Sitka’s assembly will begin the job search for a new city attorney soon. Municipal Attorney Brian Hanson is retiring at the end of June.
The assembly is responsible for hiring two city positions: the municipal attorney and municipal administrator. Hanson has worked as the municipal attorney for the last eight years. In his retirement letter addressed to the assembly, mayor, and city administrator, Hanson recommends they begin the search for his replacement as soon as possible, considering the challenges of the current hiring climate. In a separate memo, Mayor Steven Eisnebeisz suggested the assembly review the job description at the second meeting in January and then advertise for the position until April 1.
At the last assembly meeting, the group heard a quarterly update from Police Chief Robert Baty. Some heated public engagement followed Baty’s report, mostly from former police department staff with concerns about the work environment. While the assembly didn’t address the issue at that meeting, tonight they’ll take up one police related item on their agenda, issuing a proclamation from Governor Mike Dunleavy’s office declaring January 9 Alaska Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The assembly was also going to consider whether to nominate former assembly candidate Steve Lee to the Police and Fire Commission, but Lee withdrew his application earlier this week.
In other business, the assembly will consider updates to the code for operating All-Terrain Vehicles on Sitka’s roads, and will consider whether it wants to support an “organization, job classification, and compensation” study for the city.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Raven News will broadcast
