shrubs or flowers from intersections (AMC 24.70.020)
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Driveway Construction: Anchorage Municipal Ordinance 24.30.020 requires anyone who is accessing a Municipal right of way to first apply for and obtain a right of way permit. The permit must be obtained prior to beginning work in the right of way. Driveway permits are obtained at the Right of Way counter located at 4700 Bragaw Street. Driveways must be installed such that they do not adversely affect the existing public road in any way, including drainage, visibility and road surface.
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| What is the difference between a Service Area (SA) and a Limited Road Service Area (LRSA)? |
- No Term Limit: While LRSAs have a limited life and must be renewed by the majority of the voters within the defined area every 3 years, Service Areas, such as Glen Alps Service Area, have no limited life and are continuous without any term limits, unless otherwise provided for by a ballot proposition of the assembly and approved by the majority of voters within the affected area.
- Authority for Capital Work: Unlike LRSAs, Glen Alps Service Area has the authority to construct, reconstruct and rehabilitate roads within its service area, subject to funding availability. It also has the authority to seek bonding, after Assembly ordinance and ballot proposition for approvals, for roads within the service area. GASA has financial provisions for establishing a capital account for capital work .
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