The liberal leadership of the Anchorage Assembly is keeping a lid on what its special meeting is about on Monday. All the description says is that it relates to Covid policy. The meeting takes place in a small conference room in City Hall, clearly an effort to eliminate public involvement. And the meeting is not taking place during the lunch hour, but at 1 pm, when many from the public cannot participate.
As of 5 pm on Sunday, no associated documents for the meeting were posted on the Municipality’s website. This is unusual.
The ordinance is said to be about mandatory wearing of masks in Assembly meetings. It may also have something to do with vaccines or Covid-related workplace rules for municipal employees. But the Assembly is not telling the public what it’s up to.
The primary agenda item is: Introduction of Assembly Ordinances related to the COVID-19 pandemic and executive appointments and confirmation.
The Assembly leadership may also put forward an ordinance that requires the mayor to put its appointees forward for confirmation in a certain amount of time. Library Director Judy Eledge has not had to sit through a confirmation process with the Assembly, whose liberal majority is clearly hostile to her, since she does not have a library science degree. There are no documents related to that proposed ordinance either.
City Clerk Barb Jones’ note clarifies that: “This is not a public hearing item.”
More than 250 people attended at Covid policy listening session offered by Assemblywoman Jamie Allard and Mayor Dave Bronson on Saturday at the more spacious Loussac Library. Clearly those vaccine-choice Anchorage residents will not fit into the conference room at City Hall, which has only a few seats for audience.
