In response to others’ opinions about responsibility for Mayor Dave Bronson’s “mistake” regarding the authorized amendment to the Hickel Construction contract with the Municipality “prompting Hickel to perform work”: Haven’t we all made “mistakes” and errors of judgment when we took some action based on the belief that its benefits would outweigh its risks?
When I served as an internal auditor and later as controller for the Municipality back in the 1990s, when things were running fairly smoothly, it was not that uncommon for contract amendments to be acted upon without the approval of the Assembly — then, when the mistake/error was pointed out, for the Assembly to grant retroactive approval.
Although such actions would not and should not have been seen as precedent-setting, they were simply treated as mistakes or errors not to be unexpected with the high turnover among municipal leadership and staff. No longer speaking as a municipal employee but as a nonpartisan citizen and taxpayer having seen a lack of progress toward any other feasible solution to sheltering the growing population of unsheltered persons in Anchorage, may I suggest that the interested major stakeholders strive to move forward together in working toward a settlement that would include finishing the project in which so much has already been invested?
— Bernadine Raiskums
Anchorage
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