Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Tom Wagner “I have to agree with, um, Kelly's statement... Whatever we do with this money, and I don't have the answer at this point in time, I want to see something that benefits the community directly, and I mean the community that actually lives here.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “The city attorney and city manager have no legal authority over what information can be shared in this lawsuit. This lawsuit was initiated with allegations that Eric was in the process of building a structure, and it included an old build permit application which had been denied early that year.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

David Pinquoch “I do like the clinic and transportation services, the healthcare, but you know that it's going to take months for us to figure that out probably. But that's the one actually I like.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Victor Shen “I think our next step is to— we should direct our administration, if they haven't already, is creating a rolling list of projects, potential projects for this grant”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Victor Shen “What it's designed for, and I think where we stand to benefit, is going after projects that are shovel ready.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Tom Wagner “The grants are due, the grant applications are due on December 4th.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “Dear Mrs. Carlson, please accept this document as my formal written statement of correction regarding inaccurate and untrue statements made during the Whittier City Council meeting held on October 13th, 2026. These statements directly involve a past action concerning me and have caused severe unjust damage to my personal and professional reputation, as well as my character standing within the community.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

David Pinquoch “I think I would, I would, I would ready to move forward, forward with the, the fire truck option, fire tanker option.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “The motion passes, and administration is so directed.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “in regards to your request about an executive session regarding Mr. Fleming, um, The attorneys did suggest that we either schedule a special meeting to have that discussion or hold it at our next regular meeting, but as an earlier agenda item, as the attorney that's working on this case, Brian, is actually located in Washington, D.C. So, um, that way we could have him on as well so that he can provide his input.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Bender

“20 respondents, we know our communities necessarily always participate. That's this very empty room tonight.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “At 1:55:40 of the meeting, the statements— the attorney's memorandum said that Scott informing Eric that a permit is needed and that his culvert does not conform to Whittier specification standards. It stated that Scott told Eric that his culvert has design flaws for potential freezing, creating blockages and potential flooding.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “I expect this correction to be filed and preserved within the city's archives accordingly.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Robin Reich

“CDBGs can only be awarded to communities that have a majority of low and moderate income folks that live there, which Whittier has. The program awards grants, um, a max— to a maximum amount of $150,000.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “motion to— voting on the motion to direct administration to apply apply for the Community Development Block Grant to purchase a fire tender truck.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Shelby Carlson “It is quite evident that the city council doesn't have any knowledge to the rationale behind this lawsuit. It's clear by the discussion in the meeting that the city attorney has been withholding from sharing information over what she has no legal authority to withhold from council.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Robin Reich

“My company was approached by your staff to help you all with the Community Development Block Grant, or a CDBG.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Bender

“I find that the fire truck being number 1, I think if we open this up, that that might change.”

10.20.2026 Whittier City Council Regular Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Susanne Fleek-Green “Once the school district has made that decision, we intend to go through a process like we are right now with Campbell STEM, where we are meeting with a much larger community, including the nearby community councils, to talk about what people would like to see that addresses the best next public step for that property.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Paul McDonogh “I move that the Anchorage School Board direct the board president to draft a letter on behalf of the board to the Anchorage Assembly urging the Assembly to vote down AO 2026-130.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Miss Miss Parrott (Anchorage School District)

“funds are available to, to go toward capital projects, obviously, as well as other funds such currently with the current law and interpretation, such as student nutrition, transportation, as you mentioned, potentially student activities, and those items that are truly outside of the operating fund.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Pat Higgins “I'm not going to support trying to say don't let the public decide anything else again.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “Esteemer memorandum number 047 is adopted by a vote of 6 to 1.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Pat Higgins “We've got a couple of activities going on, and I don't think Abbott Loop Community Council has really signed on to this the way it's going forward.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Susanne Fleek-Green “Our goal is that we are able to do that early in the new year and that we want number to be available to the school districts with at least an appraisal of the property and have it out for sale so that before the turn of the calendar you have at least a rough dollar amount of what that sale could go for and that we could execute the sale early in the new year.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Lessens “this assembly resolution, which for everyone's reference is the resolution to— and I'm paraphrasing— um, have 6 board members be elected on a district basis and 1 board member to be elected at large over a multi-year period”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Pat Higgins “has there been any community meetings at all in regards to what the plans are with Abbott? Because I live in that area, I don't see anything where we've given a chance for the community to provide input as to what they would like to see accomplished.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Pat Higgins “I don't think we need to get out there and say we, we have to, we oppose this because we don't want the public voice to be heard on this issue. They want to go forward with it with the public.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “that motion is adopted by a vote of 6 to 1.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Paul McDonogh “There's a 2023 study of switching to— it's in the Journal of Politics. This is only 3 years ago, that said switching to district elections has empowered neighborhoods to block shared decisions and has led to reduced housing approvals.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “I, I think my service is easier on this board knowing that I can advocate for the best interest of all students and not have to worry about what part of town I'm from or what part of town I'm representing that year”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Lessens “I move to approve ASD Memorandum 047, Facilities and Land Returning to the Municipality of Anchorage, to transfer $3.96 million in available prior bond— prior year bond funds in order to demolish the Abalute facility and relinquish management rights once demolished, relinquish management rights of the Campbell Lake Elementary facility and relinquish management rights of the West Park parcel in Anchorage.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “could we have a voice vote on the motion which is, uh, that the Anchorage School Board direct the board president to draft a letter on behalf of the board to the Anchorage Assembly urging the assembly to vote down AO 2026-130.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Margo Bellamy “We have, as I recall, the fire— there is a person called the fire marshal that condemned this building. They let us use it until I think 2027 or 2028”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Margo Bellamy “I believe that education is a community responsibility, and I don't think— and we should not be limiting the community's voice and, and how they vote for representation for education.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Paul McDonogh “he had said that Abbott Loop was consistently on the possible demolition list because of its runaway repair costs. Um, the board did eventually vote through those very extensive town halls to close the school.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Margo Bellamy “So while I understand how the assembly, um, organizes around communities and community needs, Education is a total full community responsibility, and it deserves that every board member, no matter what their zip code is, no matter what our students' zip code is, that we make systems or we create systems that are accessible and are reflective of the needs of every student in the city, not by district.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Pat Higgins “I also have reservations that we haven't looked at Abbott Loop, what we can use internally within the city, within the school district, for to replace some of the administrative type functions. So I'm not going to support it.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Rachel Blakeslee “I think fundamentally, um, I agree with all of the logistical problems that Member Lessens just laid out, highly concerned about that and how it almost sort of inherently doesn't accomplish the, the very intent of of what is being proposed”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “the assembly voted on resolution regarding the West Park property at their last meeting, but I want to take a second to confirm. I was— I believe the vote on that was 11 to 1”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Lessens “a significant portion of our students attend a school or program— program within a school sometimes— outside of their district. So if you are the family of a student who lives in District A and attends school in District B, or however we want to number them, Who do you— who's your phone-a-friend?”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Lessens “I think that as long as we have a pretty robust choice system where 35 to 40% of students are mobile. Um, I think the district-based representation, to bring it back to Member Bellamy's point, really, really fails to serve students.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Paul McDonogh “the only thesis I can come up with is distributing board power to school-level autonomy will achieve what the community is yearning for. Um, and really the best way we can do that is by retaining 7 at-large members.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Paul McDonogh “Member Handeland proposed AO 2026-130, and it was moved to be voted on at the November 4th meeting.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “there was a 2014 study by the Fordham Institute and indicated that districts where at-large board membership elections occurred had correlated better with positive academic outcomes.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Kelly Lessens “recall that Anchorage is about 2,000 square miles. It's a big place, about the size of Rhode Island. However, Mat-Su and Kenai are each larger than the state of West Virginia at about 25,000 square miles.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “could you confirm the board's understanding that the assembly at their October 6th meeting passed a resolution pledging to allocate the proceeds of a sale of the West Park property mentioned in ASD Memorandum Number 047 to the district”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

Carl Jacobs “ASD memorandum number 047-2627, facilities and land returning to the Municipality of Anchorage, to transfer $3.96 million in available prior year bond funds in order to demolish the Abbott Loop facility and relinquish management rights once demolished, relinquish management rights of the Campbell Lake Elementary facility, and relinquish management rights of the West Park parcel in Anchorage.”

Anchorage School Board: 10/20/26 ASD School Board Meeting · Oct 20, 2026

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