WASI goes back to city with $35,000 request

WASILLA — Despite strong reservations from some Wasilla City Council members, the council narrowly voted Monday to allow a public hearing next month on whether to appropriate nearly $35,000 to the Wasilla Area Senior Center’s food program.

This is WASI’s second attempt to garner taxpayer funds for its nutrition program after being turned down for a $36,000 grant request in December by a 3-2 vote after WASI members and council raised concerns about management issues and a lack of transparency with financial records.

The latest ordinance to amend the city’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget by appropriating $34,800 to WASI was introduced by Councilmember Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, who said her concerns about the food program have nothing to do with recent “theatrics” at the senior center nor personal political motivations.

“Seniors do have a significant need here,” Sullivan-Leonard told the council. “I hope we don’t lose sight of that.”

Although Councilwoman Dianne Woodruff voted to allow the ordinance to be on the April 11 meeting agenda, she made it clear she is not going to vote in favor of the funds unless she is satisfied all her questions about WASI’s budget figures are answered by then.

Woodruff, who has attended most of the WASI board meetings and membership meetings since the end of last year, said WASI Executive Director Sondra Kaplan has continually denied her access to financial documents and that, not for the first time, the council was given budget documents the day of the council meeting.

“I’m letting you know flat-out that unless I get all the information I’ve requested, I will absolutely vote against the funding request,” Woodruff said Monday.

Council members Taffina Katkus, Steve Menard and Leone Harris also expressed concerns about the funding request in light of ongoing turmoil at WASI.

For the past four months, an outspoken group of WASI members has complained about how they have been treated by Kaplan and some of the organization’s board members, sudden terminations of senior center staff — including a former programs manager who accused Kaplan of grant mismanagement — and a lack of transparency of board records.

Last Thursday, Kaplan ejected Frontiersman staff from a WASI board meeting after getting into a scuffle with Frontiersman Managing Editor Heather A. Resz. Resz had been snapping pictures of Kaplan’s husband, Chuck, before the meeting after he accused the Frontiersman of biased coverage.

Kaplan argued WASI didn’t have to abide by the Open Meetings Act because it’s a private non-profit, then blocked Resz’s camera with a file folder. When Resz refused to put the camera down, Kaplan pushed the file folder into the camera, causing the camera to bend Resz’ glasses and bruise her nose.

During Monday’s council meeting, Katkus and Menard expressed concerns about the city being in the grant-giving business with taxpayer funds.

They had voted against the first request of $36,000 in December and didn’t understand why it was before the council again.

“I strongly object to having this on the agenda,” Katkus said. “We’ve already hashed this out once. We already killed this before. It’s our duty to watch out for the citizens and their money. If we had the money, we’d have our infrastructure in place.”

Councilwoman Leone Harris expressed frustration over not hearing back from Kaplan when Harris called to make an appointment with her. Harris had previously voted for funding WASI.

“I have done a 180-degree turn on this one because of a litany of questions that have been brought up,” Harris said. “Any organization coming to taxpayers for money should answer all the questions put to them. You should have open books, 100 percent.”

As Kaplan shielded her face from a Frontiersman photographer’s camera Monday at Wasilla City Hall, she told the council her door is always open for those who make an appointment with her.

“I do what I can. I operate a $5.1 million organization with many departments and many services,” Kaplan said. “So I am very busy, but I would be more than happy to sit down and go over the books with you. I don’t know how much more I can make myself available.”

Kaplan gave her private cell phone number to council members so they could more easily contact her.

In the end, council members Doug Holler, Menard, Sullivan-Leonard and Woodruff voted in favor of placing the funding ordinance on the April 11 agenda for public hearing and possible adoption. Katkus and Harris voted against it.

Woodruff said after the meeting that she believes the matter should at least have a fair hearing next month, even though she still has a lot of concerns.

WASI Board President Mary Sears breathed a sigh of relief.

“Amen,” Sears said. “Let’s just get through the next day, right?”

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.McKee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.