By ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
‘TROUBLED BY THE PROCESS’ OF SALE TO CHUGACH
Judith Brady, longtime head of the city’s Municipal Light & Power Commission, has resigned, citing concerns about how officials are handling the run-up to the April election to decide whether Anchorage will negotiate a proposed $1 billion sale of the city’s electric utility to Chugach Electric.
In her Jan. 25 letter to Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, Brady said she supports the decision to “review” the sale, but, “As you are also aware, I am also troubled by the process.
“Two nights ago the Anchorage Assembly voted to put the question on the April ballot. This vote includes a change to the Municipal Charter to lower the required public vote from 60 percent to 50 percent. This vote was taken after a series of executive sessions by the Assembly, in which the details of such a sale were discussed and decided. These discussions and information on which they were based remain confidential.
“This is the first time in a Alaska’s history a transaction of this size has been put on the ballot based on confidential information and after only one public hearing
“While the Assembly made it clear, if the public voted ‘yes’ to approve the sale, there would be several months of continued negotiation, “my concern is that these negotiations would continue to be in executive session. I am also concerned the only information available to the public will be from a Chugach PowerPoint in which only cites their benefits.”
Brady said she was “uncomfortable” serving on a “municipal commission and publicly expressing views that may not agree with Municipality’s position.”
