Former council member Glenese Pettey was appointed to serve on the Kenai City Council on Nov. 19, fulfilling a seat left empty when Henry Knackstedt’s term as City of Kenai mayor began on Oct. 20. Pettey will serve until the next municipal election in October 2026.
According to Section 2.9 of the Charter of the City of Kenai, members of city council are to solicit applications when there is a vacancy on the council. The city clerk then confirms that the candidates are qualified to serve, and each candidate is given five minutes to introduce themselves and make a statement in front of current city council members.
“Council members will then ask a series of similar questions of each applicant,” Knackstedt said during the meeting. “Applicants will have up to three minutes to respond to each question. Follow up questions may be asked of each applicant. Follow up responses will not be timed.”
The council heard from four candidates in the order in which their applications were received. Alex Douthit spoke first, followed by Michelle Miller Obay, Pettey and Duane Bannock.
Douthit has years of experience as an elected official. He has served on the Kenai Chamber of Commerce board of directors since 2022, and he spent a year serving on Kenai’s planning and zoning commission. He ran for mayor when his term on the city council ended in October and received 326 votes, losing to Knackstedt by 135. Douthit said the ordinance he passed during his term on city council that allows city employees and municipal officers to purchase city-owned lands was an example of his ability to compromise and find inventive ways of improving Kenai.
“Having several different viewpoints on council ensures a full community representation,” he said. “Having a council that works well together is very important, and I’m willing to work together to find a solid common ground solution with the current council.”
Obay, a healthcare professional, gave her presentation next, saying the city should create an app to make public information more accessible and highlight local businesses every week. One of the ways to increase public involvement, she said, was to offer incentives to people who attend city council meetings.
“I think that on meetings once a month, Wal-Mart should give away a $25 gift card to community members,” she said. “Seven thousand people live here, and elections are decided with under 200 votes. So few people feel their voices (are) heard, but you have to show up and say something.”
Pettey was up third. Like Douthit, Pettey has previous city council experience, having served two terms. She also previously served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Council on Aging Commission. She ran for city council in October, vying for two seats against Victoria Askin and Bridget Grieme, both of whom received over 400 votes. Pettey received 334.
Pettey pointed to her 18 years of experience in financial planning, saying her knowledge of budgeting is a “real asset.” When asked what initiatives she would pursue if appointed, Pettey said she would prioritize taking out a low-interest loan to create a second Vintage Pointe senior living facility.
“The moment it was completed, it would be completely filled with the waiting list,” she said, referring to the waiting list of 60 individuals who are currently hoping for a spot in Vintage Pointe to become available. “That’s one of the projects I think would be very, very successful that would enhance livability for our community.”
The final candidate was Duane Bannock, a lifelong Kenai Peninsula resident who categorized his presentation into three parts: “The good, the bad and the ugly.” Bannock, too, has experience with the city council, serving from 1993-2003.
Some of the “good” in Kenai, according to Bannock, include the construction of new homes and the potential for more development that would benefit the senior community. Echoing Pettey’s thoughts on creating more senior housing, Bannock referred to the influx of older folks moving to Alaska as an “untapped source.”
“Who doesn’t want to have steady retirement checks coming in?” he asked. “What medical industry doesn’t want to do business in an aging population community?”
The bad, Bannock said to the council, “is your budgeting is terrible.” The ugly, he said, is that Kenai is “where businesses go to die.”
“I will give you my best for one year,” he concluded. “And this council will be better for it with me joining you.”
City council members utilized a ranked choice voting system to appoint a candidate to fill the vacant seat during the regular meeting that evening. During the initial vote, the first choice candidate received two points, and the second choice received one point. The three candidates who received the most votes would then move on to the next voting cycle.
Pettey and Douthit led the initial vote, with Pettey receiving nine points and Douthit earning six. Bannock was eliminated from the second round, receiving only one point.
Obay, who received two points during the initial round, was eliminated during the second round after receiving four points. Pettey earned eight points and Douthit received six.
In the last round of votes, Pettey received four votes and Douthit received two. Pettey was sworn in and will serve until the municipal election in October 2026.
The city council work session and regular meeting are available for viewing on the city council’s website.
