Sabrena Combs, Palmer City Councilwoman in her first term sat down with Tim Rockey for a Q&A about her activity in Palmer.

1) City of Palmer: What's your take on the people and personality of Palmer? Palmer is changing. A lot of younger families are putting their roots down here and choosing to raise their families here. There’s a strong local business base with new ventures happening all the time. It’s an exciting time and a good time to look at what can maybe be done better.

2) Role in community: What is your place in the Palmer community? My place in the community is to make Palmer better for my kids than it was for me. Which is pretty dang good. I love this town and I think it’s important for my generation to take the reins from the folks who have been putting in their time for so many decades.

3) Passionate causes: What do you see in the community that you are passionate about and want to improve? Local economy is my passion - encouraging folks to shop local, invest in their community and have pride in the act of giving back. I think there’s always room for improvement in this realm - making it easier to own a business in town, making sure businesses are promoted and accessible and making sure things are affordable and diverse so people are encouraged to come to Palmer to shop and do business.

4) Government: In your brief time in office, what are news, notes, or things you've noticed about the governing body? It’s been interesting learning what each Council member’s passion is - learning what generates conversation and what doesn’t. It’s an interesting dynamic for sure. I think my favorite part has been seeing how our different committees and commissions work with the council. There’s a lot of great folks dedicating their time to making Palmer better and that excites me.

5) How does your job intertwine with your Council commitments and what similarities do you see between MEA and the City Council? MEA has been my employer for over 11 years - they have always been so supportive of my community involvement. Working there has kind of helped prepare me to sit on the council since it’s a board-run cooperative. I’ve learned about coming up with solutions and ideas that will appeal to all board members, rather than just an executive staff or a single CEO. A diverse board always makes things challenging but also feels great when you get their buy-in.

6)Meetings: What qualified you to sit on the City Council and what experience do you have voting on issues within the community? I’ve been active in leadership with several Valley groups for my whole adult life. I sat on the United Way of Mat-Su board for six years which gave me insight to the real needs of our community, especially in the non-profit sector. I’ve volunteered with Palmer Chamber for almost a decade so I get to see the needs of businesses as well as help organize many of the events that make Palmer unique. But I think I’m also qualified because I’m a relatively-young female, parent of two, raising her children in downtown Palmer. My demographic wasn’t represented on the Council and I think it’s important that it is.

7)Inspiration on council: Which of your peers do you emulate/respect to the level of inspiration from their work? I think it’s easy to draw inspiration from everyone who sits on the Council - everyone brings something different to the table. I do get the most inspiration from the folks sitting in the audience each meeting - these are the folks in charge of running our City day in and day out and managing employees and staying in budget and following all of the guidelines we set forth. And they’re doing a great job - I want to make sure we’re making their jobs easier, not hindering them.

8) Direction of Sabrena: Where do you see yourself? The City of Palmer? I see myself here, still helping make Palmer great. I’d maybe like to be Mayor one day, I dabble in the idea of going to Juneau but I’m not sure I’d want to do that before my boys graduate high school. We shall see where I’m needed most and where I can make the biggest change. I see Palmer still thriving, bringing folks from near and far to enjoy all we have to offer. I think of Palmer as a little “Norman Rockwell” town and I want it to stay that way, while still evolving to fit the needs of everyone in the community.

We need something fun. LIGHTNING ROUND

1) What is your order at Vagabonds? 8oz. Non fat Mocha, one shot of caramel. Just a few sips.

2) Carrs or Fred Meyers? Both. They have their own strengths.

3) Favorite bar in Palmer? Palmer Bar. Obvs.

4) Favorite hike? The Butte!

5) Favorite mountain to look at but not hike? Pioneer. It’s brutal.

6) When was the last time you ate at the Valley Hotel because no where else was open? About a month ago. I had bacon and toast.

7) Colony Days or Colony Christmas? Colony Christmas, especially if there’s snow.

8) Favorite baseball team in Palmer?

(Jacksons, Rikers, Moose, Pioneers, or Miners?) this is tough. But Mat-Su Miners. Don’t tell Dave.

9) Favorite sport besides baseball? Boxing.

10) Favorite Alaska Grown/Caught/Shot meal? Halibut. And Valley potatoes.