Through consent agenda, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved the designation of Administrative Officer and Alternate Administrative Officer at the Tuesday evening Assembly meeting.
KPB Mayor Mike Navarre designated his Chief of Staff, Max Best, as the administrative officer to exercise the powers and duties of mayor when he is unable to discharge the duties of office due to absence or incapacity. He additionally designated Brandi Harbaugh, Director of Finance, as the alternate administrative officer to exercise the powers and duties of the borough mayor at times when both Best and Navarre are absent or incapacitated and unable to discharge the duties of the office. The designations were made pursuant to AS 29.20.260 and KPB 2.04.030.
In telling the Policies and Procedures Committee, Mayor Navarre said, “To those of you who don’t know, Max Best has agreed to take the Chief of Staff position. I’m pleased to have him agree to take that position and I’ve designated him Administrative Officer with the Alternative Brandi Harbaugh.”
In his first report before the Assembly, Mayor Navarre also discussed his appointment when Charlie Pierce submitted his resignation. Members of the public have aired concerns that they didn’t get an opportunity to participate in the process for finding an interim mayor, despite Assembly members saying that the process for filling the position was being followed.
Mayor Navarre said:
“When I was appointed to this position, there was no public comments when it was up before the public for public hearing, and it seemed like it just happened. In fact, I was at the committee meeting in the afternoon, the Assembly asked a lot of good questions about what my motivation was, how I would conduct myself, whether I was going to run for re-election, those types of things. The action that took place that night when they appointed me was after some discussion in the committee process. In terms of the way I intend to conduct myself as far as the administration of government goes, I see this as a caretaker role for and until the next mayor is election at the special election.”
He said he sees his role as the manager of the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s government and that he intends to not make any director or service area changes unless something comes up.