The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. in Harrigan Centennial Hall. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live. (KCAW Photo)
When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (09-11-18), they’ll consider purchasing a bond from the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank to fund renovations of critical infrastructure. Moorage rates may also be raised tonight by 6% across all Sitka Harbors.
See the full agenda here: 180911_AssemblyAgenda
The first bond, not to exceed $8.6 million dollars, would finance part of Crescent Harbor’s reconstruction — reconstructing floats one through four and the head walk. The second bond, not to exceed $4.5 million dollars, would go towards renovating Sitka’s Rocky Gutierrez Airport.
The Assembly gave the city the go-ahead to apply for these bonds in July. They’ll decide whether or not to issue the bonds on first reading at their regular meeting tonight.
Moorage rates may also be raised tonight across all Sitka Harbors. Approved by the Port and Harbors Commission, the 6% rate increase would apply to both permanent and temporary moorage. The city wants to raise these rates to pay for capital improvements to the harbors, also funded through a combination of state grants and bonds. The city has estimated Sitka’s harbors will need $22 million dollars worth of work in the next five years.
In new business, the Assembly will have its first look at a proposal (Motion and Ord 2018-47) to limit the use of plastic bags in Sitka. The ordinance would require vendors to charge a fee for plastic and paper bags. The money would go into the general fund. Last month, the city of Anchorage banned plastic bags at retail stores altogether.
Echoes of Sitka’s 2015 landslides will be on the agenda. The Assembly will hear a proposal from the Gary Paxton Industrial Park to sell Lot 23, which houses an administrative building once owned by the Alaska Pulp Corporation. The building was a hit by a landslide, one of several on August 18th, 2015. The appraiser determined the damage so severe, that the lot would be better served in the hands of a private industry.
The Assembly will also discuss a mitigation proposal for South Kramer Avenue, which saw a deadly landslide and extensive damage to a subdivision in 2015. An outside engineer has concluded the area would be safer if a diversion structure were put in place (4349-16 Preliminary Landslide Report). The Assembly may go into executive session to discuss these matters behind closed doors.
Raven News will broadcast the meeting live at 6 p.m., immediately following Alaska News Nightly.
In a previous version of this story, we incorrectly reported that the plastic bag fee would be optional. The ordinance would make it mandatory.
