Kris Chinalski
Age: 60
How many years have you lived in Sitka and in Alaska? 16 years
Occupation: Bakery business owner
Family:
I have been married to Adam Chinalski for 34 years this August. We have 2 children, 1 son in law, and 1 grandchild here in Sitka. I also have 2 siblings and extended family that all live in Sitka.
My family first came to Alaska in 1913. My dad’s family arrived in Sitka in the late 1930’s with the fishing fleet.
Community involvement, past and present:
My husband and I own 2 businesses here in Sitka, Grandma Tillies Bakery and Chinalski Home Repair. We are active in our church and spend a lot of our time and resources fixing up derelict and abandoned houses in Sitka. We renovate and make them into family homes. A large portion of the materials we use are recycled and kept out of the landfill.
Have you previously run for public office? When and what office?
No, I have not
Previous government or other relevant experience:
N/A
Why are you running for a seat on the Sitka Assembly this year?
I have the extra time now to put the effort into serving on the assembly. I have experience running successful businesses and I bring fiscal responsibility and common sense to the table.
What are your top two priorities if elected?
Ballot Prop 1:
Do you support Ballot Prop 1, which would establish a consumer sales tax on cannabis and cannabis products, and would direct that money to the Sitka School District’s Student Activities Fund? Why or why not?
I do not support this proposition, as it sets an unhealthy precedent by tying vice to virtue. Since there is no delineation between medicinal and recreational marijuana use, tying it to the schools normalizes it for the kids.
If the cannabis measure does not pass, are there next steps the assembly should take to bolster funding for student activities?
Ballot Prop 2:
Do you support Ballot Prop 2, which would withdraw up to $8.1 million in proceeds from the sale of the Sitka Community Hospital building from Sitka’s Permanent Fund, to pay for a marine haulout? Why or why not?
I do support this proposition because there is an urgent need for a haulout in Sitka. I personally believe it is critical infrastructure and would keep local boats and city tax here. Recently there was $7.8 million allotted for the Seawall, would this amount also be allotted for a haulout?
If the measure to fund the haulout is not approved by the voters, what steps– if any– should the assembly take to get a haulout built in Sitka?
We need to classify what is critical infrastructure and how it is funded in order to find a solution. I would prefer to see private enterprise build and operate the haulout. Hoonah had a haulout built, perhaps contact with their city manager would be beneficial in answering questions concerning funding and future maintenance costs.
STRs and Housing:
Earlier this year, the Sitka Assembly rejected a measure that would have put a moratorium on new short-term rental permits for one year. Do you support that decision? Why or why not? What should the assembly do to address housing shortages and affordability in Sitka?
I do not support government interfering with the short term rental marketplace, as it will correct itself over time.
One of the solutions I see is to reduce the minimum size of buildable lots. I believe the minimum square footage at this time is 6,000 sq ft-if it was half that there would be a place for 2 tiny homes where currently there is a lot for only one tiny home. And when I say tiny, I am referring to a maximum of 400 sq ft home, which by Sitka standards is approx the size of a one bedroom apartment.
The city of Sitka owns a considerable amount of real estate on Baranof Island. There is no revenue collected from that land sitting empty. I would like to see some land put on the open market to any interested buyer so that a home can be built. That land would then be collecting property tax.
Energy and Infrastructure:
Sitka is carrying roughly $118 million in debt for the Blue Lake Dam expansion. But at the current rate of growth, including the expansion of Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center on Japonski Island, its estimated that the city could reach the limit of its hydroelectric capacity in 10 years. What steps should the assembly take to make sure Sitka has sufficient energy infrastructure, while managing the city’s debt?
Did the feasibility studies done before the hospital expansion was approved include the future electricity burden it would place on the city and residents of Sitka? Will SEARHC share that burden by paying for a portion of expansion of the dam in future? With all the talk about sustainability, do SEARHC, the City of Sitka, the seafood plants and Coast Guard Base have plans to use wind or solar power to offset the large amount of electricity they consume?
My family visits a small town of 3,000 people in SW Washington and they use a high tech incinerator to burn waste material and this produces energy that is used in the city. What are the annual costs to ship Sitka’s waste out to another state? What if it stayed here and was incinerated and created electricity we can use where it is needed most?
Tourism:
This year brought an unprecedented number of cruise passengers to Sitka. In anticipation of the record-breaking year, the assembly directed the planning commission to draft a short-term tourism plan months before the first ships docked this summer. Some of the most visible responses from the city include the closure of Lincoln Street on high traffic days, and installation of temporary bathrooms (Link to the full plan here). What steps should the assembly take next to address the influx of tourism into the future?
I would like to see Lincoln closed at the church next year rather than the whole street so that the locals can park and continue to use downtown during the summer. I would also like to see an official plan for the portion of the street that will be closed to accommodate small businesses that wish to set up and sell for the day.
The Sitka local marketplace was a great idea this year, but the times that I went down to that were very difficult because of the miserable traffic, the inability to find parking anywhere, the buses choking out black fumes, long lines of people waiting and the Centennial Hall crowded with people everywhere. There definitely were not enough taxis running daily to meet the needs of the tourists-is it time to bring in Uber?
I do wonder if Sitka has now exceeded the number of tourists we can handle without compromising the quality of their visit and the quality of local life here.
Policy:
Is there an issue or proposal you want to bring to the table that the assembly hasn’t yet considered?
I would like to see food security addressed. There are several excellent food growers in Sitka, also one out on Middle Island that have set a good example showing the amount of food that can be grown here. Juneau Greens is an amazing family-run hydroponic grower in Juneau that supplies not only the population, but also some of the restaurants.
I have spoken with long time residents that say there used to be food grown over in the area of the cemetery on SMC, with orchards and greenhouses. Can that be revisited?
I also would like to see a wholesome, indoor entertainment venue built. Sitka is lacking a place to get out of the weather and extended darkness during the fall/winter season. Some of the possibilities are a bowling alley, mini putt putt golf or a skating rink.
Listen to our initial interview with Kris Chinalski here
