[Vision2020] P & Z problems elsewhere:

[Chris Storhok]

Hi All,
For those of you who need a little relief from Moscow's P&Z debates: here is
a snippet of public  testimony given last night to The Fairbanks North Star
Borough Assembly concerning the Borough's attempt to regulate personal junk
yards:  (From Friday September 23, 2005 Daily News Miner)
The Borough Assembly, outnumbered by an angry crowd that filled the chambers
and spilled into the borough lobby, voted down an ordinance Thursday night
that would have allowed borough employees to issue citations for code
violations. 


Residents, many sporting weathered beards, work boots and Carhartts,
repeatedly boomed into the microphone, "Leave us alone!" and "We came to
Alaska to get away from this." 


"Those gated communities are frightening," said Ryan Tinsley. "It's called
gentrification." 


The code enforcement ordinance was introduced by the assembly's Code
Enforcement Committee and Assemblymen Charlie Rex, Earl Romans and Luke
Hopkins. The group had worked on the ordinance since early spring after
borough Mayor Jim Whitaker introduced a similar ordinance but pulled it back
Without the ordinance, the Fairbanks North Star Borough was a paper tiger,
left with only the ability to send letter upon letter to violators, Rex
said, only taking them to court if the borough attorney has time and
resources. 

But opponents called it a power grab and a way to stifle personal rights. 


Most of the testimony centered on the junkyard provision in the ordinance,
under which violators could face $300 fines. 


"One man's junk pile is another man's treasure," said Ben Fenwick. 


They're not gathering junk, other residents said. They're collectors. Old
cars, airplanes and other machinery are spare parts or inventory and could
even end up in museums. 


Some people said they would be unable to earn a living if the ordinance
passed. 


"I used to sell drugs," said Mike Shields, who said he is a mechanic. "I
used to rob houses. (If it passes) it's going to give me a lot of free time
on my hands." 


Others said what they do on their property is their business. The borough
has no right to tell taxpayers what to do with their property. 


"Buy it or shut up," said Tammy Wilson. 


So-called junk collecting is actually recycling, others said. 


"Yesterday I had three flat tires," Roger Shields said. Instead of going to
a gas station, he poked around in the yard until he found fixes.

 

I don't know about you all, but debating the legality of private religious
schools in a downtown business district sure beats threatening the
livelihood of former drug dealers and burglars any day!

Just to give you an idea of the extent of this problem, at least two private
parcels (with homes and children) have been placed on the EPA's  NPL list,
Alaska Battery Enterprises and Arctic Surplus.  Both were cleaned up;
however both site again are piling high with new junk, ATCO units and
children again play amongst the finds.

 

Have a good weekend

Chris

 

Chris Storhok, North Pole AK

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]On
Behalf Of DonaldH675 at aol.com
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 8:55 AM
To: pkraut at moscow.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Thank you P & Z



Pat and Visionaries:
 
When the efforts of a committee of volunteers (appointed by the mayor) spend
an entire summer struggling with an almost intractable problem -
and their work is dismissed in less than 30 seconds with a gushing, vacuous
thank you, I think there is a demonstrable leadership problem.  (Not to
mention the unseemly public revelation that one needs neither good manners
nor brains to be on the City Council.)
 
The patronizing and dismissive hubris shown toward the work of P & Z members
is insulting.  Perhaps, Pat, you attended the meetings, and thus are able to
weigh in on this discussion with first hand knowledge of the work of the
commission members? I don't remember seeing you there. 
 
If Joel Plaskon's special insight and "in the know" information was so
darned spectacular why did the mayor and council bother to turn this problem
over to the P & Z?  Clearly, it was not to actually learn anything more
about the situation, consider public input, or expand their own awareness.  
 
Rose Huskey
Who speaks for the chickens, people?  Who?


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