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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

City Council goes back to land issue

Monday, January 31, 2005 - BY DIANA CAMPBELL, Staff Writer

One city councilman wants to give city land to the borough for free but with the condition that it only be used for sports and recreation.

The land, at the corner of Lathrop Street and the Mitchell Expressway, was offered for sale with the asking price of $430,000 last year. The Fairbanks North Star Borough made an offer of $400,000, but the council rejected the offer.

Now Councilman Jeff Johnson thinks the land would benefit the public more as a permanent park or for recreational use than proceeds from a sale.

"My primary mission is that it fits very nicely in that South Davis park," Johnson said.

Johnson set conditions that the land be restricted to a picnic area; dog park; and a bicycle, moto cross or skateboard park; or for sports such as baseball, soccer or tennis.

The ordinance will be introduced tonight during the City Council's regular meeting and will either be moved to a public hearing or tabled.

Among other topics are proposals to reduce drinking in public to an infraction from a misdemeanor and the sale of city land to The Salvation Army for $327,000. The City Council is set to vote on a contract with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the city's capital appropriations budget of about $1.3 million.

The Salvation Army of Fairbanks is seeking a $70 million grant from $1.5 billion left to the parent organization by Joan Kroc, the wife of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's hamburger chain. The gift is intended to establish community centers run by The Salvation Army to provide educational, artistic and recreational opportunities for disadvantaged youth.

If the local Salvation Army is successful in securing the grant, it would build a 120,000-squre-foot center where they are currently located. The grant would allow them to purchase nearby city and borough land.

In the capital appropriation budget ordinance, a proposal to spend $150,0000 for five new police cars and about $1 million in the public works department for garbage and packer trucks, a loader, a grader and a dump truck. The fire department is slated for $212,322 for a new pump truck and Jeep. The building department is seeking five laptops and accompanying software for $32,500. Another $111,750 is penciled in for equipment and a system replacement plan for the city information technology department.

The City Council will decide whether to agree to spend $270,000 of hotel/motel tax funds on grants to 22 nonprofit organizations ranging from $708 to the Alaska Interior Marksmanship Committee to the $78,183 to the Fairbanks Arts Association, which will then further distribute money to its members, such as the Fairbanks Concert Association.

The City Council will also vote on a contract with IBEW that gives some city workers a 3 percent raise and asks the employees to pay for health insurance costs above $800 a month.

Another ordinance seeks to change conditions for conveyance of property to Dennis Wise, who originally intended to provide construction sites for Habitat for Humanity. Now he wants the land to construct the Center for Non-Violent Living, which would provide services for victims of domestic violence including counseling, day care, computer and culinary classroom instruction, living space and meetings.

Mayor Steve Thompson is introducing an ordinance that provides paid leaves of absences for employees on military leave.

Tonight's City Council meeting is proceeded by a work session at 6 p.m. where the Fairbanks Economic Development Corp. will present its budget and The Salvation Army will make its presentation about the Kroc grant application.

The regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers in City Hall, 800 Cushman Street. Both meetings are open to the public.

Diana Campbell can be reached at dcampbell@newsminer.com or 459-7523.