Kenai Peninsula Borough

Voters in the Kenai Peninsula Borough will choose a new mayor in a special election this Valentine's Day. Several Kenai and Soldotna candidates are already thinking of running for the open seat, which they would fill through October 2023.

A 20-page lawsuit, filed Friday against Pierce and the borough, details an alleged pattern of harassment by Pierce that the complainant said the borough did not remedy.

The charging document details a lengthy investigation that was put on hold when the lead investigator himself was arrested on child sexual abuse charges.

Energy utilities have been meeting since May to talk strategy as Cook Inlet’s top producer of natural gas warns future contracts are not a guarantee. This week, a local sustainability commission said the Kenai Peninsula Borough, too, could play a role in helping avoid an energy crisis down the road.

With all votes in, voter turnout for last week's municipal election has increased to 18.2% borough-wide, according to the laydown from the borough clerk.

The borough disclosed the new information at a special meeting Sunday. But it stopped short of releasing specifics about the allegations or the internal investigation.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly appointed Navarre to the role Tuesday night— less than two weeks after current Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce announced he was resigning at the end of September to focus on his campaign for governor.

The borough's legal department said it hired an Anchorage law firm to perform a confidential human resources investigation last month. But it declined to share other details, including whether the legal services had anything to do with Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, who recently announced his resignation.

The borough will hold a special election to fill the remainder of his term, per Alaska statute.

The holiday weekend often signals the start of the busy summer season for the community.