I am a life-long Kenai resident with deep roots in our community as my family has been here since 1947. I graduated from Kenai Central High School, and the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, earning a degree in Civil Engineering. My wife Lilly and I raised our two children here, since Kenai is the best place to raise a family. As your councilman, I will make myself available to listen to all sides of an issue, to bring a level of continuity and effective leadership to Council, and to serve the people of Kenai to the best of my ability. I am fiscally conservative and will work to maintain continued low mill rate by encouragement of growth of existing and new businesses in and near the City of Kenai.

Now that the city has the dip-net fishery in about as much control as it can be, it’s time to encourage vendors who wish to provide services such as food, ice, fish cleaning, packaging, and shipping for our guests on the river and beaches. I hope this idea will encourage less waste of the resource while providing additional commerce in our city. I’m looking for ideas on how to promote our local businesses off the river to the out of town dip netters so that they spend money here before they go on their way. I think that we are missing opportunities, regardless of opinions of the fishery.

We need to encourage, promote, and accommodate visionary businesses such as PRL Logistics, which has proposed to bring a heavy-lift hybrid airship and facility to the industrial area on the south side of the river. This business plan is exciting and would help support existing business in our town.