Wasilla council member unexcused

July 28, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

WASILLA - In what may be a first, the Wasilla City Council declined to excuse a council member's absence at Monday night's meeting.

Council member Diana Straub submitted a letter before the meeting, saying she wouldn't attend. After some discussion among council members, Straub's absence was voted into the record as unexcused.

Kristie Smithers, city clerk, said she never has witnessed an unexcused absence in the eight years she has been on the job for the city.

Dated July 24 and addressed to &#8220Dear Councilmen,” Straub wrote that she wouldn't attend the meeting &#8220as per legal advice.”

&#8220As you may know, one of my children wrote an ugly letter to our mayor regarding campaign signs. With campaign signs being an agenda item tonight, it would not be wise for me to attend,” Straub wrote.

Last week, an investigation into an alleged threatening e-mail to Mayor Dianne M. Keller led Alaska State Troopers to Straub's house. While troopers were rounding up household computers, Straub's 13-year-old son confessed to being the e-mail's author.

The issue of campaign signs was part of an ordinance proposed by Keller to repeal a city law that regulates them. The problem was the enforceability of the city code, according to Tom Klinkner, city attorney. Case law determined it was illegal to single out signs of a political nature.

&#8220The correct fix is part of a larger public policy,” Klinkner said.

The city code addressing temporary signs could be used to govern political signs within the city until the council had time to deliberate, he said.

Howard O'Neil, deputy mayor presiding over the meeting in Keller's absence, said he wanted the full council to be present to address the matter. Council member Ron Cox also was absent, an excused absence he told the council about weeks in advance.

With no mayor and only four council members present, including Mark Ewing, Steve Menard and Marty Metiva, any

measure had to pass unanimously or fail.

After a brief break, where Metiva and Menard discussed the ordinance, the four members voted unanimously to postpone the sign issue until the next meeting.

Anne Kilkenny told the council she didn't want the ordinance repealed until something else was in place.

&#8220It sets standards going into campaign season,” Kilkenny said. &#8220I wish they all would go away.”

Chris Tyree disagreed with Kilkenny.

&#8220How does she expect us to vote if there are no signs?” Tyree said. &#8220I don't always read the paper.”

Dan Kelly said he was shocked the matter came up at this time.

&#8220I have to believe that phone calls, TV and radio are all good ways to get a message out,” Kelly said. &#8220But the costs are prohibitive.”

Also on Monday, the council voted down an ordinance that would have amended city code regarding public access to records.

&#8220We really don't have a process to say how we handle requests and how many days we have to get back to someone,” Smithers told the council.

Ewing voted no, causing the measure to fail. But he later brought the ordinance back for reconsideration and the council postponed a vote on it until the next meeting.

The council adjourned about 8:30 p.m.

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@ frontiersman.com.