Mayor LaFrance’s transition teams make dozens of recommendations aimed at fixing Anchorage’s biggest problems

Three transition teams formed shortly after the election of Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance finalized reports this week, making dozens of recommendations for her administration. The teams were asked to delve into current issues and problems within the administration’s top priority areas — “safe streets and trails,” “building our future” and “good government.”

The mayor’s office in a statement said the reports will “help inform the priorities of the administration.”

[Read the full reports here and here.]

“Our team has begun the review and analysis of these well-informed and thoughtful recommendations,” LaFrance said. “We are sharing broadly and engaging with our internal team and the whole community because we recognize it will take all of us working together to drive our community forward.”

More than 175 residents participated, and teams were led by 18 community leaders selected by LaFrance, including Bill Popp, a former longtime Anchorage economic development leader and mayoral candidate; Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklutna; Joelle Hall, president of the Alaska AFL-CIO; and Jane Angvik, a former member of the Anchorage Charter Commission and former Anchorage Assembly member and chair.

LaFrance’s administration assumed office at a time when the municipality’s departments and agencies are facing significant challenges. A transition report from the previous administration described crippling problems with vacancies and staff recruitment, as well as failing vehicles, equipment and software.

The transition teams compiled dozens of suggestions and goals for the administration to consider, within set timelines. The recommendations range from creating new city departments to developing a homeless sheltering plan, to returning to a defined benefits package for city employees.

Here are a few of the recommendations:

‘Safe Streets and Trails’

• The team recommended that the city within six months develop a shelter plan for homeless residents that is low-density and dispersed throughout Anchorage, includes low-barrier shelters and offers homeless residents choices. The group also suggested that in three years, the city develop infrastructure to meet basic needs, including bathrooms, trash disposal and citywide Wi-Fi.

• The city within six months should return to a defined benefits package for its employees, and base health and retirement on years of service. It also said the city should work to increase the diversity of public safety staff. Within one year, it should increase the connection between public safety and social services and emergency resources, the group said. They suggested creating a victim support position and a community and tribal liaison.

• The team said the city should bolster opportunities for “active transportation,” such as biking and walking. In six months, it should hire an active transportation coordinator position and create an active transportation cabinet involving several city departments and leaders. In three years, it said, the city should use property taxes, sales taxes or bonds to invest significantly in parks and trails, and finish several trail connection projects, including Ship Creek to the Coastal Trail.

‘Building Our Future’

• The team recommended that city create a climate and energy team in six months, and enact and update the city’s 2019 climate action plan within one year. In three years, the city should conduct energy audits of all municipal facilities and upgrade them, and install rooftop solar on all school district buildings.

• In six months, it said, the city should begin subsidizing wages to support child care business, create an early childhood department for grant seeking and management, and a public-private foundation focused on child care, similar to the Park Foundation.

• For economic development, the team recommended that within six months, the mayor’s administration should support the sales tax initiative and create a city department to pursue federal, state and private funding streams to support all city functions. In three years, it said the city should advance mixed-use neighborhood development and invest in basic city infrastructure like new sidewalks, bathrooms and lighting.

‘Good Government’

• The team recommended that the city propose to voters a “winter city snow bond” that would pay for needed snow plowing and removal equipment. The city could also add GPS to its snowplows so residents could track efforts, it said.

• It said the city should redesign its website, create monthly newsletters for the public and an internal communications plan to keep staff updated.

• The team said the city should regularly review and analyze compensation and benefits for worker recruitment and retention, and “reimagine” how Human Resources interacts with employees.

• The team also said the city should consider using AI to increase its efficiency and efficacy.