The Soldotna City Council voted Wednesday night to determine if the regularly scheduled city council meetings should be moved to the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Resolution 2021-021 was brought forth by council members Pamela Parker and Linda Hutchings. In introducing the resolution, Council cited Municipal Code 2.04.010 which establishes that City Council will set regular meeting days and times by resolution.
Councilwoman Linda Hutchings, “We’re pretty excited that we’re going to have music in the park and we feel like this is an opportunity for the council to participate and support all of our music that we’ve had to put off. I think it’s good for us to be out in the public so that the people can get a chance to see just what we have to offer in our city.”
Councilwoman Pamela Parker, “Also, I think that if we’ve got a beautiful sunny Wednesday, and there’s something very important before the council, I honestly think most people would choose to be out there listening to great music in the gorgeous sunshine by the river. I just think that it would really impede the public process if we’re holding a government meeting on the same night of our largest community events in the summer. That’s why we were hoping moving it to another night would free up that opportunity so residents can attend both.”
Councilman Justin Ruffridge, “I guess I’m going to be the curmudgeon of the group and just state that schedules in the summer are always hectic and busy. There is always something going on. I personally see that we have plenty of times to go hear music in the park every other Wednesday to be almost exact. I would think just keeping it this way rather than adjusting it and adjusting back as much as I enjoy music in the park I’m not certain I support moving our meeting times.”
Council was, however, evenly split on the decision and Mayor Paul Whitney had to cast the deciding no vote. As a result the resolution failed, which means that the regularly scheduled City Council meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month will still take place moving forward.
