Public Media for Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bethel City Council To Reconsider Vote On Property Sale To Kusko Kush

Kusko Kush, owned by Essenkay LLC., has obtained site control and a conditional use permit, leaving a few final state inspections of the facility before it can open.
Greg Kim
/
KYUK

Marijuana store Kusko Kush may not be dead yet. The City of Bethel’s proposed property sale to the marijuana store will go back on the agenda for the Dec. 10 regular city council meeting. 

On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the council had a meeting where they expected to vote on the sale. After an hour-and-a-half executive session, members ended up not voting because nobody made the motion to take a vote. Cecilia "Cece" Franko was one of several council members who thought that a no-vote would carry over the agenda item to the next council meeting.

“I had received a lot of information during executive session from our attorney and was still processing that information,” Franko said.

Aside from wanting more time to think it over, Franko said that she expected some amendments to be made to the ordinance. She did not know that a no-vote would result in a dead ordinance. Council member Haley Hanson was similarly confused, and she requested after the meeting to add it back to the next meeting’s agenda. 

City Clerk Lori Strickler is taking the blame for not clearly explaining meeting procedure to new council members. She said that the procedural error makes it possible to attempt a vote again without having to re-introduce the sale.

For other council members, like Mark Springer, their inaction regarding the sale was intentional. 

“If I was going to make the motion, I would have,” Springer said.

But that’s as much as he’ll say. With the possibility of a lawsuit for as much as $16 million, Springer says it’s best for the city if he keeps his mouth shut. 

The city council will have another opportunity to vote on the property sale to Kusko Kush at the next council meeting on Dec. 10.

Greg Kim was a news reporter for KYUK from 2019-2022.