FNSB

With great weather for September, more people are taking advantage of local trails.  There are hundreds of public trails in the Fairbanks North Star Borough on borough and state land. To help hikers, bikers and ATV users find them, the borough has started a Trails Challenge.

A change-up in the process for fixing broken borough buildings or constructing new facilities passed the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly last night. The new plan requires a lot more public input. The plan will open up for public nomination of projects on Monday. 

It is budget season for the Fairbanks North Star Borough – the Assembly meets this Thursday to vote on a spending plan. But citizens are expected to weigh in as well. Borough Mayor Bryce Ward has posted a tool online where citizens can show how they would spend taxpayer dollars.

Turning government-owned land over to private hands is a requirement in Fairbanks North Star Borough code. The Borough’s Land Management office has nominated more than 700 acres of land to put up for sale this fall. But first they want the public to see what’s available. The first of four public presentations on the sale was Tuesday evening.

UAF Chancellor Dan White revealed some savings measures he’s considering to cope with the cuts in Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget. Closing three of the older residence halls on campus and moving the Nanooks Hockey games back to the Patty Center are notable. The impact of cuts on the university is also felt in the community, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Bryce Ward wants people to know that.

Asking the state legislature for actions and local money is an annual duty of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. An Assembly committee has been refining its Legislative Priorities for a few months. As KUAC’s Robyne reports, the Assembly voted on it last Thursday and is ready to send the “wish list” to Juneau.

Grappling with the borough’s building repair backlog, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly last night passed a requirement that the mayor put   maintenance money in the budget each year. Borough staff estimates the schools, recreation centers, libraries and offices owned by the borough have millions of dollars-worth of repairs pending.