Four file : Wasilla seat up for grabs

WASILLA -- Wasilla has one empty city council seat to fill, and four residents have asked to be considered by the city council for the job.

Council seat B was vacated by city mayor Dianne Keller when she was sworn into

office earlier his month. City code requires that the remaining five council members appoint someone to fill the seat.

The city clerk's office has received letters of interest from former Mat-Su Borough Assembly representative Dan Kelly, former Wasilla council member Norm Fuller and political newcomers Diana Straub and Conrad Holler.

Kelly is a retired transportation department worker who was eligible to run for re-election to his borough seat, but instead filed to run for Wasilla mayor this summer. He placed third behind Keller and Faye Palin. In his application letter, Kelly wrote about his transportation planning experience and involvement in the Alaska Municipal League (AML), an independent nonprofit organization that provides training, lobbying and other services for local governments.

Straub wrote that she has 12 years of experience as a small business owner marketing cosmetics and skin care products and working as an esthetician. She is married and a mother of three children, and listed the PTA, Northern Lights Cowboy Association, Miss Rodeo Alaska and Girl Scouts as organizations with which she has been involved. Straub also served as campaign manager for Keller's successful mayoral bid.

Holler wrote that he has been a Mat-Su Borough resident since 1974 and a resident of Wasilla since 1981.

"I have never held an elected, public office but am a regular and take an active interest in what happens in my community," he wrote. Holler cited the Meadow Lakes block party, the Palmer Elks club and Wasilla Amateur Hockey Association as groups with which he has been involved. He also wrote that he helped in the building of Wonderland Park.

Fuller's letter cited his past experience on Wasilla council (1996 to 2000) and displayed a sense of humor. Fuller wrote that he is married and has "three occasionally wonderful children," and provided a list of bad habits that included "exhibiting poor hunting skills." Fuller is a self-employed chiropractor and has been practicing in Wasilla for 11 years.

Interest in serving on council is higher than it was during the filing period for regular council elections last summer. At that time, two out of six Wasilla council seats were slated for the October ballot. Council member Noel Lowe signed up for re-election and ran unopposed. A second council race had no candidates when the filing period closed in July. By October, five people had notified the city clerk and the Alaska Public Office Commission (APOC) that they intended to run write-in campaigns.

Rob Sande won the write-in race with 70 votes, which was 23 percent of the 304 write-in votes that were counted. 131 people voted for miscellaneous candidates other than the five declared candidates. The city election attracted 987 qualified voters 981 of whom voted in the mayor's race.