Assembly rejects Central Mat-Su fire fill-site budget amendment after members question plan and lack of land purchase

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly on April 15 rejected a resolution that would have amended the scope and extended the timeframe for a fill-site project intended to improve water supply and fire response for the Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area.

Assemblymember Bill Gamble pulled the item for discussion, saying the service area did not yet own a parcel for the proposed fill site and that the total project cost — including land purchase and building — was not finalized. Tom Adams, director of Public Works, said the proposal had evolved from prior planning; the borough completed an earlier fill site project and intends the Central Mat-Su site to include a tank, a warm storage unit and a place where fire equipment could fill and, in some designs, shelter apparatus. Adams confirmed finding and purchasing suitable land remained an outstanding task.

Gamble told the Assembly he supported the concept but preferred to have the money roll into the service-area fund balance and return with a consolidated project budget that included land cost and design. He said the money could be left in fund balance until a complete plan and land purchase were ready.

A roll-call vote was called after some members objected to immediate appropriation. Assemblymember Fonoff supported adoption; several other members opposed. The clerk recorded that the motion failed, with only Assemblymember Fonoff in support (the transcript reports the result as “it failed with assembly member Fonoff in support”). The clerk stated the motion failed and the funds remain with the agency’s existing balances.

No new funding was approved at the meeting; administration said the funds would remain available and could be re-proposed once the service area secures land and a final design.