Assembly Vice President Brent Hibbert prepares to vote on legislation during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly Vice President Brent Hibbert prepares to vote on legislation during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Assembly nixes in-person Seward, Homer meetings

Supporters said the meetings offer the opportunity for assembly members to make important in-person connections.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will not have in-person meetings in Seward or Homer next year following a vote by the assembly Tuesday. The assembly has historically met in Homer and Seward once a year, but stopped doing so in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assembly member Cindy Ecklund, who represents the east peninsula, proposed amending the assembly’s 2022 meeting schedule such that the body would travel to Seward in April and to Homer in September. The assembly approved the body’s 2022 meeting schedule during their Nov. 9 meeting with the understanding that it could be amended at a later date to include in-person meetings.

“There’s so many people serving the borough in these other areas,” Ecklund said Tuesday. “I just thought that would be something that people would want to do. … (It’s) one time a year, guys.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Those who support the assembly traveling twice a year for meetings say it offers the opportunity for assembly members to make important in-person connections, while those opposed said Zoom has improved the experience for people participating remotely.

Brent Hibbert, who has served on the assembly during such in-person meetings, said the day usually involves the borough clerk traveling to the city ahead of time to set up and that assembly members sometimes eat lunch with the local city council. Hibbert pointed out that the Homer mayor and Seldovia city manager participated in Tuesday’s meeting remotely via Zoom.

“I don’t know why we can’t do this by Zoom,” Hibbert said. “We have the capabilities. It keeps us off the road, it keeps us safe. We’re not driving back in the dark … I’m going to vote no.”

Assembly member Lane Chesley, who represents Homer and attended Tuesday’s meeting remotely, said he’s received “split comments” on the issues and proposed a hybrid model where just the mayor and chief of staff traveled to different parts of the peninsula and attended an assembly meeting with regional members.

“A lot of folks have been telling me they’re satisfied with the Zoom format,” Chesley said.

The assembly ultimately voted 6-3 to not hold meetings in Seward and Homer, with assembly members Chesley, Mike Tupper and Ecklund voting in support of amending the meeting schedule to include in-person meetings in those communities.

Homer resident Ingrid Harrald, who said she listens to borough assembly meetings regularly, told the council during testimony given Tuesday that she was “disappointed” in the decision not to meet in smaller communities.

“You have borough assembly members from the small communities that travel to Kenai and Soldotna all the time, and nobody talks about the safety and the travel for those assembly members,” Harrald said. “As somebody who is very involved in local politics, me talking over Zoom or over the phone does not have the impact of sitting in front of you.”

Tuesday’s full meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly can be viewed on the borough’s website at kpb.us.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in