I recommend reading the letter to the editor in the Daily News-Miner today by Borough Assembly member Savannah Fletcher, who has been removed from a seat on the local transportation planning committee by right-winger Aaron Lojewski, the new presiding officer of the assembly.

Lojewski seems intent on injecting more partisanship wherever he can, which is not what Fairbanks needs.

The chance to speak out about this is today at the assembly meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.

Lojewski wants to replace Fletcher with a new assembly member who shares Lojewski’s point of view, Brett Rotermund. The move requires confirmation by the assembly to take effect, however.

Fletcher says that Rotermund’s “sole experience is that he leans Lojewski’s political direction.”

Here is her full letter:

To the editor: Whenever the Fairbanks North Star Borough selects a new presiding officer, some shake-up is inevitable: it is within the presiding officer’s right to fill assembly committee assignments with the best possible members. One hopes those changes are based on competence and vision for the community, not party politics. Aaron Lojewski, the new presiding officer, chooses the latter in nearly every opportunity — and our community should know.

Just 15 minutes after being appointed presiding officer, Lojewski replaced the entire Climate Action Committee membership, though it was in its final steps to meet its mandate. Perhaps realizing he lost all continuity and expertise with this midnight change-up, (and feeling the heat of a public made aware the next morning), Lojewski restored a single former member, Terry Chapin.

Lojewski also recently removed me from the Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation Planning (FAST Planning) Policy Board. FAST Planning brings together state and local governments for us to collaborate on road and transportation planning. It is not partisan; it is about smart community planning. And it’s hard work. For example, something as simple as a much-needed crosswalk at the Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market was sidelined after the Department of Transportation did not complete it this summer. I was able to organize a meeting with the TVFM, DOT and FAST Planning. Within 90 minutes we had hammered out the details to ensure the project would move forward next summer and lead to a safer Fairbanks. It’s not sexy, it won’t make headlines, but it’s necessary for the borough to work.

The best proof that FAST Planning is about competence alone: over 90% of our votes are unanimous, despite a board of diverse political backgrounds. Instead of allowing our team the continuity and board memory to get the hard work done, Lojewski has replaced me for a new Board member whose sole experience is that he leans Lojewski’s political direction.

There is still hope: the democratic process limits the Presiding Officer’s choice. Let Lojewski (aaron.lojewski@fnsb.gov) know who you think the best-qualified candidate is, and the assembly can vote to make your voice heard this Thursday.

Savannah Fletcher

Fairbanks

Meanwhile, the assembly appears ready to waste time repeating a debate on whether it recommends a goal of having half of the borough-owned vehicles running on something other than fossil fuels by 2035. The assembly approved the nonbinding resolution 5-3 Oct. 27.

Lojewski got angry during the debate and walked out of the room, so he never voted.

But he opposed the advisory measure about the borough government shifting its vehicle fleet away from fossil fuels and falsely claimed it would lead to higher taxes.

There is now a right-wing majority on the assembly and assembly member Jimi Cash wants to bring back the resolution and defeat it this time—expecting to be backed by Tammie Wilson, Lojewski, Barbara Haney and Rotermund.

Cash said on Oct. 27 that he would bring the advisory question back up once the new members were on the assembly because he didn’t like the advice offered by the assembly. He said passing it was a waste of time.

Lojewski agreed and said he would vote against the measure.

“I think it’s highly likely that the next assembly is gonna have a slightly different way of looking at this,” Lojewski said.

Lojewski got angry when presiding officer Mindy O’Neall thanked the assembly for the non-binding resolution, with Lojewski claiming it was improper for the presiding officer to engage in “debate.”

What O’Neall said at the end of the hour-long debate was, “I’d just like to say thank you for the vision of this resolution and I'm in support. . .”

“Point of order madam chair, point of order madam chair,” Lojewski interrupted.

Lojewski said he objected to her taking part in the debate and called for a vote to stop O’Neall from speaking. The assembly defeated Lojewski’s objection and he walked out.

O’Neall said later all she wanted to do was to be added as a co-sponsor.

Assembly member Matt Cooper said it was too bad that Lojewski was not present to hear what Cooper had to say, but that what O’Neall did was entirely normal and in keeping with past practice.

Here is that section of the meeting when Lojewski walked out.