Alaska DOT community meetings to address budget crunch's effect on infrastructure

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) in the Northern Region of the state recently scheduled six community-engagement meetings for local residents in Alaska’s interior.

The general public is invited to the meetings. The purpose is to create a constructive conversation about the fiscal challenges the department faces. The discussions will center around the various impacts that more budget cuts would have on the state and its infrastructure.

All of Alaska’s agencies currently are functioning with decreased operating budgets because of the low cost of oil. This decline affects the entire state’s transportation system.

One meeting will take place in Northway at the local community hall on Jan. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Another meeting is planned for the Tok School Library on Jan. 11, from 5-6:30 p.m. A third meeting is scheduled at the Kenny Lake Community Hall on Jan. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Valdez Convention and Civic Center will also host a meeting on Jan. 12 from 5-6:30 p.m. The Salcha Seniors Center will also hold a meeting on Jan. 14 from 5-6:30 p.m. The last meeting is at the Central M&O Station on Jan. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The meetings will give local residents a chance to learn about various details straight from the department. They will be able to ask officials questions and suggest possible solutions about the long-term or short-term operational challenges the department faces.