Bethel's safety and taxi commission is down to two of six members

The one Bethel commission responsible for both public safety and the town's outsized taxi fleet is about to run on empty.

When the Public Safety and Transportation Commission meets Wednesday, it will formalize a fourth vacancy — John Hastie resigned by email this month — leaving just two of its six seats filled. That leaves two people to carry the work of six, in a place that leans on the commission. Bethel is the roadless hub of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and residents get around on one of the largest taxi fleets per capita in the country; the city counts about 100 cab drivers, and regulating them is one of the commission's main jobs.

Its other job is public safety. Bethel police fielded roughly 500 violent-crime calls in a recent 90-day stretch, and the city's violent crime rate runs well above the national average.

Even short-staffed, the commission has work in front of it: Wednesday's agenda includes a proposed taxi fare increase. Residents can comment in writing before the 6:30 p.m. meeting.