New MEA director under fire

PALMER — Two months removed from being sworn in as the newest member of the Matanuska Electric Association Board of Directors, Janet Kincaid came under fire Monday over allegations she violated board policies and utility bylaws.

The allegations, detailed in two sizable packets — with choice bits redacted — and made public at the board’s regular monthly meeting are the result of at least a month’s worth of investigation conducted by MEA’s senior management.

Allegations include speaking with MEA employees, which is forbidden for board members, and allegedly providing confidential information from a closed board hearing to her son, David Kincaid, who does contract work for MEA.

Kincaid seemed flabbergasted Monday by the allegations, choosing to defend herself against the former charges but not the latter, which she said would be more appropriately addressed in closed session as they revolved around information not possible to disclose to the public.

The incidents referred to in the packet regarding her contact with employees, she said, related to three contacts. The first she discussed involved a call she made to get tree branches cut from a power line near a piece of property she owns.

“I did not in any way throw my weight around as director,” Kincaid said of her call to the utility, noting that she specifically told employees not to rush the matter on her account.

The second incident involved her discussions with an employee about a presentation the employee gave at the Palmer Chamber of Commerce, she said.

“After the report was given I went up to the representative and said that it is common practice at the chamber that when a board member is present you introduce them,” Kincaid said, noting that she told the speaker she hoped she wouldn’t neglect to introduce Kincaid at any future meetings.

The third incident she described as a complaint she passed along from a co-op member regarding alcohol being transported in an MEA truck.

According to the packets presented at Monday’s meeting, Kincaid passed along photos depicting boxes of Mike’s Hard Lime and Bacardi Mojito in the truck to senior management and started a discussion at a board meeting of the co-op’s policies regarding alcohol in company trucks.

“When I get a complaint I try to make sure I follow through on them,” Kincaid said.

According to a memo MEA General Manager Wayne Carmony submitted with the packets, Kincaid’s contact with employees has caused insubordination, violation of internal procedures, false reporting to a supervisor, notice of an employee’s intent to retain legal counsel to protect against Kincaid’s possible future personnel actions, undermining of the chain of command, anxiety, violation of employee privacy rights and “multiple examples of employee speculation and gossiping about how long it will take Director Kincaid to get rid of the general manager.”

Kincaid, point by point refuted the claims, said she can’t be held responsible for any of these effects, saying she found it “incredible” that she could somehow be accused of being their source.

“I don’t know how anybody can hold me responsible for gossip,” Kincaid said.

Though she adamantly advocated staying in open session for the discussion of the contacts with employees, Kincaid seemed unable to find a way to justify keeping the session open for a discussion of allegations she released confidential information to her son.

Those disclosures, Carmony said, if proved correct, could likely affect contract negotiations with the utility’s union and other negotiations. Exactly what she is alleged to have disclosed, however, was redacted from the information provided at the meeting.

In the end, the matter was tabled on a motion from Director Peter Burchell until the board’s Sept. 24 meeting, at which time the members will decide whether or not to go into closed session. They will also likely decide what action, if any, to take against Kincaid.