It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Friday January 30, 2026.
Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper discussed the recent city council on the Mayor’s Minutes with host Mike Chmielewski yesterday. The council meeting began by honoring late Fire Chief Chad Cameron. Council member Graham read the tribute to Chief Cameron. She talked about his positive impact on the city. His family and many firefighters attended.
The proposal to remove parking requirements for downtown businesses was postponed indefinitely. The Downtown Palmer Parking & Pedestrian Access Strategic Plan recommends focusing on pedestrian and bike infrastructure. It did not find parking to be an issue most of the time.
Airport Superintendent John Diumenti provided an overview of the airport. He highlighted the economic impact of businesses located at the airport. These include some of the largest employers in Palmer as well as flight instruction, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and a variety of maintenance services.
The city is continuing efforts to work with the FAA on releasing the golf course land. It is seeking to understand the required steps and potential costs of the transfer. The city is focused on transparency in the process.
Mayor Cooper expressed his support for City Manager Kolby Zerkel. He addressed the false allegations on social media regarding her activity. He encouraged direct, public dialogue over hearsay.
The city council is seeking a new member to fill the seat left vacant due to the resignation of Victoria Hudson. A completed application must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. on Monday February 9.
Applicants may download the application online or pick up a physical copy at Palmer City Hall. An applicant must be a registered voter in the city and have resided within the City of Palmer for at least one year. Mayor Jim Cooper will review applications and may email follow-up questions to qualified candidates. He will appointment the new council member. The appointee will serve until the regular election in October.
You can watch the video of the council meeting on the Big Cabbage Radio YouTube channel. The recording includes a presentation by Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation Executive Director Kim Sollien on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the greater core area.
The audio of the Mayor’s Minutes is on bigcabbageradio.org.
Borough Finance Director Cheyenne Heindel discusses assessments for property taxes with Mike Chmielewski on Valley Edition tonight at 5 p.m., repeating Sat. at noon. It will then be available on our website.
The public comment period on Downtown Palmer Parking & Pedestrian Access Strategic Plan ends tomorrow. You can take a look at the plan on palmerak.org. If you have comments or questions use the link to email Maija DiSalvo at RESPEC.
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This Page Two article was written by Mike Chmielewski and read by Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on January 30, 2026.