This post will include a couple new features rarely seen on this site. First, a politician admitting his error and, second, a really, really bad pun. Regarding the former, Mr. Hall sent me an e-mail Thursday asking to meet for a few minutes and reminded me we were introduced last summer when I joined several fire fighters for a helicopter tour of Anchorage’s high-risk wildfire areas. I’d forgotten meeting him and primarily recall that a fire along the Campbell Creek greenbelt broke out shortly after I’d disembarked (good timing on my part).
As you’ve likely read in the local paper, Anchorage has been without a fire chief since the mayor nudged Craig Goodrich into retirement last month. When police chief Rob Huen resigned a few weeks later the administration set up a search committee to seek a replacement. Not so with the fire department as the mayor apparently had a successor in mind. And you’d be forgiven for asking who because, other than the name, I have no idea who Mark Hall is. What I do know is that last week the administration submitted an ordinance that would waive two sections of Anchorage Municipal Code in order to clear the way for Mr. Hall to assume the post of fire chief.
Unless your cave’s cable and internet connections failed, and the paper delivery driver got lost, you know the Assembly passed my latest version of the equal rights ordinance by a 7-4 vote. I know, I’m late telling you this, but I had a business trip in the middle of the week.
As an Assembly member I receive quite a few e-mails that may, or may not, be relevant to the job. One group that tends to fall into the latter category includes announcement of various city job openings. Those dropped off considerably after July 1, when Mayor Sullivan announced a hiring freeze during his inaugural speech.
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