The March 4 General Election results have been certified, and a new group of municipal and school district officials are heading into their leadership roles. Below are Q&As with the newly-elected officials.
Mayor
Leading the pack as Cordova’s new mayor is Kristin Smith – a longtime Cordova resident, career Copper River Watershed Project employee, executive director of the Prince William Sound Economic Development District, and former City Council member.
Kristin Smith:
Q: How do you feel about your recent election? What was it like to see the results on March 5?
A: Running for office requires a willingness to do a lot of self-promotion, which felt pretty awkward to me because it runs so counter to what we’re taught in our youth about not elevating yourself above others. But I also think of the question “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”, and that keeps me focused on the job ahead: To help create a shared vision of the city’s priorities and facilitate the public dialogue and planning needed to move us in that direction. I’m thankful for every vote I received; each one feels like a vote of confidence. We had such a good election turnout, I’m hoping that all of our voters stay engaged in city planning, facility and land use decisions moving forward.
Q: How do you feel about starting your tenure? What do you think the biggest learning curves will be?
A: We have what’s often referred to as a “weak mayor” form of municipal government because only council members have a vote on meeting action items (except in the case of a tie). The mayor is not supposed to voice her or his opinion during council deliberations. I’ve served for more than ten years as a council member, so this role will be different in terms of how I’m able to participate in meeting discussions. What I’m looking forward to is representing the city at the state and federal level to advocate for our infrastructure and funding needs.
Q: What is the first issue and/or agenda item you’re looking to tackle?
A: Mapping out our prospective revenue sources over a 15-20 year term. We have enormous infrastructure needs (water treatment system, sewer treatment plant, our pool, streets, and a public safety building, to name a few). And we need to scope out a plan for fielding revenue from as many sources as possible – grants (state and federal), low to no interest loans (state and federal), bonds, and city revenues. I’m also very interested in pulling some sort of working group or mayor’s task force together to talk about housing and how we can pull together the assets we have for increasing housing stock in Cordova.
City Council
Three new faces are sitting on the Cordova City Council starting this week – music teacher and commercial fisherman Mike Mickelson, career Cordova High School teacher Debra Adams, and fisherman and business owner Aaron Hansen.
They join current City Council members Kasey Kinsman, Wendy Ranney, Cathy Sherman, and David Zastrow.
Mike Mickelson:
Q: How do you feel about your recent election? What was it like to see the results on March 5?
A: I would like to thank the community for turning out to vote. And now the work begins. I want to hear from community members who have ideas about how to make positive changes for the issues facing our community.
Q: How do you feel about starting your tenure? What do you think the biggest learning curves will be?
A: We have a lot of challenges to address, first and foremost on my list understanding the intricacies of the city budget, debt service etc.
Q: What is the first issue and/or agenda item you’re looking to tackle?
A: We’ve got hard decisions to make and we have to balance our fiscal needs while making sure that fisherman and local businesses can continue to operate.
Debra Adams:
Q: How do you feel about your recent election? What was it like to see the results on March 5?
A: I am humbled by the support the community has shown in voting for me. It was exciting to see the results the morning of the 5th.
Q: How do you feel about starting your tenure? What do you think the biggest learning curves will be?
A: I am ready to serve. The biggest learning curve will likely be understanding the many departments within the city government and where my role begins and ends.
Q: What is the first issue and/or agenda item you’re looking to tackle?
A: Since I don’t set the agenda for city council meetings, I will look to the mayor for guidance. My first task is to observe and learn.
New City Council Member Aaron Hansen declined to answer The Cordova Times’ questions.
School Board
Two new members are also joining the Cordova School District Board of Education – Cordova Electric Cooperative Finance Manager Emma Merritt, and Prince William Sound Science Center Educator Katherine Trudeau. They’ll sit at the helm alongside current board members Peter Hoepfner, Henk Kruithof, and David Glasen.
The School Board was also scheduled to elect the new board president, vice president, and clerk at its March 20 special meeting.
Emma Merrit:
Q: How do you feel about your recent election? What was it like to see the results on March 5?
A: I’m humbled that the community put their confidence in me. I will do my very best and I invite folks to reach out on all things school related. It’s my job to hear your experiences, your concerns, and your ideas. Let’s talk.
Q: How do you feel about starting your tenure? What do you think the biggest learning curves will be?
A: My focus is on the big picture, advancing education and improving student achievement. My approach is to build a common understanding – board, superintendent, and community – about our educational goals and support decisions that help us reach them. Locally we are more united than the divisiveness we see in national politics. I will work to keep the dialogue open in the board room and with the public. I hope the board welcomes a collaborative, big picture approach. It may take time to build that common ground, but it’s work that I am willing to do and I’m here for the long game.
Q: What is the first issue and/or agenda item you’re looking to tackle?
A: It is difficult to find information regarding board decisions. Board packets are over 100 pages long! Many community members have suggested that school board meetings be streamed online, like city council meetings. Transparency is the best policy. The business of a publicly elected board with the statutory responsibility to education and the financial support of our community should be easily accessible. I see little downsides to this idea. It can promote dialogue about education and lead to a greater understanding of our schools and our educational needs.
Katherine Trudeau:
Q: How do you feel about your recent election? What was it like to see the results on March 5?
A: I was honored and surprised by the results. All the candidates are so qualified and it shows in the closeness of the results.
Q: How do you feel about starting your tenure? What do you think the biggest learning curves will be?
A: I’m a little nervous. Our teachers and students deserve the best possible representation and advocacy and I hope to live up to that. One thing I’m looking forward to is exploring how my experience and expertise can best serve the district and receiving a committee assignment. While I’ve been to school board meetings in the past, I’m not entirely fluent in how boards run, so I know understanding the structure of the meetings will be a learning curve.
Q: What is the first issue and/or agenda item you’re looking to tackle?
A: As I familiarize myself with School Board, I plan to follow the lead of the administration and current School Board members on what is important to address for the upcoming meeting. In regards to future agenda items, I am looking forward to discussions regarding all-day kindergarten and the costs and benefits to the school and community. I am also excited to explore how the passing of Alaska House Bill 69 will affect our funding and the services we can provide for our students.
