Planning commission adopts Resolution 45-81 to censure Commissioner Darlene Svensson

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Planning Commission voted 6 to 0 on Sept. 24, 2026 to adopt Resolution 45-81, a formal censure calling for the resignation of Planning Commissioner Darlene D. Svensson. A committee member moved to adopt the resolution, which the clerk read into the record as "Resolution 45 81 censuring and calling for resignation of a planning commissioner." The clerk recorded the roll call votes as yes from Arnold, Gubitayo, Turner, Gage, Shaw and Govars; the motion passed and the commission said it would forward the matter to the borough assembly.

Commissioners who supported the resolution said the Sept. 15 remarks were racist and divisive and that censure addresses how concerns were expressed rather than legitimate policy debate. The motion's proponent said the resolution was difficult to write but necessary, apologizing "to Ketchikan Indian community, all Alaska native residents of our borough" and urging the assembly to move quickly. The commission's procedural notice on appeals was read: decisions may be appealed within 15 days; the borough clerk can assist with filing.