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Record of Proceedings

Anchorage Public Naming Commission Meeting - October 15, 2026

Assembly & Committee Meetings — Thursday, October 15, 2026
BodyAnchorage, Alaska
SessionAssembly & Committee Meetings
DateThursday, October 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:42

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:01

Chair Hess.

0:02

Vice Chair Harrison.

0:07

Here.

0:08

Commissioner Gupta.

0:10

Here.

0:11

Commissioner Heller.

Speaker 2

0:14

Here.

Speaker 1

0:15

Commissioner Gilbert.

0:16

It's my understanding that Commissioners Harrison and Morgan are excused.

Speaker 3

0:20

Yes.

Speaker 1

0:21

You have a quorum.

Speaker 3

0:22

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

0:23

Thank

Speaker 3

0:23

you, Jasmine.

0:24

Could I get somebody to read the land acknowledgement, please?

0:34

Well I'll volunteer.

Unassigned speaker

0:38

Or

Speaker 3

0:39

you can't.

0:39

I

Speaker 4

0:40

can't do them sharing.

0:42

Land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing indigenous people of a place.

0:47

It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy.

0:54

It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity.

0:59

The public naming commission would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Denine Act baskets for thousands of years that denina have been and continue to be the stewards of the land.

Unassigned speaker

1:09

Is

Speaker 4

1:09

with gratitude and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper cooking denina.

Unassigned speaker

1:18

Thank

Speaker 3

1:19

you, Jen.

1:20

Could I get a motion to approve the agenda, please?

1:25

I get a second.

Speaker 5

1:27

Second.

Unassigned speaker

1:29

Is

Speaker 3

1:29

that Kevin that's seconded?

Speaker 5

1:31

Yes.

Speaker 3

1:33

All right.

1:34

Any discussion?

1:38

Any objection to the agenda being approved?

1:45

Seeing and hearing none, it is approved.

1:48

Can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the September 9th, 2026 commission meeting?

Unassigned speaker

1:55

I

Speaker 3

1:56

motion to approve.

2:02

Any discussion?

2:08

Seeing and hearing none, any objection to approving the minutes as written.

2:16

Seeing and hearing none, the minutes are approved.

2:18

That brings us up to our first item of unfinished business, which is the continued public hearing for the Northeast Connector Trail, honorary naming for uh the lake Carambranga.

2:30

Um I did want to make a comment.

2:33

I know some of members of the commission we've had concerns about the provision in the code that talks about the 36 months posthumous.

2:42

Um, our role as a commission, we advise the assembly.

2:46

The assembly makes the final decision.

2:48

So our role is to determine does an applicant, does it does a group or an individual that uh submits an application for an honorary naming have they made the case?

2:59

Do we believe that facility should be named for that individual or family or group?

3:06

And we would make that recommendation to the assembly.

3:10

It would be up to the assembly how they name.

3:13

They can name by resolution, which is the normal way to name, and the resolution could say that it does not take effect until 36 months posthumous, or they can name by ordinance, which would take effect immediately, and they do a notwithstanding clause regarding the 36 months.

3:32

So our job is to advise them whether or

Unassigned speaker

3:36

not

Speaker 3

3:37

we support the proposed naming.

3:40

It is up to them how they name.

3:42

I just wanted to clarify that before we start.

3:46

Um the continued public hearings.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement█████████████████████████25%
Public Service███████████████████████23%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████16%
Trail Improvements███████████████15%
Procedural████████████12%
Public Safety███3%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Public Comment██2%
Native Rights█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Anchorage Public Naming Commission Meeting - October 15, 2026

The Anchorage Public Naming Commission convened on October 15, 2026, to deliberate on four honorary naming proposals for facilities across the city. Operating in an advisory capacity to the Anchorage Assembly, the commission heard public testimony and voted on recommendations for a trail, a park, a utility headquarters, and the Assembly Chambers. Chair Hess provided key procedural clarity regarding the 36-month posthumous naming rule, emphasizing that the Assembly retains full authority over how a naming is enacted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Northeast Connector Trail (Karen Bronga): The sister of the late Karen Bronga and her niece, Rachel Dooley, testified in support. They detailed Ms. Bronga's extensive community involvement in education, homelessness advocacy, and trail building. The proposed name was revised to "Karen Bronga Chugach Foothills Connector" to match existing signage. The Bashur Community Council voted 23-0 in support.
  • Eagle River Commons Park (Peppel's Field): Patty Wilson of the Chugiak Eagle River Historical Society testified in support, providing a history of the site and noting broad community backing.
  • AWWU Headquarters (Mark C. Primo): David Persinger (AWWU General Manager), Joseph Primo Robertson (son), Frank Rast, and Tim Potter testified. They celebrated Primo's mentorship, his role in consolidating the utility's operations, his international work with Water for People, and the strong organizational culture he built.
  • Assembly Chambers (Dick Trainor): Sandy Trainor (widow), Rick Trainor (son), Tim Potter, and State Senator Alvy Gray Jackson testified. They highlighted Trainor's non-partisan governance, extensive legislative accomplishments, and his decades of service as the longest-serving Assembly member in Anchorage history.

Discussion Items

  • Clarification on the 36-Month Posthumous Rule: Chair Hess clarified that the commission's role is solely to advise the Assembly on whether a facility should be named for an individual. The Assembly can name by resolution (adhering to the 36-month waiting period) or by ordinance (which can waive the rule with a notwithstanding clause). This distinction was pivotal for deliberations on the Trainor and Bronga proposals.
  • Northeast Connector Trail (Karen Bronga): Commissioners expressed a shared struggle with the 36-month rule but were swayed by the overwhelming community support and the unique circumstance that Bronga was the project champion for the trail itself. The motion passed 5-0.
  • Eagle River Commons Park (Peppel's Field): Commissioners noted the significant factor of common usage, as the community already widely refers to the space as Peppel's Field. The motion passed 5-0.
  • AWWU Headquarters (Mark C. Primo): Commissioners praised Primo's ability to retain engineering talent in Alaska and build a nationally recognized standard for utility management. The motion passed 5-0.
  • Assembly Chambers (Dick Trainor): The most debated item. Vice Chair Harrison stated the case was not strong enough given the chambers' city-wide significance and expressed a desire for broader community council input. Commissioner Gupta validated concerns regarding the trend of people-named spaces. Chair Hess provided a detailed personal account of Trainor's public service. The motion passed on a 3-2 vote.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion 1 (Karen Bronga Chugach Foothills Connector): Passed 5-0. Staff directed to prepare a memo and packet for the Assembly.
  • Motion 2 (Peppel's Field Park): Passed 5-0. Staff directed to prepare a memo and packet for the Assembly.
  • Motion 3 (Mark C. Primo AWWU Headquarters): Passed 5-0. Staff directed to prepare a memo and packet for the Assembly.
  • Motion 4 (Dick Trainor Assembly Chambers): Passed 3-2. Voting in favor: Chair Hess, Commissioner Gupta, Commissioner Gilbert. Voting against: Vice Chair Harrison, Commissioner Heller. Staff directed to prepare a memo and packet for the Assembly.
  • Future Discussion: Commissioner Harrison requested a future work session to encourage more non-person-based naming proposals and to reevaluate the posthumous rule timelines. Chair Hess noted a non-person naming proposal is scheduled for a public hearing in November 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Chair Hess. Vice Chair Harrison. Here. Commissioner Gupta. Here. Commissioner Heller. Here. Commissioner Gilbert. It's my understanding that Commissioners Harrison and Morgan are excused. Yes. You have a quorum. Thank you. Thank you, Jasmine. Could I get somebody to read the land acknowledgement, please? Well I'll volunteer. Or you can't. I can't do them sharing. Land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy. It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity. The public naming commission would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Denine Act baskets for thousands of years that denina have been and continue to be the stewards of the land. Is with gratitude and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper cooking denina. Thank you, Jen. Could I get a motion to approve the agenda, please? I get a second. Second. Is that Kevin that's seconded? Yes. All right. Any discussion? Any objection to the agenda being approved? Seeing and hearing none, it is approved. Can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the September 9th, 2026 commission meeting? I motion to approve. Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none, any objection to approving the minutes as written. Seeing and hearing none, the minutes are approved. That brings us up to our first item of unfinished business, which is the continued public hearing for the Northeast Connector Trail, honorary naming for uh the lake Carambranga. Um I did want to make a comment. I know some of members of the commission we've had concerns about the provision in the code that talks about the 36 months posthumous. Um, our role as a commission, we advise the assembly. The assembly makes the final decision. So our role is to determine does an applicant, does it does a group or an individual that uh submits an application for an honorary naming have they made the case?

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