Politics

The Bethel City Council couldn't agree on how to pay for lights in Pinky's Park in their last council meeting on Aug. 13, 2019. They voted against two different plans to fund the project.

The Bethel City Council met for an ethics hearing regarding two complaints on Thursday, and made no findings. 

Discussion for the first complaint lasted three hours behind closed doors. When the public was let back in for the second complaint, Vice-Mayor Raymond "Thor" Williams surprised everyone.

Bethel's new planning director is a familiar face. Ted Meyer will return to the position he left in 2017. He served from 2015 to 2017 before resigning, and Wednesday was his first day back.

The City of Bethel released its budget for Fiscal Year 2020, and there are a few things that stand out. The city has allocated $1.5 million for a new roof on city hall. Acting City Manager Bill Howell says that the issue is simple: “The roof is leaking and we need to repair it.”

Bethel City Council introduced a measure on Tuesday, July 23 to put a local option question on the ballot to restrict alcohol sales to restaurants only. 

Bethel City Council passed stricter alcohol laws on Tuesday, July 23. After some amendments, the regulations received a unanimous vote.

The City of Bethel's planning department is the latest to lose its leader. The former city planner was fired a month ago according to the planner herself, Betsy Jumper. 

Alaska news organizations have reported that Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $444 million from the state's operating budget. But news coverage published by Alaska Public Media and KTOO have used a smaller number of $390 million. There are a few reasons for this.