The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly breezed through a relatively short agenda Tuesday night. One issue that will have to wait to be settled until later this month is a shortage of volunteers for service area boards of directors.
Three bodies on the southern and eastern peninsula have multiple vacancies. The Anchor Point Fire and Emergency Service Area Board has just two seats filled out of five right now, and one of those terms expires later this year. Board membership is voted on during regular borough elections, but in many cases, no one runs for the open seats. One possible solution would be to allow the volunteers who make up the department to also serve on the governing board. Assembly members Willy Dunne, Kenn Carpenter and Paul Fischer.
“We’ve gotten resolutions of support from two of the three service areas affected by this potential ordinance. The Kachemak Emergency Service Area did vote against support. But at their last meeting, they reconsidered. So I would ask the Assembly to postpone until our next meeting," Dunn said.
The rest of the assembly agreed, and the matter will be taken up again on January 29th.