Transportation

Who Governs Our Roads?
Holding MVP Accountable in the Mat-Su Borough
Mat-Su residents deserve a clear voice in how transportation funds are spent—especially now that the Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation (MVP) has become our region’s official Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Yet MVP, formed as a nonprofit rather than a public body, now holds the keys to ~$7M/year in federal funding—without elected oversight. That matters.

The Public’s Right to Oversight
Transportation planning shapes the Valley’s future from microtransit access to emergency corridors and broadband-ready roads. Without transparency, we risk losing the ability to prioritize public needs over private interests.
We call on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly to:
Establish a formal liaison role or oversight body to monitor MVP decisions and spending.
Audit TIP priorities to ensure they serve the designated urbanized area.
Request fiscal reporting from MVP on any overlapping tribal and MPO funds.

What’s at Stake
Funding Duplication: MVP leadership has stated tribes will receive MPO directed funds in addition to tribal specific federal dollars.
Transparency Gaps: The public has no insight into how TIP projects will be chosen, who benefits, or whether funds are equitably distributed.
Geographic Drift: Projects may be directed toward non-urban jurisdictions that fall outside the intended MPO boundary.

MVP’s Governance Anomalies
Nonprofit Structure: MVP was formed as a private entity due to Borough legal constraints but operates with public funds and broad policy authority.
No Assembly Approval: Its bylaws and board composition were never ratified by the Borough Assembly, Wasilla, Palmer, or the voting public.
Tribal Inclusion: Chickaloon and Knik Tribes were placed on the Policy Board—even though they lie outside the federally designated urban area and receive separate federal transportation allocations.

Who Controls Mat-Su’s Roads—and Why It Matters

Big news: Mat-Su’s new MPO, MVP, will direct $7 million/year in federal transportation funds. But here’s the twist—MVP is a private nonprofit, not a public entity. It was formed quietly, now holds major policy authority, and isn’t subject to Assembly or voter oversight.
Even more concerning:
Tribes outside the urban boundary (Chickaloon) were given full voting rights—despite already receiving federal transit funds.
The Borough Assembly never approved MVP’s board structure or bylaws.
There’s no public accountability for how TIP projects are prioritized—or who benefits.
We support equitable access for all—but transparency shouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of funding.
It’s time for the Assembly to:
Establish formal oversight of MVP
Audit TIP and urban boundary alignment
Demand clear reporting on dual-use federal funds
Let’s make sure every dollar serves the people it was meant for. It’s not anti-tribal—it’s pro-accountability.
🗳️ Share if you believe transportation decisions should be made in daylight, not in backrooms.

Who Governs Our Roads?
Holding MVP Accountable in the Mat-Su Borough

Mat-Su residents deserve a clear voice in how transportation funds are spent—especially now that the Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation (MVP) has become our region’s official Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Yet MVP, formed as a nonprofit rather than a public body, now holds the keys to ~$7M/year in federal funding—without elected oversight. That matters.

What’s at Stake
Funding Duplication: MVP leadership has stated tribes will receive MPO-directed funds in addition to tribal-specific federal dollars.
Transparency Gaps: The public has no insight into how TIP projects will be chosen, who benefits, or whether funds are equitably distributed.
Geographic Drift: Projects may be directed toward non-urban jurisdictions that fall outside the intended MPO boundary.

MVP’s Governance Anomalies
Nonprofit Structure: MVP was formed as a private entity due to Borough legal constraints—but operates with public funds and broad policy authority.
No Assembly Approval: Its bylaws and board composition were never ratified by the Borough Assembly, Wasilla, Palmer, or the voting public.
Tribal Inclusion: Chickaloon Tribe were placed on the Policy Board—even though they lie outside the federally designated urban area and receive separate federal transportation allocations.

The Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation (MVP) was structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, not a government agency. That means:
It’s not directly accountable to voters—only to its internal board and bylaws.
The Policy Board includes elected officials, but the organization itself isn’t subject to the same public oversight as the Borough Assembly.

MVP can receive and allocate millions in federal transportation funds, yet residents have no direct recourse if priorities shift or transparency falters.

We need to:

Put transportation planning back in the hands of elected officials.

Ensure public meetings, budget transparency, and direct accountability.

Align MPO decisions with Borough-wide priorities, not just the nonprofit’s internal goals.

It Started Without Us

The Mat-Su Valley Planning (MVP) MPO was formed to manage federal transportation dollars after our region crossed the 50,000 population threshold. But instead of building a public agency with elected oversight, a small group of unelected appointees and tribal representatives voted — behind closed doors — to form a private nonprofit.

The 501(c)(3) structure was adopted in March 2022 by the Pre-MPO Policy Board.
No Borough Assembly member was present for the vote.
No elected officials from Wasilla or Palmer participated.
The decision was made before census data confirmed the need for an MPO — and before the public even knew what was happening.

🧩 Who’s In Charge Now?

Today, the MVP for Transportation nonprofit controls regional road planning — and it’s run by a small executive board with deep ties to tribal and city interests:

Name	Role	Affiliation
Glenda Ledford	Corporation President	Mayor of Wasilla
Nicholas Charles Jr.	Board Member	Knik Tribe
Brian Winnestaffer	Board Member	Chickaloon Native Village

This means the Mayor of Wasilla is now the executive officer of a private nonprofit that receives federal transportation dollars — while also serving as chair of the MPO Policy Board. That’s a conflict of interest, and it violates the spirit of Wasilla’s own ethics code.

🧠 Who’s Running the Show?

The nonprofit’s Executive Director is Kim Sollien, a former planner for the Chickaloon Tribe, who also worked for the Borough’s Planning Department during the MPO’s formation. She helped shape the structure and is now the Executive Director

🗣️ Why It Matters

The Mat-Su Borough is now the direct recipient of federal transit funds, but has no Assembly member on the MPO Policy Board.
The nonprofit is exempt from Alaska’s Open Meetings Act — meaning decisions are made without public notice or access.
The Borough is being asked to appropriate millions in public funds to a nonprofit it doesn’t control.

✅ What We Stand For

We believe transportation planning should be:

Publicly accountable
Legally transparent
Led by elected representatives
Focused on serving families, commuters, and taxpayers — not private boards

🔧 It’s Time to Fix This

We’re calling for:

Immediate appointment of a Borough Assembly member to the MPO Policy Board
Public hearings on MPO governance and funding
A resolution requiring transparency and ethics compliance for all nonprofit recipients of Borough funds
A full review of how the MPO was formed — and whether it should be restructured under public control

What We Lost

Borough-wide representation: No Assembly member has a vote on road planning.
Transparency: The nonprofit is not subject to Alaska’s Open Meetings Act.
Public hiring and ethics: Key roles were filled without public process.
Control of federal funds: Millions now flow through a private board.

What Alaska Law and Practice Show

The Mat-Su Borough’s own 2016 MPO Self-Assessment concluded that MSB was fully eligible to host an MPO once the urbanized area threshold was met.
The 2020 Census confirmed that the Wasilla–Palmer–Knik–Lakes area exceeded 50,000, triggering the federal requirement to form an MPO.
Other Alaska MPOs — AMATS (Anchorage) and FAST (Fairbanks) — were hosted by their local governments for years before any nonprofit transition.

What Federal Law Requires
Under 23 CFR §450.310 and related federal transportation statutes:

An MPO must be established when an urbanized area exceeds 50,000 in population.
The MPO must include:
Local elected officials
State DOT representatives
Transit operators, if applicable
The host agency — which manages staffing, finances, and administration — can be:
A local government (like MSB)
A joint powers authority
A nonprofit, but only if local governments agree

Did You Know?
The new Mat-Su MPO—called MVP—isn’t a public agency. It’s a nonprofit that will now control ~$7M/year in federal transportation dollars for urban infrastructure…and yet, it’s not accountable to the Borough Assembly or voters.
What’s the issue? Tribes outside the urban boundary were given voting power Tribal entities stand to receive MPO funds on top of existing federal transportation dollars
MVP isn’t required to publicly report how funds are spent or projects are prioritized
We call on the Assembly to:
Establish formal oversight of MVP
Audit project alignment with the federal urbanized area
Demand financial transparency—especially around potential funding overlap
We can improve roads and transit access without sacrificing public accountability. Let’s build infrastructure with integrity.

Restoring Public Oversight in Urban Transportation Planning
As Mat-Su’s newly designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation (MVP) now directs millions in federal infrastructure funding—but operates as a nonprofit, outside the bounds of elected oversight. We recognize the need for federal access, but we must also demand accountability.

We should call for:
Borough Assembly oversight over all MVP decisions and expenditures
A full audit of TIP projects to ensure they serve the designated urbanized area
Transparency on funding overlaps, including tribal entities receiving both MPO and federal tribal program dollars
Quarterly budget and planning deliverables posted publicly by MVP
Mat-Su deserves locally responsive transportation planning that reflects community priorities—not top-down decisions made behind closed doors. We support tribal partnership, but the allocation of urban infrastructure dollars must be transparent, equitable, and strategically grounded.

Why MVP Formed as a Nonprofit
Borough Limitations: As a second-class borough, Mat-Su legally couldn’t host the MPO itself. Neither Palmer, Wasilla, nor the tribal governments had the capacity to sponsor it.
Nonprofit Solution: So MVP was formed as a 501(c)(3) to meet federal requirements and unlock funding. It’s a workaround—but one that sidesteps direct public accountability.

Oversight Gaps
No Elected Oversight: MVP’s Policy Board includes government reps, but the nonprofit structure means it isn’t directly answerable to voters or the Assembly.
Bylaws & Operating Agreement: These were approved by the Policy Board and Governor in December 2023—but not by the public or any elected legislative body.
Funding Control: MVP will eventually direct ~$7M/year in federal transportation funds, yet its budget and priorities aren’t subject to Borough budget hearings or Assembly votes.

Public Engagement—Real or Performative?
Public Participation Plan (PPP): MVP has a draft PPP open for comment through September 11, 2025. It outlines how they’ll engage the public—but it’s self-authored and self-enforced.
Technical Committee: Advises the Policy Board, but again, it’s not a public body with open appointment processes.

Tribal Inclusion: Symbolic or Strategic?
Chickaloon & Knik Tribes were added to the MVP Policy Board despite not being located within the federally designated urbanized area.
The rationale? Their jurisdictional boundaries span the Borough, and their inclusion was framed as “historic” by MVP leadership—marking the first time tribal governments were given equal standing in an Alaska MPO.
Kim Sollien, MVP’s Executive Director, previously served as Chickaloon’s grant writer and planner. That connection likely shaped early organizational decisions.

Funding Streams & Overlap
Federal Transportation Dollars via MPO: MVP will direct ~$7M/year in federal funds for urbanized area projects.
Tribal Funding Channels: Chickaloon and Knik already receive federal transportation funds through tribal programs like the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP), which is separate from MPO allocations.
Yet, MVP leadership has stated that tribal entities will receive a portion of MPO-directed funds as well—raising questions about double-dipping and whether urban funds are being diverted to non-urban jurisdictions.

Governance Concerns
No Public Vote or Assembly Approval: The inclusion of tribal entities on the Policy Board wasn’t ratified by any elected body—it was decided by the pre-policy board and accepted by the Governor.
Urban Area Definition: The MPO boundary is based on census-defined urban density (1,000+ people/sq mi), which does not include Chickaloon or Knik lands.
Policy Leverage: With full voting rights, tribal reps can influence TIP priorities, even for areas outside the urban core.

What This Means for You
This is a moment to ask: Who’s steering the ship, and whose roads are getting paved? If MVP is meant to serve the urbanized area, then its governance and spending should reflect that. We should:
Call for a boundary audit: Ensure TIP projects align with the urban designation.
Request transparency on dual funding: Clarify how tribal entities will separate MPO funds from existing federal allocations.
Propose Assembly oversight: Advocate for a formal review process of MVP’s board composition and spending priorities.

The Mat-Su isn’t just growing—it’s strategic. We’ve got Port MacKenzie, rail access, and a population ready to work. But we’re stuck with 20th-century infrastructure in a 21st-century economy. It’s time to connect the dots: port, rail, road, and people.

Some of the Issues I will try and brig to reality

Infrastructure That Serves the People

Start with what matters most: access. Roads, transit, and planning must serve the people who live here—not just the freight that moves through
Expand park-and-ride capacity and frequency to reduce congestion and give commuters real options
Launch microtransit pilots using newly unlocked FTA 5307 urban transit funding, with flexible, on-demand shuttles for seniors, students, veterans, and zero-vehicle households
Build toward a full-scale Valley transit system, including fixed-route commuter lines, real-time tracking, and regional rail integration with Anchorage
Create a Mat-Su–led transit authority to coordinate across borough lines, secure long-term funding, and ensure transit decisions reflect local needs—not Anchorage’s priorities
Prioritize road upgrades that link Port MacKenzie to population centers, schools, and services
Explore public-private partnerships to fund freight corridors and commuter routes—because smart infrastructure isn’t just about spending, it’s about investing
Design with dignity: every plan must include access for seniors, veterans, and families who rely on public transit to live, work, and thrive

Strategic Development That Powers the Valley

Port MacKenzie is the key to unlocking Interior and Arctic logistics—but only if we finish the rail spur and improve last-mile connectivity to Wasilla, Palmer, and Anchorage
Position the port as a freight and resource hub, supporting intermodal planning and attracting investment in agriculture, mining, and energy
Defend West Susitna development against obstruction and misinformation—this region holds over 6 million acres of untapped potential for land sales, recreation, and responsible resource access
Support the West Susitna Access Road as a launchpad for jobs, housing, and infrastructure expansion—connecting people to opportunity and the borough to new revenue
Explore reopening coal operations in Sutton and Chickaloon, including the Wishbone Hill Mine and historic sites like Jonesville and Eska, which still hold viable reserves and could support local jobs and borough revenue
Push for responsible permitting and community engagement, ensuring any coal development meets modern environmental standards and benefits local families—not just outside interests
Use development dividends to fund essential services, including fire, EMS, road maintenance, senior programs—and potentially subsidize daycare centers, giving working parents a fair shot at employment and stability
Stand up for Mat-Su’s right to lead its own future—through infrastructure, resource access, and economic planning that reflects our values and serves our people

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