Anchorage Daily News

Five candidates are running for three seats on the Wasilla City Council in the Oct. 7 election. The Daily News asked each to provide a brief statement and answer four questions. Below are the questions and their responses:

1. Wasilla City Council is considering annexing neighborhoods that have requested to be added into the city, but is debating whether to include residents who have not requested to be annexed. Do you support annexation by request only or a more comprehensive approach, and why?

2. Wasilla is still working through matters related to the Meritage Creekside Mall development, in which investigators found city officials unfairly favored the developer over existing businesses. Do you think city officials were out of line? If so, what policies would you enact to address the issue?

3. Wasilla is home to two environmentally compromised lakes and a creek that are imperiled by development along their shores. What, if anything, should be done to restore these water bodies?

4. Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony? If so, please explain.

SEAT A

Name: Ronnie "Ron" H. Cox

Age: 66

Place of Birth: Winterville, N.C.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science degree with two majors: art education for elementary school, and creative arts;

• Master's degree in elementary education, emphasis in mathematics;

• Rhema Bible Training Center

Public Service:

• Wasilla City Council for six years (2001-2007);

• Treasurer of the Third District of the Republican Party (one year), early 1990s;

• Treasurer and president of the Benning Education Association (two years), Fort Benning, Ga., late 1960s.

Family: Married to Linda Cox for 36 years. No children, but we have two schnauzers, Socrates and Princess.

Candidate's statement: I will work toward providing a multipurpose library building and a new City Hall. I want to help obtain more paved streets, gutters and sidewalks. We must continually work on our traffic problems. We need continued improvements in our water and sewer systems. I believe the police department and airport should be kept in a state of continual upgrading. We must keep exploring ways to bring new businesses and jobs to Wasilla. I will work with the Mat-Su Borough, the State of Alaska and the federal government to keep Wasilla the best city to live and raise a family in.

Answers to questions

1. I am in favor of all types of annexation as prescribed by law. Annexation serves a good purpose if wisely used, though if a city annexes more property than it can service, real problems can follow. The ratio between the annexed property and the ability to service the property should be kept in balance.

2. After reading and hearing the report the investigators published, I have reached the conclusion they did nothing wrong. Before creating new policies, I think first an investigation of the existing policies would be in order. After consideration of the existing policies, new policies would be justified if something were thought to be necessary.

3. There are some things the City of Wasilla can and should do, such as enforce the codes that demand a 75-foot setback for all dwellings and a DEC-approved septic system; control the type and size of all engines used on the lakes; work with the Department of Transportation to control the storm water that drains into the lakes; and sometime in the future, dredge the bottom of Lake Lucille.

4. I have never been accused or convicted of any crime.

SEAT B

Name: Gretchen O'Barr

Age: 60

Place of birth: St. Paul, Minn.

Education: Some college

Public service experience:

• Red Cross volunteer;

• Iditarod volunteer;

• Cub Scout Den leader;

• Valley Garden Club treasurer;

• Communications volunteer during the Eklutna and Big Lake forest fires;

• Elections worker;

• Volunteer for several political candidates;

• School volunteer;

• Transliterated old Russian records for genealogical purposes;

cCounselor to the president of a women's church group (twice);

cChurch teacher and music leader.

Family: Married to Dan O'Barr for over 43 years; eight children, 13 grandchildren.

Candidate's statement: I have always been involved in politics and love to discuss the issues. I have a lot of good life experience, valuable opinions and the confidence to share those ideas. It is important to understand all sides of any concern, and I don't form my opinions lightly. At the same time, I feel that I am very respectful to everyone, have a good sense of humor and I care about others. There is no place on this council for anger and endless unproductive debate. There is a big need for a more collaborative approach to working on our problems.

Answers to questions

1. I favor a very comprehensive approach. At this point, the only "services" gained would be Wasilla police rather than state troopers. We don't offer sewer, water, other utilities or trash collection, etc., to most of the current residents. It would benefit the newly annexed with lower property taxes but would create a need for enlarging the police force. It must be a win-win for both sides of the equation.

2. There are personal animosities going on here, and it may be that everyone involved was out of line to a certain extent. Part of the mission statement for the city refers to "a stable and thriving economy." This can't happen when one business roadblocks another (no matter the size) or when a business feels bullied by government. This type of situation calls for better communication between the mayor and the council.

3. This is an absolutely loaded question. I consulted with a man who is concerned and unhappy about the lakes and creek to make sure I was more informed. There isn't space to write it all! First, when we have ordinances about environmental impacts of certain activities, they must be enforced. Second, it goes back to an argument about enforcement -- city, borough, state or federal responsibility? Until we answer that, it won't be solved.

4. No

Name: Leone Harris

Age: 44

Place of birth: Marysville, Calif.

Education: Chugiak High School graduate 1982; State of Alaska real estate license; numerous real estate education studies.

Public service experience:

• Volunteer teacher's aide at Valley Baptist Christian Schools;

• Served on Big Lake Community Planning Committee;

• Helped with fundraising for the Wounded Warrior projects, breast cancer awareness and the Mat-Su Special Olympics. Awarded President's Club award 2007.

Family: Married, spouse: Mark Ewing, Children: Four; two grandchildren.

Candidate's statement: I want to see the new train depot built at the airport. Once the commuter train is put into service it will be of use to residents who commute to Anchorage and the military bases. This would help traffic congestion and our housing market, which in turn will help our local economy. There are roads that have been planned to relieve congestion but have not been built. These roads must be built. We need to create high-paying jobs within the city and create attractions that will give tourists a reason to stop and get off the train.

Answers to questions

1. I believe a more comprehensive approach is more beneficial to the city. I don't support annexing neighborhoods where the majority of the property owners do not want to be annexed. However, if the majority of the people choose to be annexed it should be done. It is not fair to the rest of the property owners to hold up an annexation because of one or two families. Lower property taxes and city services are the benefits.

2. Yes, I do believe some city officials were completely out of line. I believe immediate termination should be considered along with compensation to those affected, paid for by the official, not by the city. When a public official chooses to favor any particular developer over small business it damages our society to the core and discourages small business development. It's time that "We the People" stood up together to end this kind of rubbish.

3. We need to enforce environmental laws that are already in place. Parking lots that drain into lakes or creeks should be modified with proper drainage into the city storm system, and the businesses that have knowingly contributed to the problem should be required to help pay for the restoration of these lakes and streams.

4. No

SEAT D

Name: Nancy R. Hall

Age: 65

Place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio

Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio; master's degree in marketing and distributive education with a minor in radio and television from Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.

Public service experience: District manager for Mat-Su district office of the Alaska chapter of the American Red Cross;

• Advisory council for the business and technology division of the Mat-Su Borough School District;

• Advisory council for Youth Court;

• Worked with and wrote grants for Family Promise Mat-Su;

• Served for 17 years on the Citizen's Advisory Committee for the HUD Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) in Pueblo, Colo.;

• Secretary for the Colorado Educational Media Association for two years;

• Serve on the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee for the Mat-Su Borough; Taught middle school, junior high school, high school, community college and private business college for 30 years.

Family: Married to Gary Hall; three grown children

Candidate's Statement: We have a good start bringing new retail businesses into our community. Now we need to diversify our economy. We need to rewrite our comprehensive plan so we can avoid the mistakes of the past and develop infrastructure that fosters planned growth and provides services to our citizens. We need to encourage cultural and social amenities that citizens expect in a growing community.

Answers to questions

1. I support comprehensive annexation through the use of a new comprehensive plan that promotes organized development rather than sporadic, expensive development. This is needed to provide improved infrastructure to the citizens of our community.

2. I believe this matter has been duly addressed already by the City Council and the outside investigators. We are a small city that is experiencing growing pains. Hopefully, we have learned from our mistakes and will move on. I support the development of the Ethics Code that the city and the council are developing. Development of a comprehensive plan and planned annexation will help alleviate these types of problems in the future.

3. Most properties within the city provide their own septic and wells. The writing of a new comprehensive plan should include plans for the development of sanitary sewer, storm water sewer and biofiltration systems. Until we add waterfront properties to these types of systems, we cannot alleviate future pollution and cannot begin to correct the problem.

4. I have never been convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony. I had a speeding ticket in 1975.

Name: Mary Kvalheim

Age: 63

Place of birth: Marshall, Minn.

Education: Associate of Arts degree and additional college credits and managerial training

Public service experience:

• Kodiak Planning Commission;

• Alaska League of Women Voters;

• Girl Scout and Campfire Girls;

• Wasilla High Booster Club

• Wasilla Amateur Hockey Association;

• Valley Women's Resource Center (now Family);

• Nugen's Ranch;

• Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults

Family: Son, Erik

Candidate's statement: Economic development to bring professional employment to our city is a top priority. A campaign to let businesses know what they will gain by locating here is needed. Do we let them know they pay no city property tax? We need to show businesses what a great place this is to live and to work. I will work for a commuter rail system to be implemented immediately. These cars can be equipped with WiFi to give our commuters extra time to interact with both work and home. We will work with Anchorage for parking and transporting of riders.

1. I do not support forced annexation. I would prefer educating people to the services they will be receiving, such as police protection and lower property taxes, by coming in to the city. I support future annexation being included with the comprehensive planning process, as well as annexation by request, as long as any impact of the annexation is paid by the annexed property and does not impact current city residents.

2. The city has started work on ethics legislation, which I will make it a priority to complete. I would add whistle-blower legislation to this code. The positive side of the Meritage matter is that it demonstrated the fact that ethics legislation is needed and will now happen. I would also work for a board of citizens to oversee any ethics code violations when the code is enacted, removing it from the council to enforce.

3. Our lakes are part of our assets, our beauty. The Department of Environmental Conservation is the authority over lakes but has limited resources. There are presently both a volunteer lake monitoring program and an educational program. The educational program gives residents information about maintaining the 75-foot setback passed by voters over 21 years ago. I will work to review City of Wasilla code on this issue, amend it, if necessary, through the public process and work to enforce it.

4. No.

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