Nixed meeting raises concern questioned

Wasilla councilor questions absences absences

Sept. 16, 2005

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - The regularly Wasilla City Council's regularly scheduled meeting may have been over in a heartbeat Monday night, but questions linger as to why the meeting was canceled.

Three council members, Verdie Bowen, Howard O'Neil and Rob Sande couldn't be there. With no quorum, Mayor Dianne Keller gaveled the meeting in and out.

Councilman Mark Ewing said the absences may have been planned.

"Mayor Keller didn't want the meeting to happen," Ewing said later. "The main reason is controversy. The more days you let go by after a controversy, the less controversy there is."

Ewing pointed to the recent report of Wasilla police dispatch dropping a shots-fired call for four hours as one controversy. He also pointed to one of the items on the consent agenda, $40,000 to repair the police station roof.

"We had that roof redone two years ago," he said. "Apparently the contractor who put up antennas damaged the roof. Why are we picking up the tab to repair this? What about public input at 9 p.m.?" Ewing said, referring to the starting time for the scheduled make-up meeting, which was to be held in the council chambers last night.

The agenda included the reading of nine ordinances, one resolution and four action memoranda. After that, the mayor, clerk and council make comments. After those comments, and before adjournment, audience members would have time to speak. Other items on Monday's agenda were postponed until the next regular council meeting on Sept. 26.

Monday was the second time this year that a council meeting was canceled due to lack of quorum. On April 25, the council meeting was canceled when Noel Lowe, O'Neil and Sande were absent.

After the meeting was gaveled closed, Ewing requested a moment to speak.

"Bowen assured us he would make every meeting," he said. "Rob's (Sande's) packet wasn't even picked up. I missed my son's hockey game in Anchorage to come."

In her eight years as city clerk, Kristie Smithers said meetings have not been canceled due to lack of quorums until this year.

"April was the first time I'd seen it happen," Smithers said "The closest we came was starting 20 minutes late once during the Palin administration because someone was stuck in traffic. But I knew they were on their way, so we just waited. "

After losing the quorum in April, according to Smithers, the decision was made to put "Absent and Excused" in the meeting minutes when someone on the council can't attend.

Smithers said she has never seen an unexcused absence, even during 10 years as deputy clerk for the Mat-Su Borough. "We've talked about it at clerk's conferences, but it just hasn't happened here," she said. "Most of the time when people call in, they have a good reason."

According to Mayor Keller, it is not her decision whether an absence is excused. The decision rests with the council members, she said.

According to city of Wasilla code 2.04.100, "Four council members shall constitute a quorum of the council, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in the manner subject to the penalties prescribed by the rules of the council."

Councilor Diana Straub, a candidate for mayor, stressed the importance of attendance at council meetings.

"It's important enough to me that when I worked in Juneau during the legislative session, I paid to come back for every meeting except one," Straub said. "I wanted the option of teleconference because Juneau has weather issues."

Back in January, when Straub took the Juneau job, Sande asked for her resignation, saying that he believed city code calling for regular attendance meant members had to be physically present for meetings, and teleconference was not up to code requirements. Along with O'Neil, he voted for Straub's removal.

State code, however, was found to supersede city code, and teleconferencing would have been an option. Straub resigned her legislative post when the heavy work load in Juneau interfered with her council duties.

"I'll tell you how important it is for me to attend meetings," Straub said. "I had a bad mammogram back in December. And I had biopsies done the day of the meeting they voted to ask for my resignation. I went to that meeting when most people would say that was a good reason to stay home. I was there.

"When you go door to door for three months, having 6,000 personal interviews, you really want the job. You see something you can fix, that's what drives you."

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.