The Soldotna City Council is considering the appropriation of $100,000 to hire a consultant to lead the public input process on potential annexation.
Brian Olson with Borough Residents Against Annexation says he feels that the introduction of the ordinance means his group’s member’s opinions are falling on deaf ears.
Olson: “It’s frustrating, we’re going to pursue this to the bitter end. All we’ve ever asked for is a total commitment that the people in the affected areas would be able to vote and that the vote would count, meaning nobody would be annexed against their will.”
Olson says it is a waste of taxpayer money to pay to facilitate public input when city administration could simply schedule meetings with business owners and residents of affected neighborhoods.
City Manager Mark Dixson said via email that hiring the consultant for the process is necessary for two reasons: “1. Time commitment: Our staff has, in addition to their everyday duties, several other important issues we are dealing with. 2. Credibility. It would be very easy for the opposition to argue that we manipulated the results. We need this to be correct and defensible when and if any petition is sent to the Local Boundary Commission. “
A public hearing on the ordinance to appropriate the $100,000 in funding will be held at the regular City Council meeting on December 14.