The Homer City Council swore in Bradley Parsons as its newest member on Tuesday, Nov. 12 during a special meeting. Parsons replaces Rachel Lord as council member since Lord was elected mayor in October. He will serve on the council until the next regular city election in 2025.
Parsons was one of four city residents who applied for the city council seat. The other three applicants included former Public Works Director Jan Keiser, who now serves on the Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Advisory Commission; Jonathon Young, who currently serves on the Economic Development Advisory Commission; and Brandy McGee, who is the executive director for Kenai Peninsula Housing Initiatives, Inc.
On Tuesday, Keiser, Young and Parsons had the opportunity to provide introductory statements to the council before answering questions posed by council members. McGee was not present during the meeting.
Arriving with a background in public safety, public education and working with individuals with disabilities, Parsons currently serves on Homer’s ADA Advisory Board and works for the Independent Living Center in Homer. He also previously served on the City of Ann Arbor Transportation Commission from 2017 to 2021. Additionally, he was previously involved with the Southern Kenai Peninsula Transit Coalition and Homer Drawdown.
In his candidate statement submitted to the council on Oct. 28, Parsons wrote that he sought appointment in order to “continue to serve and represent members of our community in a yet more impactful way.”
He first arrived in Homer during a visit with his family in 2012. Since his family’s official move to Homer several years after, Parsons wrote that he is “all in.”
“On regular Homer visits over the years, I spent hours at the old K-Bay Coffee watching the patterns of traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian. I got to know Homer long before we officially moved here; both the opportunities and the challenges,” he wrote. “I’ve read all the plans and followed all the controversial topics.
“I feel connected to Homer in ways most 3-year residents might not. I feel I’ve been a part of this community for far longer.”
During his introductory statement to the council on Tuesday, Parsons said that with his commitment to the Homer community comes a responsibility to understand community desires.
“With that in mind, I want to share that I’m committed to the desires that I have heard in my time so far in Homer. I also believe in representative government, and I believe in public institutions,” he said.
Among those community desires, Parsons listed a “vibrant, walkable downtown;” affordable housing, particularly for young families; and environmental protection “while recognizing the realities of growth.”
Parsons was appointed by the city council following a 4-1 vote, with council members Donna Aderhold, Jason Davis, Shelly Erickson and Caroline Venuti voting in favor and Storm Hansen voting against.
Find the Nov. 12 special meeting recording online at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-special-meeting-140.
