from the Desk of Mayor Sullivan

February / 2011

Greetings!

The days are getting longer and with the increased sunshine comes good news for the city on several fronts. Soon we'll begin saving a good amount of money on our cell phone and Internet costs, the Fire Dept. just received a generous federal grant, and we're closely monitoring what our state legislators are working on in Juneau. Also, next weekend begins the 76^th Annual Fur Rondy Festival; be sure to get out and enjoy the many activities around town. Send any thoughts my way at mayor@muni.org, or follow me on facebook or twitter.

City, ACS enter into three-year contract: city will save $411K

We've entered into a three-year contract with ACS, who will provide cell phone and Internet service to the MOA.

MOA officials recently invited proposers to recommend efficiencies to reduce the cost of the city's wireless communications while simultaneously improving service. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Lucinda Mahoney explains, "Telecom companies are experts in their field, and we sought their expertise in order to reduce our cost structure."

The ACS proposal will result in savings to the MOA of $411K over three years. Not only will costs decrease, but service will improve. Specifics are as follows:

The Muni will save $100K on annual cell costs while receiving a better plan (measured in minutes).
Internet bandwidth costs will drop by more than 50 percent and Internet bandwidth available to the Muni, including public access at Loussac, will increase by more than 50 percent.
Internet service (effective bandwidth per dollar) improves by more than four times.
Muni employees will receive updated, improved handheld devices (i.e., Blackberries) at no additional cost.

This is another highlight in our comprehensive effort to look for efficiencies and cut costs. We're pleased to partner withy ACS and appreciate their creativity in finding ways to save us money and improve service to the public.

Mayor Sullivan with this year's Fur Rondy royalty: L to R, princess Marlise Williams, queen Desiree Merculief, and princess Haley Dobis.

Photo: Clark Mishler

Anchorage Fire Department benefits from SAFER grant

Recently I was pleased to announce that the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) was awarded federal funds to recruit, train and retain firefighters for the enhancement of and continued fire service to local citizens.

Through the SAFER grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) section of the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program (AFG), a program supported by Alaska's Congressional delegation and municipal leaders, the AFD was recently awarded $5 million. The two-year grant requires no matching funds from the municipality.

In these tough economic times, local governments are trying to balance public safety with finite resources. This money will enhance public safety at no cost to local taxpayers. Additionally, rapid response is essential to public safety and this award will allow us to better serve the community.

City officials mush for charity in first annual ExxonMobil Top Dog Charity Sled Dog Race

It was a "photo-finish" for the first-ever Top Dog Charity Sled Dog Race, which was held on Sat., Feb. 12, at Tozier Track as part of the ExxonMobil Open. When all was said and done, the race ended in a three-way tie between Police Chief Mark Mew, Parks and Recreation Development Director Cathy Janigo, and Assistant Municipal Attorney Pam Weiss.

Mayor Sullivan races in the ExxonMobil Top Dog Charity Sled Dog Race.

Photo: Brit Coons

Mew, Janigo and Weiss mushed their three-dog teams through the 2.3 mile course and ended up crossing the finish line at the identical time of 8 minutes, 41 seconds. Coming in fourth place was Mayor Dan Sullivan, who finished with a time of 9 minutes, 58 seconds. Fire Chief Mark Hall finished with a time of 10 minutes, 9 seconds.

Because of the tie, Mew, Janigo and Weiss split the prizes for first-, second- and third-place equally, resulting in each receiving $5,666 to designate to the charities of their choice. Mayor Sullivan and Chief Hall each designated $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, to their charities.

In all, eight not-for-profit organizations received a total of $20,000 in contributions from ExxonMobil, including: Anchorage Parks Foundation ($5,666), STAR ($3,333), Covenant House ($2,833), the Great Alaska Council of Boy Scouts ($2,833), Catholic Social Services ($2,833), Salvation Army ($1,000), Victims for Justice ($1,000) and Alaska Red Cross ($500).