MEMORANDUM NO. 07-136

TO:            Mayor and Homer City Council

FROM:       Councilman Doug Stark

DATE:        Council Meeting of 13 August 2007

SUBJECT:  Municipal League Summer Conference - Healy

We attended the AML summer conference in  Healy 9-11 August.  The purpose of the conference was two-fold: revise and update the AML Policy Statement, including devising a plan to influence legislators to adopt our positions, and for the AML Board to meet for various administrative matters.

Basically the group determined to attempt to see the revenue sharing program adopted this year by the Legislature made permanent at 6% of natural resource revenues for municipalities and to see a permanent solution adopted for the Public Employees Retirement System along the 85% State/15% municipal responsibility lines.  Based on research done by Michael Lambe of Fairbanks, the municipal rate of contribution for employee salaries should be less than 20%; it was 22% this year.

The Board will continue to meet monthly telephonically and the entire League will meet the first week in November in Fairbanks to make final decisions.