Two candidates have filed for two open seats on the Wrangell Borough Assembly. Rolland Howell is one of them. KSTK’s Quinton Chandler spoke with Howell about his plans to serve on the assembly.
Quinton Chandler: Why do you want to run for the assembly?
Rolland Howell: Just basically to serve my community. I’ve been on the planning and zoning (committee) for over a year now and I thought I’d like to get in and help bring in decisions for the city and help move things forward.
Quinton Chandler: Do you have any experience that you think would help you serve the assembly?
Rolland Howell: Well, like I said I’ve been on planning and zoning for a while now and I think just serving on that board and getting in there and helping with a lot of those decisions has given me a lot of experience.
Quinton Chandler: What do you think are the most important issues that the assembly is going to be facing in the next few years?
Rolland Howell: I think our water treatment plant situation and our new hospital is probably going to be the two biggest things. I’d like to see the city look into recycling a little bit more. Moving forward on Evergreen is something I’d like to get on and help with.
Quinton Chandler: Let’s start with the water treatment plant. What are your thoughts on the next steps the assembly should take on that?
Rolland Howell: Well, I think looking into the procurement of a new plant is important but also making the existing plant work more efficiently for now is something they really need to look at.
Quinton Chandler: Do you have any ideas for how that could be accomplished?
Rolland Howell: No, I think getting in with the assembly will get me a lot more information to help with these ideas.
Quinton Chandler: If you were on the assembly, would you recommend the borough building a new hospital? Would you recommend a new provider coming in and taking over the effort to build a new hospital? What direction would you move in?
Rolland Howell: That’s something, I’d have to look into both options. Could the borough do it? I think possibly but also we have a new provider in town and they’re a pretty good organization to work with I think.
Quinton Chandler: What do you want the people of Wrangell to know about you and your candidacy for the assembly?
Rolland Howell: I want to get in there and help serve my community and move it forward on a lot of issues. Like recycling, water treatment, (the) hospital.
Quinton Chandler: Are there any goals you would like to see the assembly accomplish?
Rolland Howell: I’d like to see the city look further into its recycling plant. I’d really like to see us get curb side recycling going and start taking care of the other things we have such as the metals coming into the waste transfer facility. We really need to look at things like that. More ability to process cardboard, get it out of here and the metals that we have coming in, make them pay us instead of making other people money.
Quinton Chandler: Thanks, I appreciate it Rolland.
Rolland Howell: Alright, thanks a lot.
