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Record of Proceedings

Anchorage Assembly Meeting Summary 2025-12-11

Assembly & Committee Meetings — Thursday, December 11, 2025
BodyAnchorage, Alaska
SessionAssembly & Committee Meetings
DateThursday, December 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Yeah.

0:01

Hi, Kevin Presidian.

0:03

Daniel Bowling.

0:04

Anna Brawling.

0:05

And Christopher Constant on the phone.

0:07

We have Ms.

0:08

Silvers.

0:14

Yes, I'm here.

0:15

Thanks, Mr.

0:16

Martinez.

0:19

Thank you.

0:21

Mr.

0:22

Gates, I hear you, Mr.

0:23

Myers.

0:26

Yes, thanks, sir.

0:27

It's also joined by friends from the clerk's office, the envoysman, the mayor's office.

0:31

We've got the mayor in the room, legislative services.

0:35

So we'll dive on to the agenda.

0:38

Um have a detailed report right now.

0:42

The end of the year is coming.

0:43

There are some last minute items that are probably going to pop onto the agenda that we haven't yet seen.

0:49

The addendum isn't published yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing what's on that.

0:54

And um Tuesday may be the last meeting of the year, but we may find ourselves in a position to need to do one more.

1:01

We do tonight have a meeting of the joint uh we have a joint meeting with the native village of Aklutna, which is very exciting.

1:09

And other than that, I'll hand it to the mayor for purport.

1:15

Thank you, Mr.

1:16

Chair, and hello everybody.

1:18

Um, another beautiful but uh cold winter day for sure.

1:23

So since I last reported to you all at the December 2nd assembly meeting, there has been um quite a bit that's happened.

1:33

I'll start from the end of the week with the Alaska Municipal League and um the conference going on here.

1:40

I know that some of you have been attending those events and um meetings this week as part of the conference, and I just really feel like it's been a great opportunity to showcase the team and the work here at the municipality, and we've had folks participating on panels and who have also presented on different topics ranging from policy to AI.

2:10

I was on two panels, one about municipal communications and filling the void with facts and policy logic, and another on a defense forum panel with Mayor Grier Hopkins and also Colonel Lisa Mabbit, who's the commander of the JBARE installation, and a really big takeaway from that panel is you know, it's all about the relationship and communicating and making sure that um we reach out, which we have done, and I'm happy to report that we've got a really strong relationship just for you know the body's awareness with the folks at JBAR that um goes beyond the commander, but to an a number of members of her team with collaboration around things like snow plowing, for example, in addition to the landfill and other issues.

3:08

But anyway, we're um I'm also grateful for the opportunity to uh learn and visit with colleagues from across the state.

3:15

So yesterday we held a ribbon cutting for the micro units for recovery residences project, and um member Martinez, you know, was present at that.

3:27

I want to thank the team, our partners, the assembly for helping with this step in the right direction to provide transitional housing to those individuals seeking treatment and recovery.

3:40

I also attended a neighborhood revitalization event yesterday on Peterkin Drive in Mountain View as part of the effort to remove nuisance properties, and we know that this will help improve safety and encourage future development.

3:53

And again, thank you to members of the body for your uh support and partnership here.

3:59

Fire department held a community wildfire protection plan signing ceremony on Tuesday.

4:04

I know Chris and Anna, you were both both there for that at the AFD fire training center.

4:10

Um, and we are continuing to focus on public safety across the municipality and especially with wildland fire danger.

4:19

So I'll end by going back to Monday, which um seems more than just a few days ago when we presented the state of the city Muni address, and I want to thank um our team, our municipal workforce, our partners in the community, all of you on the assembly.

4:37

I truly believe that the outlook for our municipality for our community is positive, and we are making progress towards our shared vision of a safe, affordable and thriving community.

4:52

So thanks to all of you for your hard work and digging into the issues.

4:57

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

5:00

And I can't hardly believe we're in the middle of the holiday season and that we only have a few weeks until the year ends.

5:06

So thank you, Mr.

5:07

Chair, Chris.

5:08

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

5:10

Okay, next we'll hear uh update from the clerk.

5:14

Thank you, Mr.

5:16

Constance.

5:16

Um I just wanted to forecast that um Mandy over the year has been working on um marijuana ordinance um that is currently with council and uh that will be coming forth uh here soon.

5:33

We're excited about that.

5:35

It allows um transfer of location, which is something that uh currently doesn't allow it's uh starting to get a little bit problematic because we are having more people know right now.

5:47

Um we're also monitoring action on the short-term rentals, and we'll be ready to get going on setting up the program for that.

5:56

That one that's is adopted.

5:59

Um the election team right now is building their team of returning workers um and figuring out where they might need more assistance.

6:08

They'll be recruiting for new election workers just after the year.

6:13

And uh thanks to Alaska Association of Municipal being in Anchorage and it's for us than anything else.

6:23

Um staff was able to attend uh the Alaska Association Municipal Club titles um or conference sessions in the last uh Monday and Tuesday.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Meeting Procedures█████████████████████21%
Public Safety████████████████16%
Social Media Policy█████████████13%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Homelessness██████6%
Data Management█████5%
Urban Planning█████5%
Procedural███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Anchorage Assembly Work Plan and Policy Update - 2025-12-11

The Anchorage Assembly convened for a work session focusing on the preparation of the 2026 Assembly Work Plan, the finalization of 2025 accomplishments, and a detailed discussion on parliamentary procedures, social media policies, and pending legislative items. The meeting featured updates from the Mayor's Office, Legislative Services, and various Assembly members regarding public safety, housing initiatives, and administrative reforms. A joint meeting with the Native Village of Aklutna was scheduled to follow immediately.

Consent Calendar

  • No items were placed on the Consent Calendar; the Chair noted that the agenda was adjusted to prioritize discussion items over routine approvals to allow for deeper dives into complex work plan topics.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Safety Commission Advisory: Communications were received regarding a group intending to attend the upcoming Tuesday meeting to demand action on the Public Safety Commission. Members noted that the community desires the commission to have a meaningful role in accountability, specifically regarding subpoena power, though the Assembly leadership expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of granting subpoena powers.

Discussion Items

  • 2025 Accomplishments & 2026 Goals:

    • Member Positions on Credit: Members debated how to attribute success in the 2025 accomplishments report. One member argued against explicitly crediting the Mayor for joint projects to ensure the Assembly acknowledges its own role in driving priorities, while another member suggested the Assembly has a significant role in almost all administered projects and should feel comfortable claiming ownership of collaborative successes.
    • Housing and Homelessness: The Assembly discussed the opening of 34 tiny homes for recovery residences and the need to better articulate the Assembly's role in funding and land allocation for these projects. Members also requested updates on the Alaska Center for Treatment progress.
    • Enforcement Accountability: A strong position was expressed by members that the Assembly must prioritize "goddamn enforcement" of existing laws to combat the perception of city decline due to non-enforcement by major retailers and lack of APD response.
    • Infrastructure Planning: Members highlighted the need for the Assembly to develop its own long-range infrastructure planning tools to guide investments despite the technical control held by state bureaucrats and departments.

  • Rules Committee and Parliamentary Procedure:

    • Robert's Rules Clarification: Chair clarified Robert's Rules citations regarding speaking to motives and addressing remarks to the chair. The Chair corrected a previous citation error regarding Rule 43:44, noting that Chapter 43 ends at 40, and confirmed that no rule prevents members from presenting views of third parties if speaking on their constituents' experience. The purpose of addressing the chair is to prevent ad hominem attacks and maintain decorum.
    • Mayor's Voting Powers: Confirmation was provided that the Mayor may make motions and introduce legislation but cannot vote, with the veto power remaining exclusive to the Mayor.

  • Social Media and Public Records:

    • Official vs. Personal Accounts: Legal staff explained the Supreme Court's test for distinguishing between personal and official social media accounts. The Assembly discussed the risks of using municipal resources for partisan social media advertising. A majority expressed a preference for a "bright line rule" to avoid the complexity of fact-specific legal tests, though some members argued for the First Amendment rights to take stances on legislation via personal accounts.
    • Archiving Records: Staff noted that if members choose to use municipal funds for social media, an "Archive Social" tool must be integrated to ensure records are preserved under public records laws.

  • Legislative Updates:

    • TISDO (Transit Supportive Development Overlay): Member Martinez provided an update on the TISDO process, confirming that public meetings are currently being hosted by the Mayor's consultants and that members will continue independent community conversations. A version of TISDO is anticipated by April.
    • Public Records Amendment: Member introduced an update to address delays in public records production, responding to administrative resistance regarding the need for new staffing positions.
    • Alarm System and CWA: Proposed amendments to fix alarm false-alarm penalties (allowing waivers if a crime was averted) and a one-line removal to mandate triennial reviews of the Community Workforce Agreement.
    • Marijuana Code: An omnibus update to the marijuana ordinance is expected soon, addressing transfer of locations and short-term rental monitoring.

Key Outcomes

  • Work Plan Direction: The Assembly agreed to consolidate 2025 accomplishments and 2026 goals into a single document without separating items into "Assembly Driven" vs. "Assembly Involved" categories, deeming the distinction too fluid.
  • Prioritization Vote: The Assembly voted against prioritizing the 2026 goals, agreeing to keep the list as a "laundry list" to reflect the collective commitment of all members.
  • Next Steps:
    • A work session on TISDO and a briefing on the Grants Audit are requested for January.
    • The 2026 Work Plan will be reviewed by the Assembly in the January Rules Committee meeting prior to final approval in February.
    • Legislative Services will finalize the Robert's Rules handout and clarify the Mayor/Manager participation protocols in writing.
    • The Joint Meeting with the Native Village of Aklutna is scheduled to convene immediately following the adjournment of this session.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah. Hi, Kevin Presidian. Daniel Bowling. Anna Brawling. And Christopher Constant on the phone. We have Ms. Silvers. Yes, I'm here. Thanks, Mr. Martinez. Thank you. Mr. Gates, I hear you, Mr. Myers. Yes, thanks, sir. It's also joined by friends from the clerk's office, the envoysman, the mayor's office. We've got the mayor in the room, legislative services. So we'll dive on to the agenda. Um have a detailed report right now. The end of the year is coming. There are some last minute items that are probably going to pop onto the agenda that we haven't yet seen. The addendum isn't published yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing what's on that. And um Tuesday may be the last meeting of the year, but we may find ourselves in a position to need to do one more. We do tonight have a meeting of the joint uh we have a joint meeting with the native village of Aklutna, which is very exciting. And other than that, I'll hand it to the mayor for purport. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and hello everybody. Um, another beautiful but uh cold winter day for sure. So since I last reported to you all at the December 2nd assembly meeting, there has been um quite a bit that's happened. I'll start from the end of the week with the Alaska Municipal League and um the conference going on here. I know that some of you have been attending those events and um meetings this week as part of the conference, and I just really feel like it's been a great opportunity to showcase the team and the work here at the municipality, and we've had folks participating on panels and who have also presented on different topics ranging from policy to AI. I was on two panels, one about municipal communications and filling the void with facts and policy logic, and another on a defense forum panel with Mayor Grier Hopkins and also Colonel Lisa Mabbit, who's the commander of the JBARE installation, and a really big takeaway from that panel is you know, it's all about the relationship and communicating and making sure that um we reach out, which we have done, and I'm happy to report that we've got a really strong relationship just for you know the body's awareness with the folks at JBAR that um goes beyond the commander, but to an a number of members of her team with collaboration around things like snow plowing, for example, in addition to the landfill and other issues. But anyway, we're um I'm also grateful for the opportunity to uh learn and visit with colleagues from across the state. So yesterday we held a ribbon cutting for the micro units for recovery residences project, and um member Martinez, you know, was present at that. I want to thank the team, our partners, the assembly for helping with this step in the right direction to provide transitional housing to those individuals seeking treatment and recovery. I also attended a neighborhood revitalization event yesterday on Peterkin Drive in Mountain View as part of the effort to remove nuisance properties, and we know that this will help improve safety and encourage future development. And again, thank you to members of the body for your uh support and partnership here. Fire department held a community wildfire protection plan signing ceremony on Tuesday. I know Chris and Anna, you were both both there for that at the AFD fire training center. Um, and we are continuing to focus on public safety across the municipality and especially with wildland fire danger. So I'll end by going back to Monday, which um seems more than just a few days ago when we presented the state of the city Muni address, and I want to thank um our team, our municipal workforce, our partners in the community, all of you on the assembly. I truly believe that the outlook for our municipality for our community is positive, and we are making progress towards our shared vision of a safe, affordable and thriving community. So thanks to all of you for your hard work and digging into the issues. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. And I can't hardly believe we're in the middle of the holiday season and that we only have a few weeks until the year ends. So thank you, Mr. Chair, Chris. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Okay, next we'll hear uh update from the clerk. Thank you, Mr.

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