PALMER -- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly will stay on its high perch.
The assembly voted 4-3 against a motion by member Jim Sykes for a three-month trial during which the body would meet at tables on the floor instead of on the unusually high dais they occupy during meetings. Sykes said he felt the height kept the assembly removed from the public -- a situation he described as "high priests above the peasants" -- and made it hard for people sitting in the front rows to see them. He also wanted a fix for the podium where members of the public testify, saying it's too hard to reach for people in wheelchairs or those who need to stay seated.
Sykes voted in favor, as did Barbara Doty and Matthew Beck. Doty said she was concerned about access at the podium. Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie said that issue should be fixed by the next meeting. Beck said he really liked the fact that members mingle with the audience during breaks but didn't mind trying a new configuration.
Dan Mayfield said at the assembly's last meeting in early March he didn't think the dais compromised the relationship with the public.
The high dais was part of a $7 million borough building remodel that matched the old, 1930s-era building with a new ground floor and emerged as the most cost-effective way to allow for audience sightlines and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.