Senator was a no-show

PALMER -- About 30 Valley residents and staff from three news organizations turned out on Labor Day to hear Sen. Scott Ogan make an announcement about his employment with Evergreen Resources Corp. and address questions relating to a perceived conflict of interest in his work for the company.

But Ogan didn't show. A member of his staff told those gathered the event had been canceled Sunday, took names and numbers at the meeting, but wasn't able to provide a reason for the cancellation. In an e-mail sent Monday, Ogan wrote: "My staff told me that some of the press was not happy about being there on a holiday so we canceled."

Those who showed up for the press conference weren't happy about being snubbed, or about losing a chance to take Ogan, who has represented the Palmer area for the past nine years, to task for his involvement with a company that now holds thousands of acres of leases to explore subsurface mineral rights from Sutton to Willow.

"What I was hoping to hear is how Scott Ogan can say he's representing us," Lazy Mountain resident David Holladay said. "He had a job as a legislator to say 'Here are the risks and here are the laws I'm working to pass that are going to protect you.'"

"Who does he work for, us or them?" another Valley resident asked.

Ogan said he wasn't sure who alerted the public of the press conference, but he was only expecting news media to be there.

"I'm kind of wondering why they were there," Ogan said from Texas Wednesday. "It was a press conference. Obviously, somebody in the press wanted to make it more than a press conference."

Ogan is scheduled to speak at the Oct. 1 noon meeting of the Palmer Chamber of Commerce, at the chamber's monthly open meeting.

"I'll be happy to answer questions at that time," Ogan said.

Linda Hay in Ogan's Juneau legislative office said beyond members of the news media, neither information about the meeting nor its cancellation were sent out to the public. The meeting was called Friday afternoon. Hay said after hearing ongoing controversy about his involvement with Evergreen Resources, a Colorado shallow-well natural gas drilling company, Ogan decided to call the press conference to address the issue. Ogan has contracted with Evergreen for the past two years, earning $17,000 in 2001 and $40,000 for 2002, according to legislative financial disclosure statements filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

The legislator, previously a cabinetmaker, provides public relations consulting, project management work and introduces the company to local business leaders, according to information in the forms. He also chairs the Senate Resources Committee and is getting set to become chair later this month of the Energy Council, an international committee made up of legislators from energy-producing states and provinces in North and South America.

Hay said Ogan wanted to hold the press conference before leaving to prepare for upcoming meetings of the Energy Council.

He did send out a press release Tuesday, saying he vowed to "terminate [his] position for Evergreen Resources (Alaska) Corp. if there is any culpable disregard by Evergreen for the health, safety or property rights of [his] constituents." He also cited a portion of Alaska Statute 24.60, which pertains to legislative ethics laws and standards of conduct. Alaska Statute 24.60.010 (4) states "a part-time citizen legislature implies that legislators are expected and permitted to earn outside income and that the rules governing legislators' conduct during and after leaving public service must be clear, fair and as complete as possible …"

Hay said despite previous reports that the conference was canceled because KTUU reporters weren't able to attend, it was the complaints of several news organizations that drove the cancellation.

"A number of people called to confirm … and a lot indicated it was not the best day in the world," Hay said.

She said she was called by Ogan at home Sunday to get word out that it had been canceled and she faxed a cancellation notice to everyone on the list of people who had received the initial announcement.

"We were concerned that we wouldn't get to people in time," Hay said.

Upon cancellation Ogan offered to do one-on-one interviews with members of the media. Ogan will return Sunday from Energy Council meetings, then leave again for more meetings on Sept. 17. Hay said members of the public with questions about coal bed methane can attend two upcoming meetings scheduled by the Mat-Su Borough. The first will be held Monday at Big Lake Elementary at 6 p.m. and the second will be held at Palmer Junior Middle School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. More meetings may follow, she said.

"We are in the process of trying to set up a legislative meeting on the issue," Hay said.

Evergreen is planning to hold some public informational meetings as well. Staff from Evergreen said they plan to hold town hall meetings during the first week of October. Dates are not yet finalized, but more information will be available in the coming weeks.

"I think there are going to be a lot of meetings," Hay said.