Daily Sitka Sentinel

Assembly Holds Off On Police Investigation

By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Assembly members decided Thursday night to wait until their April 23 meeting to make a decision on hiring a third-party investigator of Sitka Police Department operations.
    Mayor Gary Paxton and Assembly members Aaron Bean, Kevin Mosher and Richard Wein thought that giving interim Police Chief Robert Baty time to acclimate in the department was warranted.
    “Give him a little more time to settle in,” Bean said. “Get an overall picture of what he believes should happen, if there are some problems he could see what the policy and procedures are, and things of that nature..”
    Assembly member Valorie Nelson disagreed.
    “I am of the opinion we need to move forward with it,” she said. “While I have high hopes that he is going to do awesome as the interim chief and, hopefully, have his dream come true and be the chief when we advertise the position, I think we are doing more damage by postponing and continuing to kick the can down the road.”
    Bean said the idea is to let Baty get his feet on the ground, not postpone the investigation.
    City administrator Keith Brady said he sent an email April 2 to the Assembly regarding the issue of having Baty report to the Assembly and letting him get more familiar with the police department and his strategy.
    “I have put on the agenda executive session with him so he could go over personnel and strategy with the Assembly on the 23rd,” he said.
    Wein said he felt it reasonable to allow chief Baty to access the situation in the department and submit a written list on how he’s going to proceed.
    “To improve the department and move it forward,” he said. “My requirement is that he submit this written list of what he is going to do. The other aspect is that this is not a kick the can down the road issue. This has to be taken care of.”
    Wein agreed with Mosher that it is not timely to approve an investigator but it is timely to make an appropriation for the job.
    “This is not only what the Assembly wants, it is what the citizens of Sitka deserve, and that is more transparency and this is a very important issue, and I think part of it is that we have to speak to the people of Sitka,” he said. “That means kind of a written summary of how the problem is going to be approached.”
    The Assembly took no action and decided to postpone a decision on the investigator until after they hear from Baty on April 23.
    The Assembly voted 5-1, with Knox voting no, to put money in the budget for an investigation in case they decide one is warranted.
    Baty, who was present at the meeting, was asked if he thought the investigator would hinder his work.
    “My thoughts on the matter is if it’s done it certainly gives me a tool to use,” he said. “A list of things an independent investigator would include ... would certainly give me a list of things to work on. In the meantime, though, I am certainly identifying a lot of areas that need to be cleaned up, and I’m certainly addressing those. I am neutral. There is one other issue that I think I don’t want to speak of in the public forum, I would rather go into executive session on this matter, but other than that, an independent investigator, in my view would make my job easier. It is one less thing I would have to do, but I  can do it either way.”
    In unfinished business the Assembly gave final approval to ordinances making supplemental appropriations of $10,000 for appraisal of subleases at the airport terminal building; 20,000 for an outside attorney to write a purchase agreement regarding the Gary Paxton Industrial Park utility dock, the funds coming from the GPIP working capital; and $22,000 to continue analysis and design of the park dock access ramp.
    New Business
    The Assembly voted 6-0 on first reading to add $50,000 for legal defense fees for Shepard vs. City and Borough of Sitka and to transfer the unexpended appropriation of $56,163.37 from Operations to Fixed Assets for the upgrade to the City’s datacenter storage system.
    The Assembly also voted 6-0 on first reading to approve modifying zoning code 22 Definitions to Create a Cemetery District because of state restrictions on where bodies can be interred.
    Other Business
    The Assembly voted 6-0 to go into executive session for discussion on the liquor license renewal application for Baranof Island Brewing Company. Another executive session was held on due diligence compliance on the hospital merger process.
    The Assembly presented Service Awards to Dan Jones for his more than seven years on the Gary Paxton Industrial Park Board of Directors, and Allison Massey for three years on the Parks & Recreation Commission.