Council delays funding WASI, raising sales tax

WASILLA — Wasilla City Council removed from its agenda Monday an ordinance to appropriate $34,800 to Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. until the city can come up with a policy on disbursing grant funds to local organizations.

Council also voted against an action memorandum introduced by Councilman Steve Menard to support a half percent sales tax increase to fund a new library and future community projects.

The WASI funding ordinance came after a similar grant request for $36,000 failed to pass in December amid vocal opposition by WASI members and a few council members who felt WASI’s executives and board of directors did not provide adequate information on the nonprofit organization’s budget and other issues regarding the organization’s openness.

WASI Executive Director Sondra Kaplan and Councilwoman Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, the sponsor of the most recent grant resolution, agreed that pulling the item off the agenda was the best move at this time given the ongoing controversy surrounding WASI and the lack of a solid city policy on such grants. Kaplan told council at Monday’s meeting that she appreciated Sullivan-Leonard’s hard work on WASI’s behalf and also thanked her and Mayor Verne Rupright for participating in the Meals on Wheels program recently.

She also thanked the city clerks for their prompt responses when information requests were made by WASI executives and board members.

“This exercise has been extremely beneficial to WASI. I need to let you know that,” Kaplan said. “We have already implemented some suggested changes that have come forth and were brought to our attention. Thank you for making an appropriate vote and we look forward to working with you in the future.”

WASI board member Jim Vrooman, however, told the council he was disappointed the grant request was pulled off the agenda. WASI member Elsie O’Brian told council she thought it was interesting that Vrooman didn’t seem to be on the same page as Kaplan when it came to the grant ordinance.

O’Brian also pointed out that she’d been told by a local legislator that WASI’s missing out on about $50,000 in nutrition funds each quarter simply because WASI staff is not filing the required reports for the funds.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.McKee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.