Coast Guard “We Applaud You Day” to be celebrated in Kodiak, Borough Assembly proclaims

The Kodiak Island Borough will formally celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard in three weeks on February 9^th. The Borough Assembly passed that proclamation and other business during their regular meeting Thursday night.

Mayor Scott Arndt said “Coast Guard We Applaud You Day” recognizes the Coast Guard members and their contributions to the Kodiak community.

“We are deeply grateful to the people, the men and women of the Coast Guard and their families, for their sacrifices and devotion to duty; which preserve the safety of our fishermen and boating public,” Arndt stated. “To the men and women of the United States Coast Guard, we applaud you.”

In other business, the Assembly doubled the Borough Manager’s spending power from $25,000 to $50,000, identified the Borough’s federal priority list of 11 items and allowed Mayor Arndt’s veto of a previously passed ordinance to stand.

On January 4^th the Assembly approved an amendment to the Borough code prohibiting assembly members from speaking more than twice on a motion and limiting their time to five minutes per speech.

Mayor Arndt vetoed the amendment a week later citing the restrictive nature of the ordinance. He said, “Assembly debate should not be restricted but rather encouraged.”
Borough Clerk Nova Javier said the Assembly could override the veto but someone would have to make a motion to do so.

“If no one makes a motion then the mayoral veto stands,” Javier said.

During Thursday night’s meeting, the assembly took no action on the mayor’s veto so the Borough code regarding the order of speaking will go unchanged.

Before adjourning, Assembly Member Scott Smiley urged the public to call into the Legislature’s House Rules Committee meeting Saturday. The committee is taking public comment on the new education bill, which includes a $300 increase to the Base Student Allocation also known as BSA.

Public comment opens at 10am and you can participate by calling 844-586-9085.