Anchorage Assembly to vote on ordinance for 24-hour abatements

(KTUU)
Published: Aug. 2, 2019 at 9:23 PM AKDT
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

Since the wildfire that broke out in Anchorage a few weeks ago, assembly members have been looking for a way to prevent more fires like it. On Friday, members of the Anchorage Assembly met to discuss

that some see as a possible solution.

Safety is the main goal behind the ordinance, which was introduced back in July and would give the Anchorage Fire Chief the power to clear camps with only a 24-hour notice in so-called "wildfire danger areas."

Friday's work session focused on two changes to the ordinance. First, refining the definition of "wildfire danger area."

“What we did is we tied that to a scientific standard already used by the fire department, so that it's an objective standard that can be applied in determining where these areas should be," says Assembly Member Meg Zaletel, one of the sponsors of the ordinance.

The second action change was more controversial.

It removed language that allowed the fire department to seize fire-making implements from campers, which some argued removes the ordinance's teeth.

“We have to be able to prevent people from having illegal fires in illegal encampments throughout our public space in our community,” argued Russ Webb, a member of the Coalition to Protect our Public Spaces. ”If we cannot do that, we place entire neighborhoods at risk."

Zaletel shares that goal, but says that legal uncertainties led the group to decide to keep that part of it out.

“We're just not there yet,” Zaletel says. “We have practical considerations as well as constitutional issues for seizing, or taking people's personal property."

Despite the progress, the ordinance hasn't passed yet, and some are worried the ordinance is too heavy-handed, and will push the homeless population into even more public spaces.

“Places like near Valley of the Moon, it's fairly clear,” says Assembly Member John Weddleton. “The trees are clear because neighbors have gone in there and cleared it, because campers over the last decade have cut down a lot of trees, so when they get kicked out of the less-used areas, they gotta go somewhere."

Despite disagreements, it's easy to see that nobody wants a repeat of the MLK Fire.

Assembly members will vote on a finalized version of the ordinance on Tuesday, August 6 at 5 p.m. at the Loussac Library. If passed, it will go into effect immediately.

Copyright 2019 KTUU. All rights reserved.