The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly tabled voting on an ordinance regarding material site permits, applications, conditions, and procedures. The assembly intended to hold a public hearing and immediately tabled the action to form a working committee that will be meeting on Assembly Committee meeting days to identify ways in order to receive additional public comments on the ordinance.
Assembly Member Jesse Bjorkman:
“The reason for tabling the material site ordinance at the last assembly meeting on Tuesday, the 1st was so that the Assembly would have time to engage stakeholders that are in the gravel industry as well as concerned property holders and other members of the public to receive their input about things that are important to them when considering the borough permitting material site and gravel pit. There’s certainly a lot of things to consider as this process has been going on for a number of years going back to the prior mayor’s administration and prior assembly members as well. Ultimately, why the assembly chose to table this material site ordinance is so that we can take the time needed to hear from the public about this ordinance and about how it will affect gravel operations as well as property owners to make sure that we get a good workable product moving forward for the people of the Kenai Peninsula.”
Bjorkman said that the Assembly is going to consider several amendments, as several already are proposed to the ordinance:
“You know we’re taking a look at what other people do in different places across the state in different municipalities like the Mat-Su Borough as well as other places where they have a similar makeup of community to ours here on the Kenai. We’re hopefully going to use the best ideas from those places and with the maximum amount of freedom and liberty for folks’ property rights and protections and try to get to a workable solution. I’m not sure how long that’s going to take, but I would imagine we should be able to wrap this up by springtime.”
Bjorkman said that those committee meetings would be open to the public.
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