Kodiak Island Borough Assembly Swears in New Assembly Members

(From right to left) Nova Javier swearing in Kyle Crow, Mel Stephens, and Dennis Symmons. Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly accepted three new assembly members at its regular meeting last Thursday night. Borough Clerk Nova Javier swore in Kyle Crow and Dennis Symmons to two 3-year-terms and Mel Stephens to a one-year-term.

The three new assembly members enter as Aaron Griffin and Chris Lynch exit. Both Griffin and Lynch’s seats expire in 2015, and Lynch ran unsuccessfully for a three-year-term on the assembly at the recent election. Both had a chance to say goodbye during assembly members’ comments at the end of last week’s meeting.

Griffin said it’s been a pleasure to serve on the assembly, and while he needs a break, he’ll be around.  

“I think I’ve learned more about Kodiak in the last three years than I ever wanted to know about Kodiak. Both about the tenacity, the vigorous opposition that people can have to your most well-intentioned ideas, and how wonderful I think it is that we live in a community where the people can step up and make a change.”

Lynch said she wanted to share how proud she is of the borough staff.

“They’ve done everything they can to try to make our job easier on the assembly no matter what people think. I’m proud of the relationship that the borough’s developed with the city with the fisheries work group. I too was at the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council meetings and one of the council members said that for years Kodiak has been divided, and it was so refreshing to see us as a community provide a unified front.”

Lynch also mentioned some of the assembly’s other accomplishments during her nine-year tenure, including the construction of the Fish and Game building and the new high school.

Thursday’s meeting was the last one in which Lynch and Griffin served as assembly members. The next regular meeting is scheduled for November 5.