Permanent Fund staff paper claims public discussion 'can harm the best interest' of the fund

Deven Mitchell, the executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund, should tell Alaskans if he believes the claim on page 42 of this document prepared by someone on his staff—that the Permanent Fund is harmed by public discussion and should be allowed to meet in secret.

This is one element of the proposed strategic plan to be debated by the six-member board of trustees at a special meeting Monday in Juneau.

“Deliberating in public can harm the best interest of the fund because it impairs the ability of the staff or the board to have an open and candid discussion about the pros and cons of the matter before the board for consideration,” the anonymous staff member wrote.

Anyone who believes that should not be working for the Alaska Permanent Fund or serving as a trustee.

Contrary to the staff paper, deliberating in public does not harm the best interest of the fund and it does not impair the ability of the staff and the board to have open and candid discussions. Deliberating in public helps build public trust in the institution.

That Mitchell did not direct his staff to include information in the packet about why we have an Open Meetings Law in Alaska and why this serves the public is a failure on his part.

Based on their comments at the Permanent Fund annual meeting in September, four of the six trustees think they should be allowed more latitude to meet in secret—Jason Brune, Ryan Anderson, Gabrielle Rubenstein and Adam Crum.

What’s missing from the proposed strategic plan the trustees are reviewing is addressing the need to overhaul the policy-making process and restructure the board to improve its operation.

The governor has complete freedom to appoint anyone he chooses to the board, along with two commissioners of state agencies who work for the governor.

The law must be changed to require legislative confirmation of trustees—a process through which it would be easy to ascertain if nominees accept and understand the need for transparency in government—and to establish minimum professional qualifications for serving on the board.

The current law says trustees “must have recognized competence and wide experience in finance, investments, or other business management-related fields,” but political allegiance to the governor is the main qualification.