LISTEN: Interviews with Wrangell Borough Assembly candidates

There are two seats up for election on the City and Borough of Wrangell’s governing body this fall, and two unopposed candidates for those seats: incumbent assembly member Anne Morrison and assembly newcomer Michael Ottesen.

KSTK sat down with Anne Morrison to talk about why she’s running again and what issues she hopes to focus on in the coming years. (Scroll down for KSTK’s interview with Mike Ottesen.)

TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for flow and reading ease): 

ANNE MORRISON: My name is Anne Morrison and I’m running for my current position as an assembly member. I’m retired, retired from several different positions through the years.

KSTK (Sage Smiley): Other than being on the Wrangell Assembly, do you have other previous government experience?

MORRISON: Yes, I worked in the governor’s office here in Alaska, I worked in the Division of Elections. And I worked in the White House under the [Ronald] Reagan administration.

KSTK: So what makes you want to run for reelection to the borough assembly?

MORRISON: There are so many things that are in the works, and I would like to see them completed or at least pushed along. And it’s a very good assembly right now,  I think it’s very progressive. We all seem to have a very cohesive view of what needs to be done. So that’s why.

KSTK: What issues do you find motivating? What sorts of things do you look at that you have the opportunity to engage in on the borough assembly and you think: ‘Oh, this is really what it’s about, for me’?

MORRISON: Getting projects completed. For instance, the pool, I mean, that’s been in the works for years, and we’re finally getting it re-sided and it’s gonna look fantastic. There are so many things – our water system, we’re finally getting a new water plant in, if we get all the funding that we need. There’s a myriad of things. The [Mt.] Dewey trail, Inner Harbor repairs, it goes on and on and on. School funding, the Public Safety Building which is a huge, huge issue, just our school building maintenance. But then I see some really positive things like the Nolan center – the storage building was sinking. And it’s been fixed. So we are doing due diligence, we are doing maintenance on our buildings, which has been – with any small Alaska town, maintenance is just bumped down until the next assembly comes on. And this assembly, thank goodness, has taken the bull by the horns and said ‘No, we’re not going to do that anymore.’

KSTK: Related question: What do you see as some of the biggest issues facing Wrangell in the coming years? Of course, there are many, any town – especially a small town – is dealing with a lot of big issues. But what in your view as a current assembly member and in running for assembly do you see as some major issues facing Wrangell in the coming years?

MORRISON: I wouldn’t call it an issue, but tourism. Because they are going to come. I think we need to be able to control that. We do not want to become like Skagway or Sitka – I was in Sitka when there were 7,000 people there off the boats, and the population is 8,000. So myself, I don’t think we want that kind of tourism. But we definitely want tourism because it’s a huge boost to our economy. One of the big things that’s going to be facing us with this Alder Top [Village] subdivision coming on is city services [like] water. Our water pipes or water lines out the road are too small, all our water lines and town all have to be replaced. They’re all 50, 60 years old, and they are corroded, as we all know, whenever there’s a burst. School funding is a huge issue. But that’s on a state level, the assembly has funded the school to the max that’s allowed us to do by law. Our inner harbor – if you’ve been down there lately, needs to be repaired. Then, of course, we have the Six Mile site, which is a huge opportunity for us, and I think that will come to fruition. We have our secondary sewer treatment plant, which we may have to put in – an unfunded mandate. We just love them. And then the thing I think that folks really have to realize that we have all of these projects going, but I would say 95% of the projects that we have going on in Wrangell are funded by grants – grant money comes either from the feds or the state. It comes with many, many, many rules and regulations, and they all have to be administered. Writing grants takes hours and hours and hours of time. So yes, there is a lot of money out there right now through the infrastructure bill, but it’s all competitive. And we have to compete for it. And the grants have to be written.

KSTK: In your time on the Wrangell Assembly – How long have you been on the assembly? 

MORRISON: Five years. 

KSTK: Five years, okay. So in your time on the Wrangell Assembly, what do you feel is your most important function as an assembly member?

MORRISON: Listening. Simply listening, and then making a decision based on what’s the most good for the most people and trying to keep the government functioning.

KSTK: What makes you a good candidate for assembly? Why should someone vote for you?

MORRISON: I think I’m a fair person. And I think I’m easy to talk to. And I think I can see both sides of an issue and hopefully make a good judgment.

KSTK: Is there anything else we haven’t touched on that you want to add about your candidacy for Borough Assembly?

MORRISON: It’s a very time-consuming job. And I very much appreciate the people who come to me and say: ‘We appreciate you spending your time on the assembly.’

KSTK: Thank you for your time so far, and good luck in this race. 

MORRISON: Thank you.

The other candidate for borough assembly is newcomer Michael Ottesen. Here’s KSTK’s conversation with the first-time assembly candidate.

TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for flow and reading ease): 

MICHAEL OTTESEN: I’m Mike Ottesen, some people know me by Mikey Ottesen. I work for Alaska Vistas as a captain and guide. I’ve been driving jet boats and tours for just about nine years now. I’m running for assembly. For me, running for assembly – it’s kind of a way to give back to a community that’s given a lot to me. Growing up here, playing sports and fundraising and selling tickets to everybody in town, and just kind of getting a better understanding for how the city works, and kind of getting some younger engagement going on in the city, I think could be a good thing for the long-term, and future of the city.

KSTK: Totally. Are there any specific borough issues that you think are important or that are really motivating you to run other than getting that local engagement and giving back?

OTTESEN: As far as issues – I mean, everybody knows the water plant, right? I don’t really have anything that’s higher than others, just kind of an overall thing. Maybe getting Wrangell kind of a fresh, new look at things and how we’re doing things, kind of focusing on industry. Obviously, I work in tourism. And I think tourism can really benefit Wrangell, in the long-term kind of taking that role as we lost logging, to bring in to a bigger industry in tourism.

KSTK: So that leads pretty well into my next question, which is: What do you see as some big issues or things that Wrangell is going to have to face in the next few years that the assembly might be able to help with, that you might be able to help with, in your position on the assembly?

OTTESEN: I’m sure a lot of people have seen the new cruise ship schedules coming out for ‘24 and ‘25. And we’re seeing a lot of bigger ships, 2,500- to 3,000-passenger ships getting into our schedule. And I know a lot of people don’t want to turn into Juneau or Ketchikan. And I think the best way to deal with that is to look at it closely, and kind of decide what’s best for Wrangell, and what could benefit Wrangell financially, kind of increase our cash flow into the city.

KSTK: In thinking about being an assembly member – you’re running unopposed, so you’ll be on the assembly unless someone runs a crazy write-in campaign we don’t really expect. So. You’ll be on the assembly. What do you think will be your most important function as an assembly member? What is your philosophy of being a member of Wrangell’s assembly?

OTTESEN: I think, for me, it’s just being young and being able to look at things through a different lens, and kind of looking at things that are kind of a lot farther out than what we’re looking at right now. Because I’m planning on living here for the rest of my life. So I would really like to see the city and the citizens of this town benefit in the long-term. And kind of bring, like I said earlier, bring some of that younger generation into the city, and kind of get more engagement from our younger generation.

KSTK: Do you have previous government experience? Have you served on any other type of government board before?

OTTESEN: I have not – this will all be brand new for me, this will all be a big learning curve for me. I’m a quick learner. So hopefully, kind of getting in and learning the things and getting things turned over quickly, I think will benefit me and the city greatly. It is a three-year seat, so I should learn a lot.

KSTK: Last question. What makes you a good candidate? Why should someone vote for you for borough assembly?

OTTESEN: Oh, that’s, that’s a tough one. I don’t like to brag. I guess you could say just me being younger and growing up in this town and have kind of seen what’s gone on in the town and how things could be done differently. And me planning on being here for the rest of my life and working in this town, I think is a good reason.

KSTK: Good luck! Thank you for taking some time today.

OTTESEN: No problem. Thank you.

Wrangell’s municipal election is scheduled for Tuesday, October 3. 

Get in touch with KSTK at news@kstk.org or (907) 874-2345.