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Bethel City Council Candidate: Mary Weiss

Katie Basile
/
KYUK

Six candidates from Bethel are running for three Bethel City Council seats. KYUK is profiling these candidates in the coming days before the Oct. 4th election. Our first profile in the series is Mary Weiss. Weiss began serving on Council in June after Chuck Herman’s resignation. She moved to Bethel in 2006 and works at UAF’s Kuskokwim Campus as a Certified Nursing Assistant Instructor.

Listen to recorded interview on bottom of page.

Weiss: My name is Mary Weiss, and I have pretty much always been what I call a volunteer junkie. When Chuck Herman resigned from City Council, it was a vacant seat, and I thought maybe there was a way that I could be able to help out and participate, and I have the time and energy right now, so I thought, why not just give it a try? And I really had not intended on a long-term thing, because it was only supposed to go until the election on October 4, but then as I’ve been in the City Council position now, I find that it’s a really good fit. It makes me aware of a lot of issues, and I really enjoy listening to people and finding out what they think about Bethel. And I have access to people and situations that I didn’t have before, and you can learn a tremendous amount about your community that way.

So why am I running? Probably, I guess what I’d say, is hopefully I can help out.

I’ve been involved with the Energy Committee and also with the Parks and Rec. and Pool Committees, because I really believe in what they’re trying to do. I’ve also participated and worked with a lot of people about having a health fair, which we’ve done for like six or seven years, I think. I’ve worked with people with the community fair that we have. I helped out with the Fourth of July fair that we just did. It’s just kind of a little bit of anything and everything.

KYUK: What would be the top three issues that you as a City Council member would want to address on Council?

Weiss: I’ve thought about this. It’s interesting, because what I see just as I’m looking a little more closely now is it seems like the city tends to be reactive and fragmented in all of its actions.

I don’t see an overall comprehensive plan, strategic plan. There’s no guide for the future. I don’t really see a vision for the future. It seems like everything that comes up is sort of a semi-crisis, and they try to deal with it, and then that’s put aside, and then another crisis comes up. A friend of mine once said it’s like putting out brush fires all the time.

And first of all, I think we need to have that vision. I think we need to develop some kind of strategic plan. But the other top priorities that I have are basically infrastructure, and it goes right to public health and it goes to public safety. Also, I think we have to have a community relation between police and our community so that our community respects the police, which I think we really do. I hope. And also that the police are really respectful of everybody in our community so that they really can protect and serve.

Same thing goes for the fire department. We need to support our fire and police departments, and on the other hand, they need to respectfully work with our community. And on the other hand, we need to figure out ways to mitigate any kind of behaviors that lead to crime or any kind of damage, such as the heroin addiction problem, even alcohol. How does our city really get ahead of the curve, so we can address these issues so that we can have a really good quality of life given that these are going to be here? How do we deal with that effectively?

Another thing, roads. Going down Ptarmigan Road, it’s like going down a roller coaster right now. And the dust is a problem, and I’ve heard people talking about having breathing problems because of the dust. So once again, we’re talking about public health.

KYUK: How would you pay for the roads?

Weiss: Yeah, that’s the big question, because right now, in the state and the federal government, all the money is drying up. And it’s one thing to cite a need, and it’s another thing to pay for it. They have a Grants Manager at the city, and he’s much, much, much more aware of what’s out there and how to get it than I am. But I’m willing to learn.

KYUK: Why are you qualified to serve on City Council?

Weiss: I believe that I have the interest. I have the curiosity. I want to help Bethel be the best and special place that I’ve found it to be. So I’m willing to do the work. And that’s best I can say.

KYUK: Why should people vote for you?

Weiss: You know, it’s interesting. I don’t want to say they should vote for me. I think they should listen to all the candidates. They should see who they think is the best for City Council, and they should make their choices that way.

KYUK: Mary, thank you.

Weiss: Okay, thank you very much. 

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