Wasilla City Council certifies Oct. 4 election results

WASILLA — Wasilla’s City Council certified the Oct. 4 city election results at Monday evening’s regular meeting. Council members also approved a municipal code wording change relating to personnel files at the short session.

Passage of Resolution 16-22—certification of election results, was the only new item. The sole city measure on the state ballot concerned two council seats up for grabs. Seat E incumbent and deputy mayor Gretchen O’Barr fended off challenger Debra Barrett by 13 votes—479 to Barrett’s 463, or by about 1.4 percent. There were also 43 write-in votes cast. Seat F’s James Harvey, who was appointed to an expiring opening in July, garnered 294 votes. The remainder of the field included Glenda Ledford with 257, Christopher Anderson with 246, Alvah Buswell III with 122. A total of 38 write-in votes were cast.

At Monday’s meeting, Wasilla City Clerk Jamie Newman said this year’s process went very smoothly and that there were no anomalies to report. She said the canvass board was very efficient and very fair in its review of the ballots. Newman said having direct, live access to the state’s voter’s data base kept ballot questions and issues to a very low level.

Newman said with the council’s certification, both incumbents are expected to be sworn into additional three-year terms at the group’s Oct. 24 meeting. Councilman Tim Burney asked about constituents who may have shown up to vote on borough issues but not have been certified to vote on city matters. Burney questioned whether those ballots were counted. Newman said there were a number of such ballots adding they were forwarded to proper borough channels and that it would be up to the borough canvassing board to certify them.

Council members also unanimously supported Ordinance 16-22 calling for wording change in the way employee disciplinary items are dealt with. City Mayor Bert Cottle said the language change was implemented in order to bring equity to all city employees — both union and non-union —when dealing disciplinary actions relating to personnel files. Cottle said the changes make it more fair, impartial and allows for due process.

There was no unfinished business for the council to act on. The council agreed to set an Oct. 24 public hearing on Ordinance 16-30 calling for a $6,400 appropriation from the city’s cemetery fund. The money would be used to buy back 32 lots in the Wasilla-Aurora Cemetery which will then be resold.