Wasilla Police Department vacancies discussed at latest city council meeting

WASILLA — The Wasilla City Council introduced Resolution 19-05, ratifying the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the city and the Wasilla Police Department Employees Association, along with interaction with two groups of friends at the Wasilla City Council meeting on Monday.

Mayor Bert Cottle was asked by Councilman Stu Graham about the reported number of vacancies in the police department. WPD still has five vacancies, after filling one open position and losing another officer to resignation. Cottle noted that during the Alaska Municipal League conference in Juneau last week he had a chance to speak with Rep. Chuck Kopp on the a possible bill to retain more police officers.

“How could we further enhance recruitment by going back to some form of defined benefits? Because everybody agrees that is part of the problem,” Cottle said.

Graham moved 19-05, which had been in the consent agenda to new business, so that the council could hear a presentation on some perceived changes from Finance Director Troy Tankersly. Tankersly elaborated on the pending changes in the contract, which was the previous contract from the Teamsters 959.

“That was the official and is the official contract for that three-year period of time, and now that contract is being carried forward for this one year contract without change,” Tankersly said.

The WPDEA has been without a contract since May of 2018, and expedited the process to ensure that they were under contract. The WPDEA expects to continue negotiations with the city once the contract has passed to work out a better long-term deal.

“The money’s inside this budget so it just made sense to expedite. Just do a one year, get that one done and then let’s sit back down and then we can go back through paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence,” Tankersly said.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, the wages would see a 3.5 percent increase.

While Recreation and Cultural Services Director Joan Klapperich was giving her report on the Menard Center, Councilwoman Glenda Ledford asked about a group’s association with Wasilla Parks and Recreation.

“The friends of Wasilla Parks and Recreation are not necessarily associated with Wasilla Parks and Rec, it is a separate 501(c)3 organization that has been developed by two very energetic young men from our community whose aspirations were to develop a skateboard park expansion project,” Klapperich said.

Klapperich said that she advised the group of about 60 energetic skate park organizers that it wasn’t under city responsibility to provide expansion projects, but that they could develop a nonprofit similar to the Friends of the Wasilla Public Library.

“They’re also making subcommittees for different parks and what they want to see in their parks and these are the movers and shakers, I’ll tell you what. They’ve already raised $110,000,” Klapperich said.

The first presentation of the night came from Bob and Judy Bowers, who have helped organize the Christmas Friendship Dinner for its 27 years of existence. The Bowers presented certificates to Cottle and Klapperich for their help in promoting the Christmas Friendship Dinner.

“Her and Scott are two of our biggest biggest supporters in this endeavor anything that we need they somehow figure out a way to talk Bert into doing it,” Bob Bowers said. “The city’s been involved right from the very beginning.”

Bowers read the letters written to Cottle and Klapperich thanking them for their support, along with the other two vital entities that assist the Bowers’, the Mat-Su Food Bank that serves as the nonprofit and the Houston Lions that provide insurance.

“The real credit for our ability to reach out goes to you our supporters. So many thanks to you for your warm and caring spirit and your generosity. The Christmas Friendship Dinner has been in existence for nearly 30 years, 27 to be exact, addressing loneliness, homelessness, hunger, depression and other issues affecting our world today,” Bowers read.

The 2018 Christmas Friendship Dinner served 4,500 meals at the Menard Center, delivered 400 meals and groceries to those unable to travel, and additionally provided transportation to the Christmas Friendship Dinner for 50 adults and children. Each child received a gift bag with gloves, scarves, and other items.

“A lot of people think the Christmas Friendship Dinner is for the needy and it’s not the Christmas Friendship Dinner is for anyone who needs a place to go just somebody to talk to...We have 550 people that volunteer this every year so it just keeps growing and growing and growing without the support of the city and the food bank and the Houston lions this thing would be unable to continue,” Bowers said.

Additionally, the Christmas Friendship Dinner allows for 550 people to serve their own community. Burney made sure that the Bowers’ weren’t the only ones doing the thanking.

“The way your team blesses this community every year is just heartfelt and warm and what you guys do is just fantastic and amazing,” Councilman Tim Burney said. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that it doesn’t happen without you and your team as well, so thank you very much.”

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com.