GOLDSTREAM MOOSE CREEK SERVICE AREA MEETING

Ken Kunkel Community Center

 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2005

 

The meeting was called to order by Chair Clint Meyer at 10:00 a.m., at the Ken Kunkel Community Center.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT        Clint Meyer, Mario Gho, Doreen Fitzgerald, Diane Herrmann (Alternate), Pete Simpson, and Alfred Sturmann

 

MEMBER ABSENT             Ed Herrgard (Excused)

 

CONTRACTOR PRESENT             Joan S. O Leary, Alaska Forget-Me-Not Word Processing Service

 

Quorum was established.

 

GUESTS PRESENT

            Bob and Sharon Baker

            Denny DiFolco

            Deborah Koons

            Dennis Hojna

            Rick Johnson

            Keith Payne

            Jan and Gar Pessel

            Julie Rowland

            Steve Sweet

            Pips Veazey

            Christina Worker

            Eric Yeager

                        (List attached to original minutes)

 

Clint Meyer welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

1.         Approve Minutes of May 19, 2005 Meeting.

Motion made and seconded (M.Gho/D.Herrmann) to approve the minutes of May 19, 2005 as amended. Minutes are posted on the Website. No further discussion or objection. Motion passes.

 

2.         Budget for GMC (Goldstream Moose Creek) Service Area Update.

Clint reported that this summer we spent more than $10,000 on Moose Mountain. The ditches were done. Then we had a big rainfall and it washed all the fines down and plugged up about half of everyone’s culverts. Plus Hardluck was graded and Keystone was graded along with materials at the top. So about $18,000 was spent this summer on everything. There was $4,000 left over that we had not allocated to a PO. So that was moved over and now we have $10,000 in there for all winter. In the savings account as of yesterday we had $23,000, separate of the PO. The other PO’s are the secretarial service and the signs. There is also the 20 percent reserve so there is another $6,200 in that. M&M has a new plow truck this year that was used out on the Rosie Creek area. If they use the plow truck, the cost will be around $400 instead of using the grader at $1,100. Clint’s proposal is that if M&M feels that the snow plow truck will be advantageous for us we should give it a try and save us some money. Then do the normal hard pack removal in the spring. Clint feels we are good shape money wise. This year the administrative costs were $5,160.

 

3.         Commissioner Doreen Fitzgerald’s Term Expires - Two Year Term.

Doreen’s term from Spinach Creek expires. Pips was asked if she would like to do it. Clint would like to get someone else from Spinach Creek so that the commission is balanced from each area. Doreen will serve again, but just wanted someone to come forward if they wanted to serve. No one came forward so Doreen will submit her paperwork to Rural Services. 

 

4.         Review of road work this summer.

a.         Old culverts hauled away.

Please let Clint know if there are more old culverts lying around, but Clint did not see any on driving around the area. Mario and Clint said they did an excellent job so that is great. A junk car was discussed but it might be on the right-of-way. This could be visited next spring.

 

b.         Some culverts fixed.

The culverts were fixed. There were three on Hardluck Road, also one that was damaged up on Monteverde Road. We spent something around $800 on the whole project.

 

c.         Road grading (time frame for contractor).

Pete had brought it to Clint’s attention that the contractor has, even in the summer, a 48-hour call out. Clint did not push that this summer as everyone was so busy and nothing was that crucial. In the winter it is expected to be met. Grading is important because of the wetness of the road, but otherwise it was felt we could be flexible. Mario stated he didn’t have any problem with this, but it is good the contractor knows we will give him some slack but when we do need something we would like it within the time limit. Someone asked about equipment being left. Clint stated M&M does not do that, maybe overnight but nothing more.

 

d.         Road material added.

Road materials were added on Keystone, some in front of Chris’ driveway. Chris stated there is still a dip right in front of her driveway, which she explained in detail. The driveway used to be level with the road. Clint had told him to be careful on that first driveway and they feathered it in some that night. Clint will talk to him about that again.

 

5.         Brush cutting slated for next fiscal year.

Pete said quite a few neighbors have done some brush cutting, so maybe it will reduce our overall price. Clint stated M&M got a new brush cutter this year and looked where they were cutting brush over on Ivory. It looked like a decent job. It is the same kind of brush cutter that the State has on their graders. This could be done by the hour so where the residents have cut will not need to be done. We will try to brush half of the roads this year and half the next year. Some was done on Spinach, but there still is some big stuff to get. We should try to get on a two to three year schedule. The regulations for brush cutting are eight feet from the edge of the roadway. Maybe where there are curves we will have him brush further back for sight distance. Residents have a right to do their own but something down to stubble and has to be done by June 30th of next year on the roads that we will be brushing. The roads will be most of Moose Mountain, as it has never been brushed. Frenchman Road and Hardluck Road will be done on the corners. The machine will reach out 16 feet without tipping it over, so should do just fine on the curves.

 

6.         Road signs need to be put up (Keystone, Frenchman signs missing).

The signs for Keystone and Frenchman are in but Clint needs to get the PO approved. Mario said congratulations as the Hardluck sign has been there for six months straight now. Mario stated the State put the stop sign and post back up on Frenchman.

 

7.         Mailbox waiting list. Mario and Clint will discuss process.

Mario stated three residents are on the waiting list for mailboxes. When eight people are signed up for the mailboxes then the cluster will be ordered. Mario told the residents that once eight people are signed up the fee of $150 from each would be collected. Mario stated the idea was not to use road service money for the new mailboxes. Doreen suggested putting up a sign that we are considering a new cluster and if anyone is interested. Chris asked about the boxes for packages and if this could be included in the cluster. Package boxes are going to be an issue at Christmas again. Clint said there is some extra money from before so perhaps this could work into the package boxes. Pete suggested two package boxes and the rest mailboxes, just change the style. Clint will check with the mail lady this week regarding this. Clint stated there is room for one more cluster on the pad.

 

8.         Community Bulletin Board Reinstalled.

Clint wanted to thank Pips Veazey and the girls and his wife Deborah Koons for their time and efforts towards this project. We installed the buffer posts to prevent further damage to the mailboxes/board. Mario thanked Clint for taking care of this.

 

9.         Long term (Five-Year) Project Plan. Report from Committee.

Pete talked to the residents and nothing has changed from what everybody had wanted. Chip seal the road, Brown’s Hill and a new crossing. We talked about another access - egress point possibly out since we have only one way in and out on that area. Clint said we already put our wish list together for the borough and now there is that extra money that is available. The only thing that Clint has heard is that there might be a revolving fund where we could borrow money from the borough to do the crossing and then pay them back. Someone asked the cost of chip seal. Pete used to know, but he will find out that information. Clint felt it was fairly expensive. We need to do something there. Ester Dome was just chip sealed last year, so Clint will check that out and see why there was a failure over there. Clint passed around a book entitled “Problems Associated with Gravel Roads - May 1998” that might be very useful.

 

Pete and Clint went down to the crossing in June with Trent Mackay from Rural Services and did a preliminary pioneer survey and they have some numbers back of actually moving that intersection closer down to Moose Mountain Ski Hill’s gate. The alternatives and problems with moving this crossing were discussed. Pete stated there is no way to change this crossing so that it is flat at that specific spot. The culvert is another issue as it is failing. We are talking about a new culvert at the old crossing and also a culvert at the new crossing. A bridge would be an ideal thing, but that is way too expensive. Clint suggested that if we fix the culvert, let’s fix the acceleration hill. The more people moving in, the more traffic there is using the roads.

 

This is the reason for the long-term plan and to work out some ideas. Diane suggested having some numbers with the plan. Pete stated it was something like $30,000 to put in another culvert where the one is failing. Now there are stronger and different shapes than the old culvert that might work better. Trent has some numbers and Pete said that is where he came up with the $30,000. Basically Clint’s thought was to get some plans like the culvert being one, Doreen’s road on Keystone, do a five-year plan, get a letter from all the commissioners, get something really set in concrete of how we are going to address these driveway issues, and so forth. Then set some priorities according to the expenditure of the project. A resident of Hardluck volunteered to get input from his neighbors on his road. Clint said the Commission is trying to set aside something each year for these projects and but it hard to just keep up with the eight miles of road. Pete would like community input so the committee could put together a five-year plan.

 

Clint again stated the amount for the PO’s. Discussion was held on the mill rate and the rising costs of services. Gravel is a reasonable rate now, but the contractor will have to amend the contract. The culverts were also received at a reasonable rate installed. Pete stated if we all paid two mills we would end up with this many dollars for maintenance and some savings. Now we have a lot more people and we are still stuck with that same price. On Moose Mountain side it was like $16,000 a year. If we upped our maintenance costs, $2,500 a year, it would end up for two to three years staying with about a two mill because now we’re dropping below that because there are more properties and more value. You can’t say we want to stay at two mills. How much is your maintenance cost and then they prorate it out by all the residents. Pete felt if we kicked up our annual maintenance fee a couple of thousand a year, it would end up being about the same with all these new properties coming on and we might end up with X number more dollars for improvements. Mario felt the direction Pete was going we need to have this committee report on the projects that we want. Once we have enough neighbors sold on the idea that this particular project is important, then we can determine how much money we need to save up for that. But until we have that project in mind that everyone is in agreement with, Mario doesn’t feel we can up the mill rate at this point. A resident stated we know we have to do something with the culvert especially. Mario stated the committee should come up with 10 projects that we want to have, the priorities, and the costs. From that point maybe we can make some decisions. A resident stated we would need three or four options for that culvert crossing.

 

10.       GMC newsletters mailed out to all residents. Any input?

Clint thanked Diane for her work on this project. Diane received 15 or 20 addresses. Diane wanted to know if we wanted to do the mail out one more time, minus the people who have given her their addresses or if we want to wait a year before we do another mail out, Diane felt intermittently maybe every two years we will need to do a mailing if we want to keep that up. Deborah stated she put a brochure holder on the bulletin board that says road service information so a tri-fold could be put in there. Diane said that would be great.

 

11.       Next meeting date/time.

It was decided that the next meeting would be late January 2006, but not on a Saturday. There was a good attendance today though.

 

12.       Community Website Address.

                        http://home.gci.net/~moosemt/spinach/index.htm

 

13.       Other Comments.

Pete inquired about the parcel below Chris’. The material had been passed around and furnished to Pete to read. This had not been discussed. Clint said the parcel hasn’t been sold yet. Pete was curious as to what everyone thought about the access onto the road. The access to the parcel is right on the corner where the road makes a bend. Pete stated it would be sold October 15th. It is zoned GU1 use, which is general and pretty open. Pete would like to slow this down as much as possible as the access looks like a nightmare for whoever buys it and all the rest of us. The comment period seems to be over.

 

Public Hearing at the Borough Assembly was postponed for lack of time to hear ordinances on Title 17 and Title 14. Clint stated the road commission would have a little more influence on what goes on as to new roads going in. Phil Schad, our District Representative, said that their committee recommended against the minimum road standard change because of old subdivisions that weren’t built to the Title 17 changes. If you are unable to attend, written testimony can be submitted to the Borough’s Clerk’s office prior to 5:00 p.m. the day of the meeting and it will be forwarded to the Assembly.

 

Clint thanked the Goldstream Lions for the use of the Ken Kunkel Community Center, Jen for taking care of our Website, Diane for putting out the newsletter, and all the commissioners for putting out all their efforts this year. Everyone thanked Mario for the plate of cookies.

 

Adjournment

With no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 11:05 a.m.

 

            DRAFT

 

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