The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly will welcome only one new member to chambers this year. Janice Golub won Seat C, over Larry Morris.
Both Karl Kassel and Presiding Officer Diane Hutchison will return to serve second terms on the Assembly.
Former Parks and Recreation director and long-time Fairbanks resident Karl Kassel says he’d like to see the Assembly focus on affordable energy during his second term.
“That’s huge; that’s the biggest thing in our community and I think that we’re going to make significant progress on that in the next three years,” Kassel said. “ I think we have to and it’s a necessity really.”
Kassel is the General Manager of a renewable energy system company in Fairbanks. He ran against Brandon Meston, who was not present Tuesday night as election results came in.
Kassel says he’s looking forward to working with Army National Guard Officer Janice Golub, who narrowly edged out opponent Larry Morris. Golub says it was a friendly campaign.
“We agreed early on that there wouldn’t be any kind of animosity during the race, so it’s always nice when you have a campaign like that,” Golub said.
Golub agrees that bringing affordable energy to borough area residents should be the main focus of her first term on the Assembly.
“I think the only thing that Fairbanks is really concerned about right now is energy especially with winter coming and it’s been getting colder out, so that’s our main issue in front of us right now,” Golub said.
Presiding Officer Diane Hutchison’s was the only other open Assembly seat this year. Hutchison will return for a second term, having run uncontested.
