Assembly advances ordinance to allow limited remote participation by mayor, assembly members

The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly voted 6-1 on April 3 to advance Ordinance FY2025-15 to a public hearing. The ordinance would permit the mayor and assembly members to participate electronically in borough meetings under defined circumstances, require advance notice in most cases, and limit regular-meeting remote attendance to four times per year.

Supporters said the change would increase inclusion for working-age residents and island communities; opponents warned it could reduce in-person accountability for elected officials. Assemblymember Jared moved the ordinance and the motion was seconded (second not named in the record). After two amendments and debate, the assembly voted to advance the ordinance to public hearing.

The ordinance as amended would: require assembly members to notify the clerk of intended absence at least 24 hours before a meeting (the mayor may waive that requirement if notice is given before 5 p.m. the day of the meeting); permit electronic participation for reasons such as illness, family bereavement, employment obligations, borough business travel, or other out-of-town commitments; allow electronic participation only when a physical quorum of assembly members is present; require video-conferencing for regular meetings; and limit remote participation at regular meetings to four sessions per year for each participant while allowing unlimited electronic participation for work sessions and special meetings.

Debate focused on representation, accessibility and technology. Assemblymember Dave Johnson said he was concerned about reducing in-person representation and suggested a lower limit: "I think one's a nice number." Assemblymember Ryan Sherritt said remote participation could broaden the pool of potential candidates and increase inclusion: "I support this for more inclusion." Mayor Scott Arndt and Borough Manager Amy Williams addressed implementation and technology: Williams told the assembly she had asked the IT director to provision a Microsoft Teams account for assembly meetings and said an Owl Labs-style room camera runs roughly $4,000.

The assembly adopted two amendments before voting on the ordinance. The first amendment inserted wording clarifying that the ordinance applies to "all types of assembly meetings" (regular meetings, work sessions and special meetings); that amendment passed 6-1 (Ames yes; Griffin yes; Johnson yes; LeDoux yes; Sharon yes; Smiley no; Whiteside yes). The second amendment reorganized procedural language; it passed 7-0. The final motion to advance Ordinance FY2025-15 to public hearing passed 6-1 (Ames yes; Griffin yes; Johnson yes; LeDoux yes; Sharon yes; Smiley no; Whiteside yes).

No changes to borough code take effect yet. Advance to public hearing means the assembly will consider public testimony and possible further edits at the next regular meeting before any final vote.

The manager and several assembly members noted that practical implementation will require a technology upgrade to support stable video conferencing, and that any costs would be considered through the IT budget. Assemblymember Jared also proposed drafting clearer language to avoid ambiguity about which meeting types count toward the four-meeting limit.

Votes at a glance related to the ordinance: - Motion to advance Ordinance FY2025-15 to public hearing: Passed 6-1 (see roll call above). - Amendment to insert "all types of assembly meetings": Passed 6-1 (see roll call above). - Amendment to reorganize procedural language: Passed 7-0 (see roll call above).

What happens next: Ordinance FY2025-15 will be scheduled for a public hearing at the next regular assembly meeting; staff will prepare technical details on remote-participation platforms and an associated fiscal note for assembly consideration.