Anchorage mayor requests Assembly approve expanding Sullivan Arena cold-weather shelter to 360 persons

By
Suzanne Downing
-
42

At the Tuesday meeting of the Anchorage Assembly, Mayor Dave Bronson is requesting the Assembly’s approval of expanding the Sullivan Arena cold-weather shelter to house up to 360 individuals over the winter.

So far, the Assembly’s liberal majority has blocked many of his innovative efforts to house people in Anchorage, and the mayor has been forced to reopen the Sullivan Arena to house people over the winter due to the standoff between the Assembly and the mayor.

Anchorage Municipal Code states that emergency homeless shelters can accept no more than 150 clients in a single location without the Assembly’s approval.

  1. The Sullivan Arena is considered a “low barrier” shelter, which means it takes some of the worst cases of “street people” — people who are very difficult to house in nonprofit shelters that dot the city due to their lifestyles and behavioral issues. According to the mayor, all the other low-barrier facilities are operating at or near capacity and the Health Department director states there is a need to increase the Sullivan Arena to accept the overflow.

Residents in the surrounding neighborhoods are not wild about the idea of bringing even more vagrants to their area, with their associated criminal tendencies, but the plan is for cold-weather housing only, and the expanded shelter would go back to 150 as of March 31, 2023.

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be found at this link.

Anchorage Assembly moves to replace Allard, Dunbar

42 COMMENTS

  1. The previous unelected mayor chose to close the municipality down. There was little accountability of function to the people of Anchorage. The current members feel this norm is good enough for the people of half the population of the alleged state of Alaska. I hope the executive of the people WILL remove the dysfunctional assembly persons who no longer support our republic form of government. Either that or assist loyal secret service to prevent loss of our US Constitutional guaranteed form (only three branches) of government that upholds the stated will of the people.

    • Why is Bronson following a failed model – EVERYWHERE else it has been tried.
      When you enable behavior it continues.
      We have LAWS on the books to deal with chronic drunks and drug addicts.
      Loitering, Public Intoxication, Trespassing, Panhandling, Assault, Shoplifting, Vagrancy – enforce these laws with a zero tolerance approach and you will see change.

  2. There certainly expressed sentiment for deliminiting or keeping government small and pendent upon the duly expressed will of the people. The will of the assembly is quite likely very often not the will of the people of Anchorage Alaska. Sentiment expression is chopped off. There is no process. Process (testimony) is mischaracterized as “an actual disturbance” instead of the testimony of the tax payers. It would disturb the errant servants to be removed from their gain of function power grabs to date. Test and see. What is the will of the people who retain sovereignty not the will of transient public servants who are intentional “temps” who rotate out allowing a return of former servant(s) to mind his own business and new local servants to provide temp stewardship. We don’t have a ruler/leader class and calling it government in our guaranteed form of capitalistic republic.

      • No just union members making sure they get a raise and entitlement voting for them. Not enough non voters vote because they don’t care.

      • Just the one’s who
        voted who didn’t make a candidate’s district majority. The other 60% can’t stand our state’s politicians. This why one never sees anyone these
        guys outside except to attened ‘safe’ events.
        You, maureen, don’t get out much. I do. And i talk to everyone not just to people i am comfortable around.

      • So you and Babs Johnson assert, Maureen.
        .
        I, however, am skeptical. Particularly in light of the gaming of the voting system by you radical leftist extremists over the past decade, especially with the untransparent and inherently corruptable mail-in voting (sic) system.

      • Assume the votes recorded accurately assess the views of Anchorage residents. It is not believable that a majority of tax paying property owners are voting for this assembly.
        Many new voters & transients appear to move the needle left, happy for property taxes to directly fund the municipality & schools. The leases of no tenants are canceled the day or month property taxes increase. The leasees are free to move when higher rents come with a new lease.
        Time for an initiative to bring a tax basis where all, directly share the burden of city government & services. All future government needs should be met through an equitable method: sales tax.

    • Don’t disagree, it’s just that we recently had an election and apparently your neighbors voted for more of the same. Evidently, your neighbors, and mine, don’t take the time to research the candidates, even in this age of computers. The candidate with the most financial backing wins, regardless of who provided the money. My hope is that people start doing their own due diligence, be it political or medical. Or we will all suffer. Being a responsible citizen is not a part time job in this age of disinformation. For a start, look at where the candidates received their education. Then, look at their major donators. Beyond that, make a point of meeting them. The chance Bronson gets re-election is small under our present system, so enjoy while you can. Anchorage either has the stupidest voters, or not enough that bothers, or the most crooked election system, or all of the above. Now it’s just a matter of how much people are willing to put up with. It surpassed my level long ago. Get ready for lockdown, Anchorage.

    • I might add, that the next time you are in the grocery store, take note of the number of people wearing masks. The further you get from Anchorage, the less you see of this. Real Alaskans aren’t so gullible as to believe all that is being fed (no pun intended) to us.

      • Trig- I assumed upon suddenly seeing the
        return of masks, the mask wearers are experiencing covid vaccine side effects and sickness due to the
        Shots giving an extra dose of the virus, and they are scared.

    • When the Sullivan was initially turned into the emergency homeless shelter at the beginning of the pandemic, I offered that it would remain so, pretty much forever. The alternative uses of the building are limited; UAA hockey is not that big of a draw. Sadly, few know about or care about the junior hockey team. Two or three trade shows do not move the needle. The location also works well for the homeless problem. Time to admit defeat: We are looking at the never-ending “solution.”

  4. The mayor should request that the assembly should each take in homeless. They want to lead and show their defiance to the taxpayer then lead and support the homeless by offering your warm house for them. Any takers assembly?

    • Mark you need to realize with Liberals that….You can defund the police as long as it’s not the precinct they live in, illegal migration is fine but they cannot be in their neighborhood (Martha’s Vineyard for example), homeless need to be housed but not anywhere near where they live. If you argue with this, you’re racist.

      • Jim I just wanted to see how our assembly would not do it. Like you say they want us to suffer and pay but they are untouchable. Well they need to put up or get off the porch. Well really need to identify all the voters and how they voted and tax accordingly.

    • Frank, you live nowhere near Anchorage but thanks for the input. The solution is not obtainable under the present conditions. Mitigation is the only hope for this problem. Jack London was arrested and jailed in San Francisco over 100 years ago, for what we now being homeless. It was then called vagrancy.While incarcerated, he decided to make something better of himself. The rest is history.

    • Sullivan was a solution for a couple years, so it has been demonstrated to work. Golden Lion, not so much.

      Biggest problem is the loss of ice for the hockey crowd and months long fumigation process / cleanup after the “residents” are gone. Now that they’ve moved Great Alaskan Sportsman’s Show to the De’nina, I suppose it will work, at least for a little while.

      I do expect the Assembly majority to not approve the request for no other reason than they can. Cheers –

      • A shelter is not a solution to get homeless into transitional housing, Golden Lion would provide transitional housing and it has not been tried, contrary to your post

  7. Someone put big billboards telling anchorage the
    use of sullivan arena is the assembly doing because the dummies refuse yeilding to our city’s mayor due to the democrats racist attitude toward republicans.

  8. Well Frank, would you rather these wonderful folk freeze to death just because they can’t have a private hotel room? And if you are so concerned about their welfare why don’t you and your good friend Maureen each take a half dozen or so into your own homes? I mean, what possibly could go wrong. As far as I’m concerned, they are adults and responsible for their own lives. But by all means Frank, just step right on up.

    • Each and every time I see someone right or say I mean, I often wonder what they are meaning. Is it just a chance for them to focus their brain on what they’re going to say next? And a close second place is when people say you know what I’m saying? I suppose that means are you understanding me but when they repeat the phrase multiple times in the same sentence, again I wonder what message they’re trying to say? To me it sounds like they’re idiots that lack communication skills.

    • Yes.
      I would rather they freeze to death.
      Literally.
      Good riddance ce to those that gave abrogated their responsibility to be good, functioning citizens in a society.
      It’s not to hard – go to school, stay off drugs, graduate, don’t drink, get a job, go to work 5 days a week, o ey the laws, pay your taxes – and BINGO – a successful life.
      Police – zero tolerance – enforce the loitering, vagrancy, public intoxication, trespassing, panhandling, shoplifting, and public urination and defecation laws.

  9. Maybe the egan and denaina centers would be more appropriate, isn’t it city property that be more appropriate because city democrats WANT! Anchorage be
    Sanctuary city.

    • The concern in the distant past was the same. The major cities outlawed vagrancy to save their cities. Soon after, the large cities prospered. Commerce thrived. This is not a new idea. The people of present day are so warm hearted to their downfall. Tough love is the answer. If they were incarcerated then maybe they could see the error of their ways and we would not have to worry about them freezing or missing meals. There’s an empty prison across the arm. Plus the opportunists would quickly disappear. When I stopped to offer one a full time job because that was what his sign advertised, he informed me that he made 3-400 a day tax free with the sign and further that he had his own home. And told me to take a hike. Since then, I watched one by some miracle, pop his legs out and man-handle his way through the snow bank to better position himself in the intersection for visibility. There’s plenty of people out there that really need a hand, but I am afraid that they don’t get the attention. The hardcore panhandlers will not give up their territory to those in actual need. This is why you see same people at the intersection day after day. With a stack of signs, much like a fisherman with assorted lures. And the people who are truly in need know better than to impinge on the territory under the threat of physical violence. This is what it has become, check it for yourself. Members of the assembly are personally profiting from the homeless situation and wish it to not only continue, but to grow. Wake up.

      • The legislature Taking away the single adult eligibilty SNAP may get the homeless attention better, they need employment. That’s a reason why the tent camps are setup near a gas station or grocer. If you ever walked through an abadoned camp you will see the junkfood wrappings of products coming
        from that nearest snack shop. The occupants live from one 1st day of the month to the next 1st.

      • I don’t think you’re worrying too much about them freezing or missing meals. I’m not sure tough love ever truly works. If you love someone you don’t treat them like crap and you don’t look down and spit on them either. You take care of them. Many of them are mentally ill I need help. Some are lost in hopelessness. Some are ex-veterans suffering from PTSD and while they enjoy their freedoms, they don’t know which way to turn for help. Before you look the other way or hold your nose, you might want to consider that one of them is Jesus. I could just see him coming back as one of these folks instead of a big glowing ember in the sky riding a white chariot with lightning bolts in a hand. You might want to consider treating these folks the way you would want to be treated if you were in their position.

  11. The US Constitution proscribes prophylactic liberty taking of Americans. However it is a popular custom in Anchorage. Instead the process due is the person with a complaint should go to the 24 hour magistrate with a police report with the usurper’s name and witness statements and ask the magistrate to order immediate remedy; then you compel the person to pay the remedy/fine to you. If someone kicks you in the chest in Anchorage leaving a boot mark they need to receive a punishing remedy for that in a timely way. When you attend a public meeting and express a contrary viewpoint then the servant’s “feelings” and he/she ejects you; you should file a police report of that usurpation. Then you should file a magistrate’s complaint that your right to freedom to associate at a PUBLICLY NOTICED ASSEMBLY was illegally taken and you want remedy $ for that taking. Federal definitions for remedy for each instance has a pricetag of $300,000 each per unconstitutional usurpation. Each time these servants do this should cost them $300,000 and an immediate reelection and she personally pays the fine ordered surrendered by the magistrate. That is the process that is due. If lawyers will not obey the law you will remain segregated forever from Constitutional rights. These Anchorage public servants need to obey the Constitution for once.

  12. Each and every time I see someone right or say I mean, I often wonder what they are meaning. Is it just a chance for them to focus their brain on what they’re going to say next? And a close second place is when people say you know what I’m saying? I suppose that means are you understanding me but when they repeat the phrase multiple times in the same sentence, again I wonder what message they’re trying to say? To me it sounds like they’re idiots that lack communication skills.

  13. Lets see now , the Sully was designed to comfortably SEAT 6, 000 healthy people assuming they are stayin for a few hours to watch an event , use the bathroom, buy a snack and LEAVE. The Sully was NEVER remodeled thanks to the Nasty Nine’s obstruction tactics, all wood and fabric items were drug out and burned last summer due to the urine, feces and bed bugs, many witnesses to that. Nothing was done to it, not even the floor was repaired. ANYONE can film it now, doors do not open except one, fire codes ignored, warming house used by women not allowed in, drugs sold all around, neighborhood being trespassed on and robbed nightly, police will not give out the LINK to AXON which shares photos of theives and crimes with each other so they can be stopped. THERE BETTER be a PLAN to protect the PUBLIC this time. If 311 tells you ” there is nothing we can do , ” tell them you need the AXON LINK or call a detective !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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