When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (2-22-22), it will consider final approval for a new city code allowing All-Terrain Vehicles on Sitka’s roads.
The Assembly gave the ATV code its first seal of approval on February 8, after it got the thumbs up from the Police and Fire Commission. If approved, ATV users can drive on Sitka streets with speed limits of up to 45 miles per hour – which includes the entire road system. But before they hit the pavement, riders must meet certain safety requirements, have both city and state permits, and submit to a police inspection of their vehicle.
Read the full ATV ordinance here
There’s one street where ATVs occasionally won’t be permitted, at least for most of the summer, along with all other motorized traffic. Earlier this month the Assembly adopted a short term tourism plan in response to the cruise passenger boom predicted for 2022. The plan includes closing Lincoln Street on the busiest cruise ship days.
When it meets tonight, the assembly will consider a budget to cover expenses related to the street closure. City staff estimate that the project, including street crew, additional parking enforcement, barricades, and signage will cost the city $228,469. Most of the expenses likely will be reimbursed with the state head tax on cruise passengers, officially known as the Cruise Passenger Excise Tax Fund.
The Assembly will also discuss the final placement for a yellow cedar bench in honor of the late civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich. At its last regular meeting, the assembly heard from a number of Sitkans hoping to expedite the “Benches and Birds” project, which seeks to install three benches in front of the Harrigan Centennial Hall, where a statue of Alexander Baranov once stood.
Read the full meeting agenda here
The Sitka Assembly meets tonight at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live at 6 p.m., following Alaska News Nightly.
