Assembly to review sanctioned camps proposals

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage Assembly will have a packed agenda when they gather Tuesday night for their regular meeting, tackling multiple issues that could be life-changing for people around Anchorage.

At the meeting, Assembly members, the Sanctioned Camps Community Task Force, the municipal administration and others could come to an agreement on whether sanctioned camps will be an option for those experiencing homelessness this summer, or to abandon the plan altogether.

After the Assembly chose last month to delay discussion on a proposal from the task force, it is expected to take up an amended form of that resolution, which the task force approved late last week. The S-version of the resolution changes the start dates and removed private properties from consideration for possible sanctioned campsites around Anchorage.

Anchorage assembly member Felix Rivera says he too will be putting forward his own version of the resolution, which he described as having a “narrowed down scope” that he hopes will be supported by the Assembly and administration.

Rivera did not provide much detail on his S-1 version of the proposal but did say it would not include all the five locations initially listed.

”The only thing I can say right now is that it’s a much more narrowed down scope and I think it’s going to be much more realistic in terms of its feasibility, its cost, and its timeliness,” said Rivera.

All of the details, he says, will be shared Tuesday night. He may also have another version to present, an S-2 version, but believes any action taken Tuesday won’t solve the whole issue.

“We’re still going to have hundreds of individuals who are going to be unsheltered in our community, so what we really need to do is do the best we can to make life better for those people who are going to be in those encampments, and just work as hard as we can to bring more shelter online, bring more housing online, and just strengthen up the system,” said Rivera.

The Assembly will also be considering an ordinance on bicycle equity and a resolution regarding the proposed Tudor and Elmore Navigation Center. Both of those will be public hearing items.

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