Bethel City Council’s final meeting of the year on Dec. 19 brought a level of public engagement rarely seen at City Hall. Issues included a gym expansion, a liquor license, and critical grant funding for the city’s nonprofits.
Many of those who came out to testify represented pillar institutions of the community, and most were there to talk basketball. They urged the council to approve a commitment from the city to provide up to $4 million in funding for a gym expansion at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Fitness Center, set to double in size and be renamed the Yukon-Kuskokwim Community Center.
The expansion includes a high school-size basketball court, with bleachers to accommodate 200 people, alongside two computer labs. It would serve as a regional emergency shelter if needed, and it is slated to begin construction this summer.
Tundra Women’s Coalition director Eileen Arnold told the council that providing a positive outlet is critical for preventing violence in the community.
"One of the things that we know would be really helpful in our community in reducing those numbers of violence is a healthy place like a gym," Arnold said. "I would absolutely support that healthy outlet, especially for that age 18 to 24 which, you know, graduates from high school sometimes and doesn't have very much to do. And it's sort of easy to get into trouble."
Bethel resident Beverly Hoffman, who sits on the city’s Community Parks and Recreation Committee, said that the expansion has been a long time coming.
"Phase one was the [Yukon-Kuskokwim Fitness Center], pool and workout center. Phase two was always a community, multi-purpose gym. And so 10 years have passed, and finally, you know, there's been movement for phase two," Hoffman said.

Like others speaking for the gym expansion, Hoffman also weighed in against another key agenda item, a resolution introduced by Mayor Rose Henderson to protest renewal of the liquor license of Uncommon Pizza, one of two establishments licensed to sell beer and wine in Bethel.
Under state law, restaurants in Alaska are not allowed to have higher receipts for alcohol sales than food sales. According to filings with the city, Uncommon Pizza’s alcohol sales exceeded its food sales by 3% in 2023 and part of 2024.
Uncommon Pizza’s general manager, Aaron Hostetter, assured Henderson that the restaurant was getting its act together.
"We will be in compliance for 2025 as we will be closely tracking sales, and we'll make adjustments to how we operate on a day to day basis," Hostetter said.
Hostetter also emphasized the restaurant's connection to the community, something multiple members of the public attested to earlier in the evening.
"We run monthly trivia nights that benefit local groups such as Bethel Winter House, [Veterans of Foreign Wars], Bethel Friends of Canine[s], [Southwest Alaska Arts Guild], and some of the junior high basketball teams," Hostetter said. "We also actively participate in community events such as Trunk or Treat and the [Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race]. Given the opportunity, we would love to continue these partnerships."
In April 2024, Fili’s Pizza – the other establishment licensed to sell beer and wine in Bethel – crossed the 50-50 line by less than 1%. Representatives of Fili’s faced nearly an hour and a half of questioning about the pizzeria’s business practices. In contrast, the protest of Uncommon Pizza’s liquor license was voted down unanimously in about 10 minutes.
Regardless of the scale of Uncommon Pizza’s community outreach efforts, a portion of the taxes from its alcohol sales is automatically contributed to community organizations through the city’s Community Action Grant (CAG) program. The same goes for alcohol sold at Fili’s Pizza, and for freight orders that flow into Bethel throughout the year.
Just in time for Christmas, the Bethel City Council approved more than $30,000 in CAG funding at the meeting. The lion’s share will go to purchase new wrestling mats for Bethel Regional High School and support the Cama-i Dance Festival. The remainder will go to the Bethel Winter House, Kuskokwim Consortium Library, and the Bethel Youth Facility, the city’s juvenile detention and treatment center.
The Bethel City Council will meet next in a special meeting on Jan. 6 to present acting city clerk Kevin Morgan as a candidate for permanent city clerk.
