KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kayla Desroches/KMXT
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly held a special public meeting Tuesday night (Aug 28) to discuss whether to share a legal opinion with the public.
The assembly is considering waiving the confidentiality of the borough attorney’s legal opinions about an Alaska Aerospace Corporation land-use issue.
AAC runs a launch facility, Pacific Spaceport Complex, at Narrow Cape.
At a recent regular meeting, the assembly entered into a private session in order to get legal advice on the issue with AAC.
According to the borough manager, AAC has claimed to be exempt from municipal zoning authority by state statute. At that meeting, members of the public asked for the borough attorney’s legal opinion to be made public.
Several people spoke up about their concerns during the public comment period at Tuesday night’s special meeting. Mary Forbes was one of them.
“I also would like to just kinda state that I don’t understand what’s happening in any of this. And I know I’m not alone. If we could just be enlightened and if [the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation] would just be more transparent in its intentions and its activities, it would help so much.”
The assembly entered into executive session to discuss the possibility of waiving the confidentiality of the legal opinion with the borough attorney.
When they reconvened, they postponed the decision until the regular meeting of Sept 20, which passed 5 – 2 with Assembly Members Matt Van Daele and Rebecca Skinner against.
