Fish, Sales Tax, Composting and Animals on Joint Work Session Agenda

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT

Tonight continues the busy week of municipal government meetings with the city and borough coming together under the same agenda. The borough assembly will chair a joint work session with the city council and hear a fisheries analyst report, including a discussion about Gulf of Alaska trawl bycatch management.
Following that will be a discussion about city sales tax charges. Recently the city was notified that some borough residents may be being charged city sales tax on services offered outside of city limits, such as internet. The city council held a special meeting last week that included an executive session with the city attorney to discuss the sales tax issue. Tonight they will speak with the assembly about the matter, particularly as it pertains to GCI and ACS charges.
Next on the agenda will be a discussion about composting. Last night the council discussed composting at length during its work session, and tonight it will share an update on the Class B composting project at the landfill, as well as its hopes to switch over to Class A compost. Earlier this summer the borough assembly voted against a land transfer to the city that could be the future location of Class A composting.
Finally, tonight’s work session will wrap up with an animal control conversation. A few years ago the borough did away with animal control service, prompting many complaints and worries from borough residents. This year the borough assembly approved reinstating animal control within the borough, and even included it in the budget. However, a contract for the service has yet to be signed with the city. The plan, back when the service was approved by the assembly, was that the city would simply expand its current animal control operations to the borough.
Tonight’s meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the borough assembly chambers.