The Nome Common Council is departing from their normal schedule to have their regular meeting tonight rather than on Monday. Councilmembers plan to discuss having more youth involvement on the City Council and could approve a $5 million fuel note.

For several months now, councilmembers and Nome citizens, including young people, have asked why the Council doesn’t have a youth representative. Tonight, the Council will formally begin to have that conversation in the first reading of an ordinance that would create a non-voting youth representative. The young member would be a Nome-Beltz student who, although unable to vote, would be involved in Council meetings.

The Council will also be discussing several letters of communication, including a letter from acting City Manager John Handeland to accept a grant for the Inner Harbor launch ramp repair project at the Port of Nome.

Nome’s City Council meets tonight at 7pm at City Hall. Before the regular meeting, the public is also invited to attend the Council’s work session which will focus on the City’s year-to date financials.

Image at top: Nome City Council Chambers. Photo from Matthew F. Smith, KNOM file.