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Soldotna City Council moves meetings back to Wednesdays

After a summer and fall of meeting on Thursdays, the Soldotna City Council voted last week to revert to Wednesday for its regular council meetings.
    The council voted this summer to move from Wednesday because it coincided with the Levitt Amp Soldotna Music in the Park series. Many council members wanted to attend the concerts, and so the meetings were moved.
    The change back to Wednesday was suggested by Vice Mayor Paul Whitney because of certain conflicts on Thursdays peculiar to the fall and winter.
    For one, the Kenai River Special Management Area board meets on the second Thursdays during the fall, winter and spring, which would conflict with the council’s representative to the board. The timing of borough Planning Commission decisions the city would like to veto require action within a certain amount of time, which could be missed by one day if meetings remain on Thursdays.
    And last but not least, if a second meeting is needed in November, the fourth Thursday is always Thanksgiving.

    The council also heard its first update from brand new Kenai Peninsula Borough Assemblyman Tyson Cox, who resigned his Soldotna City Council seat when he won election earlier this month.
    The Soldotna Council voted to support a climate change plan that is coming before the assembly. Cox gave them the heads-up that it will likely include changes when it comes up again at the Nov. 5 assembly meeting.
    “I just want to make sure you know that that will be coming up November 5, our next meeting, and I will suspect there will be some changes in some wording added,” he said.
    There will also be an ordinance before the assembly to fund the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Association, something Cox said he supports.
    “We also have an ordinance up to refund KPTMC to $150,000. I personally would like to see that happen. Hopefully there are enough people who also believe that it should happen,” Cox said. “So if it's something that you believe in either as a city or just as an individual, I'd love to see any of you there.”
    KPTMC’s funding has been under attack by Mayor Charlie Pierce, who last year vetoed funding for the non-profit organization. Three years earlier, it was funded at $350,000.