Janecek leaves on sour note

PALMER -- After he balked at apologizing, the Matanuska Electric Association board of directors adjourned Monday without sanctions in place against board member Michael Janecek.

The MEA board held its regular meeting Monday, and two items were on the agenda to enact sanctions against Janecek for what the board found was failure to appropriately disclose a discussion with representatives of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union and a public breach of order against members of MEA management.

Although the remainder of the meeting went smoothly, the tide changed when Board Member Lee Jordan made a motion to sanction Janecek for public breaches of order. Jordan's motion required an immediate apology to MEA's general manager, staff and other members of the board for what he called a gross breach of order at MEA's April meeting. At that meeting, General Manager Wayne Carmony read a report of an exchange between Janecek, who had just received news he had lost a reelection campaign, and members of MEA management. At the April meeting, Janecek took issue with the report, and told Carmony to "shove it," along with other directives. He later apologized during the meeting to some board members, to the audience, and to board secretary Patti Worrell. Jordan, Monday, said he'd like to see that apology expanded.

"The offending member noted himself last month that an apology was appropriate, but that apology wasn't given," Jordan said.

Janecek moved to amend the motion to add in an apology from Carmony -- to him.

"I would move to amend … to include that Mr. Carmony then apologize to me for three years of torture and discrimination on this board," Janecek said.

Board President Larry DeVilbiss ruled Janecek's comments out of order, and Jordan asked that the board adjourn the meeting, out of respect to the staff. The majority of the board agreed, and the sanctions were left unresolved -- at least for one more month.

Although this was Janecek's last meeting as a board member, Jordan said when the board meets in July he plans to bring forward a suggestion for sanctions against Janecek for the charge of failing to properly disclose contact with IBEW representatives.

"That item was serious and needs to be addressed for precedent-setting purposes," Jordan said.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.