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            A new study found that Kodiak Island Borough salaries are competitive with other boroughs across the state, and with similar-sized towns in the Pacific Northwest. Lori Messer is a Senior Consultant for Fox Lawson and Associates, the company that conducted the compensation and classification study for the borough. Messer presented the findings of the borough’s study during a borough assembly work session on Thursday.
            “When we look at actual salaries being paid at the borough compared to actual salaries being paid in the market, again, in highly competitive position because the borough is leading by almost 1 percent,” she said.
            Messer said the borough remains competitive when employee benefits packages are included in the information. While this is good news overall for the borough, Messer stressed that it is only an average, meaning some positions aren’t competitive.
            “This is based on all of the benchmark positions, so it’s an aggregate figure. So there are some positions that are further below the market, some that are further above. This is the overall results of the study, all positions combined.”

               After presenting the results of the study, Messer suggested a few methods to bring underpaid jobs up to the market salaries. The options range from costing the borough $4,400 to $176,000 each year. She didn’t go into specifics about what those options entailed, which raised some questions later on in the meeting when the assembly began reviewing the agenda for next week’s regular meeting.
            The agenda includes acceptance of the classification and compensation study, but Assemblywoman Carol Austerman asked if that meant the borough would be accepting the $176,000 price tag to bring underpaid jobs in line with the market.

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    The perennially strong Kodiak boys track and field team wrapped up its eighth straight Region III championship over the weekend in Nikiski. The Bears finished with 168 team points, easily outdistancing runner-up Colony’s 123. Soldotna was third, foll0wed by Wasilla, Kenai, and Palmer.
    Kodiak was led by sophomore Levi Thomet, who took four titles – three individual and one team. He finished first in the 800- 1,600- and 3,200-meter events and was on the winning 4-by-800-meter relay, along with Clayton Hannah, Levi Fried, and Cole Christiansen.
    The Kodiak boys also won the 4-by-100 and 4-by-400- meter relays.
    Michael Ma’inifo took first in the long jump at 20-feet 5.5-inches, and the triple jump at 40-feet 8.5-inches. He was third in the high jump at 5-feet 8-inches.
    The Kodiak girls were fifth, with 63 team points. Wasilla was first with 115, followed by Colony, Kenai, and Soldotna. Palmer took up the rear in sixth.
    We have full results after the jump.

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    In June, the captain of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro will retire after 27 years in active duty. KMXT’s Brianna Gibbs had a conversation with Captain Mark Cawthorn last week and learned about his two years serving at the helm of the Kodiak-based cutter Munro.
    While the majority of Captain Cawthorn’s career was spent on the East coast, he said the past two years on the Munro were certainly some of his fondest. 

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    It looks like there’s no need to go changing the name of next week’s celebration to Bruin Burger Fest, thanks to the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. The group will be providing local Kodiak Tanner crab for at least one event during Kodiak Crab Festival.
    Kelly Harrell, the group’s executive director says in an over the weekend that AMCC will have Tanner crab at the tasting event featuring local seafoods and wild-harvested edibles of other kinds on May 25th – the Saturday of Crab Fest.
    Organizers have wondered for months about who might step up and offer crab for sale at the event after Saint Mary’s School said it could no longer do so. The school offered fresh crab legs and crab meat sandwiches for sale as a fundraiser for years.
    On May 24th, Chef Rob Kinneen and local wild foods expert Gayla Pedersen will lead a field trip to Gibson Cove where local greens will be collected for use the next day. That’s when Kinneen will give a cooking demonstration and wild foods tasting at the Koniag Building on Near Island.
    Harrell said AMCC wants to help fill the void of crab at Crab Fest in some way this year, and maybe even more next year.