The Anchorage Assembly Legislative Committee convened on October 23, 2025, to review the draft 2026 Legislative Program and discuss strategy for the upcoming session. The administration presented a resource-constrained outlook, citing a potential state deficit of $300 million and declining oil prices. Key deliberations focused on the feasibility of asking for capital support for the Port of Alaska modernization, requests for affordable housing and blight reduction, and the coordination of a joint visit to Juneau. The committee also heard public testimony regarding education funding and local voice concerns.
Review of 2026 Draft Legislative Program (Nolan Clouder, Mayor's Office):
Strategic Debate on Project Quantification and Priorities:
District Priorities and Process:
2025 Legislative Visit to Juneau:
All right. Well, I'd like to go ahead and call the meeting to oh, sorry, we're recording. All right. Well, then I will call the meeting to order. We're here for the October 23rd meeting of the Assembly Legislative Committee scheduled from 2 30 to 3 30 PM. Go ahead and start with introductions, members in the room. Yara Silvers. Zach Johnson and online we have Ms. Baldwin Day. Present. All right, wonderful. I believe that's everybody. If I'm missing someone, uh speak up. If not, without further ado, let's just go ahead and dive right in. If there's a policy director would like to go ahead and jump right in the first item business review of the 2026 draft legislative program. Sure. Nolan Clouder, mayor's office. Mr. Chairman, so I have uh what you've got in front of you here is a is a draft of our legislative program. This is this has gone through, you know, the through main folks on the eighth floor. Um we've you know, we're we've crafted this uh in line with with the requirements in code for legislative program. You know, it needs to be introduced by before the budget is approved. So this is scheduled for introduction to November 18th, and then it has to be approved before December 10th and code. So we are on track for all of those, all of those requirements. Um this has been drafted, you know, for for discussion and consideration. There is, of course, when a window of opportunity and plenty of time to incorporate feedback into it. Uh, and before we, you know, before it goes on to the agenda for people by the by the body. Um we couched this one and I presented this the fee high level on it by way of reminder, the three themes of safe, secure, affordable, uh, and and that our top ask would be for capital support for the Port of Alaska modernization program. So uh so you'll see the the top request listed there for the port. Um, you know, I think we know that that that we're in a very budget constrained environment. Um, I think we've gotten that message really clearly, and we and the administration met with most of the anchorage delegation a couple of weeks ago, and that was that was definitely a clear message. But uh, but nonetheless, I think we have you know a responsibility to uh to try to get resources for the important needs that we have. And so um, and there is still you know some possibility of a general obligation bond. But so the port ask would need to be something, you know, it's it's a large dollar ask, but it is a statewide concern or um, I think as well. So the safe category is sort of is sort of where community safety, you know, is the main is the main connecting thread. The main asks that we have in there right now, um capital support for the APD real-time crime center. Um we had uh included an ask for blight reduction funding. Um this would be to uh in in for development services for their they have that nuisance abatement fund. We've been able to deploy capital from that, you know, effectively in the past to deal with nuisance properties um that don't have a chance of don't have a don't have much prospect of being rehabilitated or that are not viable for rehab. Um the um inflation adjusting the E911 surcharge, which creates revenue for the municipality. Um that surcharge hasn't been adjusted for inflation in several years, uh, and also doesn't apply to voiceover IP systems, so it's a per line charge that would create revenue that can go towards our public safety response. Um funding the community assistance program, which is always something we're always gonna have in our program. I think in one form or another, um, that's couched as public safety because you know, public safety is almost half of our budget, and um that is the likely use of that funding, you know, if we continue to get it. Um the secure category is about kind of infrastructure and resilience. Um, so I think you know, this port modernization would fit there. Um, a lot of our asks here are related to infrastructure, but but there are a few other kind of categories that fit that fit that. One is um increasing rates for general relief for assisted living. This is related, this one might require a little explanation, but this is the issue that we have. If you go to some of the the um congregate shelters that we have, you find that that there are a lot of people that are that are living with disabilities that are in those shelters, and that's not a very good and supportive environment for them to be. Um, and there's a challenge with them getting into supported, you know, assisted living arrangements because if the they're on um general relief if they're not on Medicaid, if they don't if they don't if they're eligible for Medicaid, that the reimbursement rates are too low.