There’s an FNSB Assembly Meeting Today: Please Come
These last few weeks, my focus has been on the state legislature and compiling resources for Alaskans to voice their support for bills that would broadly support Fairbanksians and people all across our state, such as increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) for our public schools, which has functionally decreased for nearly a decade, or fighting against bills that would actively do harm. There’s a lot going on in the legislature, but a lot happening back home in Fairbanks as well.
Going forward, I think it’s important for me to balance advocating for solutions on both the state and local level. My heart is in Fairbanks, and I intend to continually shine the light back onto our community, all our struggles, and all that makes us great.
Right now, I would say that our Assembly is struggling and broadly letting us down.
I’ve talked with a lot of residents embarrassed and put off at the behavior of certain Assembly members at Assembly and committee meetings (especially perhaps the newly minted Climate Action Committee, which has deeply neutered the original vision for a Borough Climate Plan).
It’s been tough for me to watch, and at times tough for me to share what I feel. Since joining the Borough Platting Board, I need to be mindful of issues that can come up before that Board, and as a Board member make sure I’m not speaking for Running Club North or the North Star Community Foundation and the dozen of projects under its umbrella. I don’t want to say anything that would create challenges to the work of groups I’m involved with.
I’m still figuring out the balance on what it’s appropriate for me to talk about, so I’ve been somewhat quiet.
But, I want you to see it for yourself. I’d like to ask you, after quite a few recent asks to send emails and make phone calls, to attend this upcoming Borough Assembly meeting and to witness the exhausting behavior present first-hand.
You can join either in-person or online: the meeting starts tonight at 6pm, Thursday, 9 March, in-person or virtually, but you can walk or log in at any time. More information on where and how to join and an agenda is available at the Borough website.
You don’t have to testify or even speak at all, though perhaps you’ll be moved to. Please, just bear witness. Sessions around the Borough budget are coming up next month and honestly, I’m worried that it will end up decimated unless we continually show up and show we’re listening.
I’m still staying away a little longer because I’ve already heard my name used to justify opposing measures (such as hiring a Borough grant writer that I would maintain would pay for themselves 10x over)…but I am listening. I hope you can too.
Thank you, and I hope you’re doing well.
Kuba Grzeda
Yes, attend the assembly meetings. It important to note just how reckless and chaotic the assembly has become. Some new members have obviously not read nor understood their packets and are flailing around for hours at public expense. On one routine ordinance the assembly ignored two chief-level fire officers’ testimony and based their decision on a quote from a cancelled reality TV show host. Elections are important. I fear this expensive nonsense will continue until a new assembly is seated. The public should attend, listen, and voice their opinions, but most importantly vote in the next municipal election.