Seven candidates are vying for four seats on the Bethel City Council in this year’s municipal elections.
Six of these candidates – Pamela Conrad, Rose “Sugar” Henderson, Joseph Klejka, Alicia Miner, Lillian Okpaleke, and Greg Schiedler – showed up at Bethel City Hall on Sept. 17 to make the case for why they are the right choice in KYUK’s Bethel City Council Candidates Forum. Write-in candidate Gary Watson did not participate in the forum due to a scheduling conflict.
Henderson, an incumbent wrapping up her third term as mayor, said that her top priority is housing. She said that she is encouraged that the city has been able to leverage grants to build residential units, including two new triplexes.
Henderson said that the long-term infrastructure at the top of her mind is getting the whole community on piped water and sewer services. She said that progress on the project faltered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that it is important for fairness in billing. The vast majority of Bethel households rely on hauled services and are less affordable overall.
"Once we get all these little projects that were just as important done, that would be a very big, expensive project, but it is needed," Henderson said.
Incumbent Pamela Conrad, wrapping up two years on the council, said that her top priority is maintaining forward-thinking projects the city has kickstarted.
"Unfortunately, a lot of federal funding is disappearing, but I want to try and keep us on track," Conrad said.
Greg Schiedler has served a year on the council. He echoed Conrad and said that he wanted to continue pushing forward what he said was a robust capital projects budget.
That budget includes water and sewer upgrades, the Yukon Kuskokwim Fitness Center expansion, police vehicles, and streets and roads equipment, among others. But a range of capital and operational improvements are on hold as the city grapples with rising energy, personnel, and insurance costs in its FY27 budget.
All four incumbent candidates, who spent significant time on the budget, said that the cuts had been hard decisions, but that they are hopefully temporary.
Joseph Klejka – back in the running after serving four and a half terms as Bethel mayor more than a decade ago – said that he would focus on the community impacts of fuel price spikes expected across the region.
"I think the most pressing issue is always going to be trying to control costs going to our citizens, especially water and sewer, which we have some control over. And I anticipate that all those costs are going to escalate quite a bit," Klejka said.
Klejka said that cost increases are already on supermarket shelves.
"You go to [Alaska Commercial Co.], and I'm shocked at the prices, and they were high when I first came here 35 years ago. So being shocked now is surprising," Klejka said.
Incumbent candidate Alicia Miner said that a priority for her is cleaning up properties that pose a public safety risk, a process known as nuisance abatement. But Miner also said that she would push for steps that avoid the city taking official action.
"Just trying to work with people, not necessarily penalize them, but just educate about the importance of keeping your property clean," Miner said.
Newcomer candidate Lillian Okpaleke, who works for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) as its director of pharmacy, said that she is interested in establishing more youth programs that can keep homegrown talent in the community.
Okpaleke said that housing availability is also a top concern for her. It’s a problem she has firsthand experience with.
"It's difficult to tell as a director that you need to come to work at YKHC when I don't have a house for you to live in," Opkaleke said.
Conrad said that she would focus on providing recreational opportunities that could provide alternative activities for people with substance abuse issues.
"I think the best way to counteract that is to give people a place where they can go and socialize and be with other people that doesn't have to have a substance to support it," Conrad said.
Kelly Lincoln, of The Delta Discovery, asked candidates what the council could do to address perceived public safety issues related to a homeless camp in Bethel, which drew a range of responses.
Miner said that she would focus on greater mental health resources and keeping Bethel Winter House open. In January, the council voted to give the community’s only cold-weather shelter additional funding after it expanded hours in response to a period of extreme cold.
Conrad, who is a Bethel Winter House board member, also advocated for the shelter. Henderson followed suit, and added that she would like to see pillar tribal and healthcare institutions in Bethel support the shelter and help address homelessness in Bethel.
Okpaleke said that supporting the shelter and promoting other safe spaces for people to go could go hand in hand with efforts to address loitering in the community.
Schiedler said that more resources are needed to address what he sees as a common pattern.
"I've said on my previous campaign statement that I want to try to work through the revolving door of getting people just potentially sober and released," Schiedler said.
Addressing the public safety aspect of the question, Klejka said the city could clear out brush in community areas with low visibility, and that police should be diligent about enforcing public intoxication laws.
Candidate to candidate
When candidates had the opportunity to ask each other questions about their priorities, multiple candidates brought up the need to pave more of Bethel’s roads. Otherwise, many of the same themes appeared – getting the entire city on piped water and sewer, building new housing, and revitalizing community spaces.
Miner, who has worked for the Lower Kuskokwim School District for more than 15 years, asked candidates what the city could do to increase opportunities for young people outside of school hours.
Okpaleke suggested community tutoring programs and more internships with local organizations. Conrad said after-school programs through the city’s parks and recreation department would be beneficial. Henderson applauded a fire and police cadet program being developed, and suggested similar programs. Schiedler said that more after-school activities could be hosted by the Yukon Kuskokwim Fitness Center.
Klejka said that he thinks the city is already doing a lot to support youth programs, and that it comes down to engagement from the community.
"It's parental involvement and citizen involvement that's really going to make them successful," Klejka said.
Schiedler asked the other candidates what they would bring to the council if elected. Conrad said that she hoped to use her seat on the council to promote Bethel as a beautiful place and an amazing community to live in. The other candidates all essentially agreed that connecting with the city’s residents to inform their decisions would be critical if elected or reelected to council.
Bethel’s municipal election is Tuesday, Oct. 6. All four seats up for election are for two-year terms.
Editor’s note: Joseph Klejka is a member of KYUK's Board of Directors and currently serves as its secretary.
Listen to the full candidate forum below.
