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Assembly postpones ordinance requiring 5-member boards for selected RSAs after broad public opposition
Summary
Ordinance 25-017, which would require five-member boards for specified road service areas in Assembly District 7, drew widespread public opposition and was postponed to March 18 to allow recruitment and further review.
The Assembly on Feb. 19 postponed Ordinance 25-017, a proposal to require five-member boards for several Road Service Areas (RSAs) — including Caswell Lakes (RSA 15), Greater Willow, Meadow Lakes, Gold Trail, Greater Talkeetna and Trapper Creek — after extensive public testimony from RSA members and residents opposing the mandate.
DJ McBride, chair of RSA 15 (Caswell Lakes), told the Assembly his board and residents voted against the ordinance at a local meeting, citing recruitment and quorum concerns: "Getting 5 members on the board can also be challenging mainly because our area only has about 1,100 residents," he said. Other RSA chairs and residents from Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Big Lake and Willow said small rural populations and volunteer fatigue make it difficult to sustain five-member boards and that some RSAs already function well with three members.
Supporters of five-member boards argued a larger membership reduces the likelihood that two members meet informally outside public meetings in ways that could risk Open Meetings Act violations, and could inject fresh community input where longstanding boards have limited turnover.
Assemblymember Fonoff — sponsor of the ordinance for District 7 — said he had reached out to RSA members in his district and said the measure aims to improve participation and planning as the district grows. Several Assembly members, however, said they had not received definitive support from affected RSAs and asked for more time.
After debate, Assemblymember Fonoff moved to adopt the ordinance but, following public testimony and additional discussion about recruitment, Assemblymembers motioned and approved a postponement to March 18, 2025, to allow time to recruit new members and to consider a state-level change to the Open Meetings Act that could affect board operations.
The postponement passed with no recorded objection in the meeting transcript. Supporters and opponents said they plan to continue outreach to recruit board members and to seek clarity about the state OMA exemption process for advisory boards.
