The Bethel City Manager is considering ending the mandate that requires all city workers be vaccinated against COVID-19. Bethel City Manager Pete Williams made the announcement during the March 8 Bethel City Council meeting. If he did drop the mandate, it would be in hopes of attracting more workers to drive Bethel’s water and sewer trucks.
“I don’t really want to drop the requirement," Williams said. "But things are getting a little better, so maybe we can."
Williams said that no one has said that they would sign on to work with the city if it dropped its vaccine requirement, but he called the mandate a “stumbling block” for two people who had expressed interest in being drivers. As of last week, only 11 of the city’s 20 water and sewer driver positions were filled, according to the Bethel Public Works Director.
The city manager instated the employee vaccine mandate in September 2021. Of the city’s 105 employees at the time,only six did not get vaccinated by the deadline.
Also during the March 8 meeting, the council unanimously voted to nearly double the amount of funds for maintaining city vehicles, adding an extra $40,000 to that budget item. Williams said that the increase was necessary due to the rising cost of vehicle parts. Parts for the graders used to level roads are especially high, since they ship all the way from Brazil.
“In general, everything seems to be rising by the day,” Williams said.
The council also passed a proclamation declaring March 2022 as “Brain Injury Awareness Month.” Vice Mayor Conrad “CJ” McCormick sponsored the proclamation. He said that the University of Alaska Anchorage reached out to him and Mayor Mark Springer with a request to raise awareness of traumatic brain injuries. According to theAlaska Brain Injury Network, the state has one of the nation’s highest rates of traumatic brain injury. McCormick said that he knows people locally who’ve been devastated by these injuries.
“By raising awareness for issues like this, not only can we help with preventing brain injuries, but also raise awareness for people potentially getting seen, and avoiding any potentially life-altering brain injuries, or even life-ending brain injuries,” McCormick said.
Springer added that many traumatic brain injuries are preventable, and he encouraged parents to allow their children to wear helmets when riding bikes and motor vehicles like ATVs and motorcycles.
Also at the meeting, the council held its annual job evaluation for Bethel City Attorney Elizabeth "Libby" Bakalar. Bakalar chose to have her evaluation held publicly. The council thanked her for her professionalism and timely communication, and voted to increase her salary by the maximum amount of 3%, raising her salary to $145,343.
Lastly, near the end of the meeting, Council Member Perry Barr spoke for the Bethel City Council in offering support for the people of Ukraine.
“We are so sad about that whole situation and want to give our heartfelt support for the people of Ukraine, and to all the children, and the women, and the elderly, and all the people who are trying to protect their own homeland from a very dangerous person,” Barr said.
