By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
A public hearing held Wednesday, Oct. 7 by the Girdwood Board of Supervisors came to an abrupt end after the board voted to delay the meeting following a complaint by an audience member that the public notice for the meeting was not properly posted.
The meeting began with a discussion of the roads budget. When public comments were sought, Girdwood resident Julie Jonas stood up and walked to the aisle and addressed the board.
She said she was a former chair of the GBOS and was concerned about the public process leading up to the meeting, specifically the time of the placement of a public notice.
She told the board that she has two friends who are attorneys and also former chairs.
“I'm objecting to the procedure,” she continued, “and I sent a letter to the board last night.”
Jonas read the Rules and Regulations of the GBOS budget process, which states that “During a period of at least 46 days, beginning on the day of the budget introduction, at least two Public Hearings on the proposed Service Area operating budget will be held. Public Hearing dates will be announced at the August regular meeting and will be posted at the Girdwood branch of the US Post Office, the Girdwood Library, Little Bears Playhouse and on the GBOS and Municipality of Anchorage web site.”
“I've never seen anything posted,” she said after reading the rules. “Tonight is the first time the public has been presented the budget to see it.”
GBOS secretary Julie Pederson confirmed with GBOS chair Jake Thompson that the meeting was posted at the post office after 10 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5.
“To vote on the budget tonight is illegal,” said Jonas. “What I'm requesting of the board is that they reconsider taking any action…The authorizing statute requires you to follow GBOS procedures, otherwise, it's a violation of the public meetings act.”
“Do you intend to sue the board?” Thompson asked Jonas.
“I hope not,” she replied.
Thompson said a letter was sent from Mayor Sullivan's office confirming the legality of the meeting. The first announcement was made at the Aug. 17 GBOS meeting, Thompson said.
Thompson asked the board if they were comfortable holding the meeting.
“I am not comfortable,” responded GBOS member John Gallup. “We took the oath. I'm personally left with the choice of stepping aside and not discussing my budget (Parks and Recreation). We need to support and conduct ourselves by the guidelines of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors.”
“So the ethics that applies in Anchorage doesn't apply down here,” Thompson said to Gallup. “At the meeting last week you pushed to have your budget voted on. I think that what happened is that you were clearly upset because you didn't get your way, but for some reason you want to hold off on it…Had you been happy with the budget I wouldn't be getting letters from lawyers on it.”
The interaction between Gallup and Thompson was tense, a carry over from the previous budget meeting held at a special meeting on the Parks and Recreation budget Wednesday, Sept. 9.
During that meeting Gallup grew angry with Thompson because of his proposal to cut a portion of some of the parks and recreation budget items like the Conex storage container (budgeted for $6,000) to store items at the ball field, and trail maintenance and weed reduction work (budgeted for $28,000).
“So, let me understand, if you had gotten your 5 percent, we wouldn't be dealing with this right now, and I wouldn't be hearing about lawyers?” Thompson asked Gallup.
Thompson went on to comment on the legality of the meeting.
“We discussed with everybody we could on the legalities of this meeting,” he said. “I think Girdwood as a town could suck it up without lawyers getting involved…As a board we're doing our best to make sure the money is well spent.”
“I am reluctant to continue, and I think continuing would expose us to illegal action,” Gallup said.
“I'm not reluctant but I'm concerned,” added board member Bryan Epley.
“Somebody must be involved with overseeing the policies and procedures,” said board member Erin Eker.
“I rechecked on our end of the legalities of the meeting and the prior meetings,” said Thompson. “It's a legal meeting,” he insisted.
A board member suggested that because there are written procedures to follow that it would make sense to the community to reschedule the public hearing for the upcoming regularly scheduled GBOS meeting.
Eker made a motion to delay the meeting.
Gallup seconded it. The motion passed 4-1 with Epley voting against the delay.
The next monthly meeting of the GBOS is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at the community center.
The 2010 budget is scheduled to be addressed under old business after the board votes on Parks and Recreation non-profit grants.
