This year, five candidates are vying for four open seats on Bethel City Council. On Sept. 11, all but one of these candidates took the hot seat at city hall to respond to questions live on the radio as part of KYUK’s Bethel City Council Candidates Forum.
Many of the themes touched on by Bethel City Council hopefuls at this year’s candidate forum – including housing, homelessness, roads, health care, alcohol, loose dogs, and job retention – were nothing new. But this year’s forum also brought discussion of more recent changes in Bethel, such as the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation’s new employee housing project and the apparent increase of illegal drugs in the community.
To begin the forum, candidates offered their takes on the biggest issue facing Bethel.
Candidate Pamela Conrad, a longtime Bethel resident who recently retired following a 30-year career in public health, said that providing incentives to keep people in the community is critical.
"If we could start enticing people to stay here rather than commuting, I think we would be able to create a much better community," Conrad said. "People tend to really put their time and their money into where they're raising their children."
Candidate Alicia Miner, in her fifth year as principal at Bethel Regional High School, highlighted the need for better mental health awareness.
"Mental health is something that's really important to me and that I'm passionate about, and I do think it has a big impact out here on the community," Miner said.
Former mayor Rose “Sugar” Henderson, who is running to hold onto her current seat on Bethel City Council, said that she has been thrilled to see the city secure grants for new housing and will be pushing for more of the same. But she also said that the city council should find ways to work with the community to raise better awareness of illegal drugs coming in.
"I think it's really important that we get our handle on all of that ugliness that is coming and destroying our people. Our community is falling apart due to the drugs," Henderson said.
Finally, Danny Suiter, a respiratory therapist who has lived in Bethel around seven years and also ran for a council seat last year, echoed concerns about housing and employee retention.
"It's always been difficult to bring somebody here. They see the area, they like it, and then you get to the point to where you're going to live. And that's always been a problem," Suiter said.
When asked about how the city could adjust its budget to address its most pressing problems, incumbent council member Henderson had an advantage over the other candidates due to her familiarity with the numbers. She said that unpaid taxes have not helped ease budgetary concerns for the city.
"We have, unfortunately, you know, people not paying their taxes, businesses not paying their taxes, and that makes it very strenuous on the city itself," Henderson said.
As for things the city could do better in terms of infrastructure, multiple candidates brought up the need to keep the city’s water treatment facility well funded and get more homes in Bethel on piped water, both to alleviate pressure on the city’s public works department and address sanitary concerns.
On the topic of environmental impacts, candidates voiced unanimous support for the need to actually enforce the city’s ban on single-use plastic bags and styrofoam takeout containers.
On the issue of loose dogs in Bethel, candidates praised the work being done by Bethel Friends of Canines (BFK9). Conrad said that greater support for the organization from the city is essential.
"I was part of the grassroots of that organization being created. I was the cat woman, because nobody wanted to deal with cats," Conrad said. "I personally shipped 100 cats out, and we collapsed the cat population, plus we neutered as many as we could. And I think Bethel Friends of Canine[s] is on the way."
Candidates at the forum also had the chance to ask each other questions, with topics including improving Bethel’s image, reducing crime, and committing to attending meetings.
When Conrad asked fellow candidates what their favorite part of the community was, Suiter cited the beauty of the open tundra, while Miner mentioned the joy of working with young people.
"I think they have done great things and continue to do great things. And I mean, it's why I have stayed here, because I get to work with them and impact them," Miner said.
As for Henderson and Conrad, they both said it was the spirit of sharing and helping each other out that makes Bethel a special place to live.
In a lightning round of questions that followed, candidates agreed that more funding is needed to address the city’s homelessness problem, handled largely by the city’s only cold-weather shelter, Bethel Winter House.
Candidates also agreed that the current two weeks on, two weeks off schedule for police officers in the community could be problematic. Suiter echoed calls for closer connections between public safety institutions and the community.
"People trust their law enforcement officers if they're around and they're available, and I just think it would be great if they were here more often," Suiter said.
In closing statements, candidates emphasized that they are in Bethel to stay, and that plenty of work remains to be done.
The fifth candidate vying for a seat on Bethel City Council, W.G. Anaruk, was not able to attend due to a work scheduling conflict.
If you missed last night’s live broadcast, you can listen to the full candidate forum online. Each candidate will be interviewed on "Coffee at KYUK" in the coming weeks.
The Bethel Municipal Election is Tuesday, Oct. 1. Three of the four seats up for election are for two-year terms, and will go to the top three vote-getters. The fourth place vote-getter will serve a one-year term.
