The Wrangell Borough Assembly met in open session last week to take up a number of new agenda items and included discussion on the formation of a hiring committee to help in choosing a successor to current Borough Clerk Christie Jamieson.
Jamieson, who has spent the past three decades in service to the borough, plans on retiring from her position in the beginning of July.
The committee, which consists of Jamieson, Borough Manager Tim Rooney, Mayor Jeremy Maxand, and Assembly members Pam McCloskey and Wilma Stokes, will be charged with hiring a new clerk. According to Jamieson, the successful candidate will undergo a month of professional training beginning in June.
Maxand said additional members of the Assembly may be involved if interest is shown in taking part in the process.
“We don’t have the intent of excluding anybody from that process,” Maxand said. “We want to expedite the process as simple and efficient. If there is more interest than just two people, we can do that as well.”
After the meeting, Maxand also detailed his faith in the long years of service he said Jamieson has provided to the Assembly and residents of Wrangell.
“During the time I have been on the Assembly, I have seen Christie as the highest caliber of a clerk to any borough,” he said. “She knows the community, and the residents should feel lucky that they had someone as knowledgeable and ethical as she is. This is especially true given the way she has involved the public in open and democratic ways.”
When it comes to what the borough may be looking for in their next clerk, Maxand added that he has some specific traits in mind for whoever is hired.
“I think who we hire should be committed and diligent to the democratic process,” Maxand said. “They need to be a neutral, third party to ensure proper service to the public.”
The borough is accepting applications for the open position through May 21. Applications can be picked up at Wrangell City Hall, located at 205 Brueger Street in downtown.
The assembly also took action on two contracts related to the ongoing Wrangell Medical Center construction project.
An amendment to the existing Integrated Program Management Services contract with American Health Facilities Development to allow for performance of medical equipment planning and procurement was passed unanimously, as was an amendment to the Architectural Services contract with project architects David E. Johnson and Associates regarding telecommunication and IT services.
According to Maxand, the amendments would allow for a new approach to bidding by outside contractors.
“Everyone involved in the building project agreed that we would ultimately get a better deal if we took a few components of the project out to public bid,” Maxand said. “The two contracts have been modified to allow some aspects of the project to go out that way, which will save us money.”
The Mariner’s Memorial was also discussed as the assembly passed a resolution in support of the project and encouraged the Port Commission to begin seeking out funding mechanisms for the Heritage Harbor-based effort.
Over the weekend, Harbormaster Greg Meissner said he was happy with the move, which echoed a similar resolution passed by the commission at their most recent meeting.
“In a nutshell, we’re chugging along in our effort to get the money to build the memorial,” Meissner said. “We have begun to look for grant funds to get this building started out there. I’m getting a cost estimate together and we will then sit down with Economic Development’s Carol Rushmore to get everything ironed out.”
According to Meissner, the commission has settled on a gazebo-style design that will represent a lighthouse structure. Four of the eight walls in the memorial will be open-air and will allow visitors to walk through its interior.
Maxand also said he was encouraged by the forward movement on the project.
“I think it is a long overdue addition to the borough,” Maxand added. “We have a lot of folks who fish for a living here. There have been a number of people who have lost their lives in that process, so I think it’s important to remember them and recognize those losses.”
In other business, the assembly approved of leases for Lots 1 and 2, located at Mill Dock within The Marine Service Center Area for Mass-Kill Fishing. Also approved were a partial vacation of an access and utility easement between Lots 1 and 3 connecting to Lot 2 in the RAL subdivision, and a vacation of a utility easement between Lots 2 and 3 in the same location, zoned multi-family residential, as requested by Kay Larson and Kristen and Daniel Reed.
The next regular session of the assembly will meet on Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. A public hearing regarding the borough’s budget will be held just prior to the open meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m.
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