Alaska Railroad board calls special meeting for July 7 with no agenda published

The Alaska Railroad Corporation Board of Directors has called a special meeting for Tuesday, July 7, at 9 a.m. The public notice does not include an agenda or state the purpose of the meeting.

The Alaska Railroad is a state-owned freight and passenger railroad running from Seward and Whittier in the south to Fairbanks in the north, through Anchorage and Denali National Park. Board decisions on operations, infrastructure, and capital projects can affect communities and businesses along that corridor.

State of Alaska open-meeting guidance holds that public bodies should publish agendas with enough detail for the public to understand what will be discussed and decide whether to participate. Without that information, advocates for government transparency say, meaningful public engagement is difficult. The board held a regular meeting June 5 in Seward, then called a special session for June 18. The July 7 notice does not specify the purpose of this additional special meeting.

The meeting will be conducted entirely by Zoom. The public may join at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89115439997?pwd=ejICND7yDFUmBTnUL17ZPvCGaLXvVY.1, using meeting ID 891 1543 9997 and passcode 940525, or by dialing (253) 215-8782. A meeting chat link is also available at https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/89115439997. Written comments can be sent to [email protected]. The board has stated the meeting is open for public participation.