State enforcers should have say on Keller

State authorities may have the next say about what, if anything, should be done about potentially illegal actions of Wasilla’s mayor and economic development planner in allegedly attempting to coerce local business owners into negotiating with a retail developer.

Wasilla Police Chief Angella Long says her department will turn over a Denali Law Group report detailing its investigation into Mayor Dianne M. Keller and her administration’s actions regarding Meritage Development LLC. Meritage proposes to develop two parcels of land along the Parks Highway as the Creekside retail center.

In its report, Denali Law Group concludes the city — specifically Keller and Economic Development Planner Casey Reynolds — attempted to coerce landowners near Meritage’s property by threatening eminent domain if they didn’t cooperate. It’s a serious conclusion that deserves independent follow-up.

We agree with Chief Long that the Alaska Bureau of Investigation would be a more appropriate agency to determine once and for all whether any serious legal actions are warranted.

One disturbing note in Denali’s report is that the law firm spoke with Valley District Attorney Roman Kalytiak about the attempted coercion and the DA indicated he would likely not act on it because Keller will be out of office in October and the city never followed through on its threats.

Should state investigators draw the same conclusion from the Denali report that Keller and Reynolds, as the report says, “did attempt to coerce the private property owners into entering into negotiations with the private developer,” then prosecution is warranted. To let public officials slide because they may be out of office soon sends a message to other elected officials that it’s OK to break the law if you won’t be in office much longer.

It’s not OK, and we don’t take lightly the conclusions found by the Denali Law Group partners who, until recently, were state prosecutors.

It’s also time for Wasilla City Council to move on and work with Keller’s lame-duck administration as best as it can for the next several months. Council has asked Keller to resign; she declined. Anything else at this point other than cooperating with the ABI wastes the public’s time and resources. It’s not the council’s responsibility to extract a pound of flesh, however much some members may want to.