Planning commission backs FY2027 Capital Improvement Program; public pushes Church Road path, praises Hatcher Alpine work

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission on Oct. 20 voted to adopt Resolution 25-19, recommending the borough assembly consider the fiscal year 2027 Capital Improvement Program.

Natasha Heindel, planner in the borough planning department, told commissioners the CIP overhaul started in 2022 to make the program more practicable and to limit it to projects the borough has authority to carry out. "One of the major changes of this update was the condition that nominated projects must now have a lifespan of at least 5 years and cannot be considered routine maintenance," Heindel said.

The nut of the staff report: project nominations are accepted annually (this year's deadline was extended to Aug. 15), then screened for eligibility and scored by a multi-department committee. Eligibility criteria cited by Heindel include: projects must fall within borough powers, not be routine maintenance, carry an estimated cost of at least $20,000 and not…