They say when one door closes another one opens. The question then remains -- what's behind that door?
The unknown of the future can be very stressful, but it can also be very exciting.
Anchorage has come to that place today, on Ethan Berkowtiz's inauguration day, in more than one way.
We now have a new mayor, but there are also more changes on the horizon. We often talk about this "crossroads" where the city, state, or nation is supposed to be. However, this is no longer the case. We have passed that crossroads. In many ways, we have decided as a nation and as a local community who we want to be.
In recent times, marijuana has been legalized for recreational use in Colorado and Washington as well as here in Alaska. (Oregon and Washington, D.C., have passed similar initiatives but are pending legislative review) Medical marijuana remains legal in 23 states around the country.
Last week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriages shall be recognized in all 50 states, effectively ending the battle for marriage equality. They also upheld the subsidies in Affordable Care Act marketplaces, which will ensure many Americans will continue to receive the health insurance they have signed up for.
All of this happened leading into the month that begins the Mayor Berkowitz era in Anchorage. Ethan Berkowitz won by 21 points over challenger Amy Demboski, one of the largest margins in modern Anchorage mayoral history. You would be hard-pressed to argue against a Berkowitz mandate.
The honeymoon for Mayor Berkowitz will be short. There is a lot of work to be done. The SAP project is about $24 million away from completion, the Port of Anchorage project is at least another $350 million away from being fixed, the Anchorage Police Department is nowhere close to the minimum of 400 officers they need to properly police the city, and that's not to mention the proactive things Berkowitz wants to accomplish.
Relationships with municipal employees that have been fractured over events of recent years will have to be repaired, and he will have to gear up for a fight over adding the LGBT community to the city charter's discrimination clause -- as he promised during his campaign to do immediately after taking office.
He will also need to put together a team to build a comprehensive strategy to combat the homeless problem in Anchorage. He'll need an approach that involves more than opening up more beds when it gets cold in the winter -- one that involves housing-first strategies, detox beds and transitional living communities so people that want help can get help, and those that aren't quite ready can get off of the streets so the city is safer for everybody.
The Assembly is also tackling many tough issues of its own. How will legalized marijuana be implemented in Anchorage? As you may have known, if you have been reading the Alaska Dispatch News column Highly Informed, it has been very difficult for Assembly members to try to grasp the issues with very little first-hand understanding and, so far, no guidance from the state.
Also, there are serious land-use and development issues. Many developers and residents are growing more frustrated that Anchorage hasn't matured into a modern city with the high-rise, multiuse building communities they're used to seeing in cities Outside. There is a growing segment of the population that doesn't want to live in the standard four-bedroom, single-family home with a large back yard. They want to live on the 15th floor of a high-rise building that allows them to walk downstairs, and go grocery shopping, find a coffee shop, eat at a diner, and many other things all within walking distance. These are the kinds of developments that would be perfect for the downtown, South Addition, Fairview and Mountain View areas, but current outdated zoning laws disallow these types of innovations.
Anchorage has chosen its path and moved forward beyond the crossroads. There's a mandate; the only question that remains is how Berkowitz will fulfill it. The book has yet to be written. But when Mayor-elect Berkowitz takes the oath at Town Square Park Wednesday at 4 p.m, we dip the quill into the ink and start writing.
Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late '90s. Email, michaeldingman@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com