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Low turnout for Soldotna annexation study

City of Soldotna

 

 

The city of Soldotna is still considering its options on annexation. A work session was held this week to address the basic question of what to do next, after the city released its community perspectives final report.

 

 

 

 

About a year ago, the city council approved $50,000 for a public engagement study from the Athena Group. That study is now done and, if you’ve been watching this debate about annexation play out, you won’t be surprised by what folks had to say. What might be surprising is the low participation. The goal was to talk to 30 percent of Soldotna residents. That’s about 1,500 people. About 100 participated. Interim city manager Stephanie Queen said after the work session it was tough to find an effective way to get people out for meetings or participate in other ways.

“Even when we were at those meetings, we had heard for example, maybe it would be better to not have elected officials in the meetings. But the very first day, someone said, I bet we could get more people here if elected officials were here. So we changed our whole plan. I think it will continue to be an uphill struggle. I welcome the suggestions from folks for a more collaborative process, although I also recognize that that’s what we were trying to do through this process.”

In the report, Athena notes a couple reasons why so few people chipped in their two cents. Number one, they have already. Many times over the course of many years during many attempts at annexation by the city. "Fatigue with or resistance to discussing the issue among those who are and have been opposed to annexation", is how the report put it.

 

There was also the belief that their voice would be ignored, a sense that annexation wouldn’t affect them and a reluctance from people who don’t have a strong opinion about it to even get involved.

 

So, where does this leave things? That was the major question before the council.

 

There was agreement that residents need to know what the city’s plan is going to be, whether that’s to actually study a couple of these proposed areas seriously and get the ball rolling with the state Local Boundary Commission, or put the whole thing to bed.

 

Queen says city staff will be coming up with a range of recommendations for the council to discuss early next year. That could mean narrowing the study areas or coming up with zoning proposals that try to allow more rural land uses than currently allowed in town. It could also mean finding another way for affected residents to weigh in.

“I think that next discussion will contain those two items as well as potentially process. We talked a little bit today about what would that process be moving forward; the idea of a vote or an advisory vote, and I think we can bring forward some more information from the Local Boundary Commission about what those options are."

Some on the council made clear they’re not interested in corralling much residential property when people don’t want that. They also want any annexation to make the city money, not cost it in terms of providing extra services. Those considerations could change things, but we’ll have to wait a couple months to see what options will be on the table.