Mayor proposes changes to RSAC enabling ordinance to better align commission with borough operations

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly received an introduction to Ordinance 2025-04, which would amend the borough’s Resilience and Security Advisory Commission (RSAC) enabling ordinance to better align the commission’s role with borough processes and staffing.

Mayor Michicky presented the ordinance and said the original enabling language – written by an outside entity – set RSAC up in ways that did not align with borough operations and, in some instances, created legal exposure. “They were kind of set up to fail,” the mayor said, adding that the revisions would bring RSAC “into the fold” and make its work more productive. The mayor and other speakers said the changes include increased flexibility in membership terms and make RSAC more consistent with other service-area boards.

Vice President Cooper, who said she was the original drafter of the ordinance changes, said the goal was to better use volunteers’ expertise instead of repeatedly hiring outside consultants for studies. “There isn’t a tremendous amount of brainpower. I think they've been underutilized, and … you lose them when they don't see any fruition,” she said.

Several assembly members asked how the changes affect the assembly’s involvement. The mayor said RSAC would coordinate with the administration and that projects identified by RSAC would still require the mayor’s signature to move forward: “If you're to approve a project that RSAC decides is a good idea, without my signature, it doesn't move forward.” He also said the commission’s first target under the revised structure would be municipal solid waste and that administrative staff (including a staff member named Dana) would handle much of the notification and organizational work.

The ordinance was introduced for consideration; no formal vote or final action occurred at the meeting.