On Dec. 2, 1986, Mayor Ernie Polley revised his support of hiring a lobbyist to persuade Alaskan legislators during session to value Juneau interests, citing his re-interpretation of the Open Meetings Act as a potential problem. In Polley’s opinion, since the Open Meetings Act required all City and Borough of Juneau Assembly meetings be public, meeting with a potential lobbyist to discuss strategy in secret would have been impossible. He also pointed out that because all meetings would have been made public anyway, state legislators would already have been familiar with the needs of Juneau and its people. However, other members of the Assembly disagreed. Assembly member Clarke Young argued that the Assembly wouldn’t have to discuss strategy and that the lobbyist themself would decide how to best maintain the city’s interests. The motion passed in favor of hiring a lobbyist 6-2, with one Assembly member absent. The Assembly decided to name the new committee after hiring the city’s new lobbyist.
Meanwhile, the municipal department of Community Development was expected to hire a new director by week’s end. Before municipal manager Kevin Ritchie announced that five locals were in the running for the position, an acting director held the post for seven months.
In Sitka, the state, Alaska Pulp Co. and environmental groups reached an agreement that if approved by Juneau Superior Court Judge Walter Carpeneti would give the Sitka pulp mill time to meet state air-pollution standards.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire freelancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
