The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted to authorize the Borough Clerk to insert advisory board recommendations in pending legislation. Prior to the assembly’s final action on the legislation, the boards often hold a meeting, make a recommendation, and their recommendation is submitted to the clerk’s office where it is then then considered by the assembly.
According to the corresponding documents, a motion must be made to amend the blank clause and fill it in with the recommendation received from the named board or board(s). Also, preparing the memo to the assembly with the proposed amendment, ensuring that an assembly member makes the motion to amend and is voted on at the correct time, is considered time consuming for staff and the assembly.
Assemblyman Jesse Bjorkman:
“Ordinance 2021-21, Amending KPB 22.4.050 to authorize the Borough Clerk to insert advisory board recommendations into pending legislation. This is what I would call a housekeeping ordinance, but really a powerful ordinance in how we run meeting here and I think it will do a lot to make meetings more streamlined in a way that the clerk can insert language that has been approved by service area boards and other advisory boards into ordinances and resolutions that will we are looking at as an assembly and it will take less time as an assembly to do its business if the clerk can put that language, that advisory language in from our different service area boards and advisory boards.”
In passing this ordinance, the procedure would be simplified. The clerk also shall verbally inform the assembly of this action for the record prior to the final action on the matter. The assembly may then choose to accept, modify or reject the amendment.
Ordinance 2021-21 unanimously passed the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.
