Scott Kevin Saline
Age: 67
How many years have you lived in Sitka and in Alaska? 44 years
Occupation: Fish cook — refrigeration service w/4 tons ice making capacity
Family: Sadie Jane- Student at Sitka High, team member on state softball champions- soon to be state volleyball champions
Makai Saline- transitioning from global collapse of seafood to diesel mechanic + equipment operator
Zamor Saline- also transitioning from fishing to construction with K&E
Have you previously run for public office? When and what office?
Yes, last muni election to 1 year term on a**holes.
Previous government or other relevant experience:
2 years on Sitka Collaboration lead by Island Institute (2003-2005)
7 years on historical preservation commission
3 years 42 days on USS Queenfish SSN 651
Community involvement, past and present:
Involved in historical awareness of city staff causing today’s current lack of generational infrastructure upkeep in Sitka’s village neighborhood
Why are you running for a seat on the Sitka Assembly this year?
1.) Get Katlian Street back to its intent to provide safe use of sidewalk
2.) Get Lincoln Street open
3.) Get passenger vessel funds to benifit Sitka residents
4.) Get city to hire a refrigeration tech to service city wide equipment to utilize labor savings to allow seniors to swim free at Blatchley
What are your top priorities if elected?
1.) Inspect penstock-cycle howell bunger valve
2.) Broadcast how Electrical Department as an enterprise fund destroys equity in infrastructure
3.) Restore Katlian and Kogwonton and Kirkman Way to a safe, viable neighborhood
Tourism
Do you support a cap on cruise visitation? Why or why not?
No- Get Lincoln Street open and restore normal ebb + flow for residents. Venues are at capacity + industry knows disembarking clients not satisfied with excessive crowds.
One of the assembly’s tasks is to draft a “Memorandum of Understanding,” or an MOU with the cruise industry, which could mean either the local dock operator or the cruise lines. Who should the city make an MOU with and what should be included in that MOU, in your opinion?
State leased tidelands to cruz dock to provide access to state road @HPR
MOU to state w/contract review through Attorney General
As an assembly member, would you support directing the municipal attorney to help draft a citizen initiative limiting cruise tourism? Why or why not?
Sitka code is unique and deliberate in this clause if people vote it so then city attorney can write the words Sitka will defend in court as the state leased tide (and to bring cruz (love) boats en mass.
Education
Do you support funding the Sitka School District to the maximum allowed by state law (a.k.a. the “cap”)? Why or why not?
Yes. Anything to help future decision makers deal w/ previous generation’s decisions.
The assembly has taken extra steps to bolster its support for Sitka’s schools, taking over maintenance of school buildings, taking on management of the Blatchley Pool, and funding a contract for management of the Performing Arts Center. Do you agree with these decisions? What further measures would you take as an assembly member to support the Sitka School District, if any?
Paramount to city success in this endeavor is to aquire refrigeration skills in city job skill inventory. Heat pumps- ReachIn’s – WalkIn’s and Blatchley Pool dehumidifier and future city equipment…As city owns it all, no requiremnet to have a administrator license to work on any job over 10K $in valve– these labor and service savings could then allow seniors to swim free @ Blatchley
-Huge for fixed income pensioners or just broke folks
Housing
Do you see a need for further regulatory measures to ease Sitka’s housing crisis, such as limiting short-term rentals? What tangible actions can the assembly take to relieve some of Sitka’s housing stress?
Home Rule changs would allow construction similar to the “missing middle” efforts in Minnesota to get people housed– awareness that Sitka has 13 lending institutions and housing criteria developed in early 80’s was set from Alaska Lumber and Pulp’s lowest wage paid in 1982, was $17.43 per hour.
Haulout
Sitka will open a city-owned marine haulout in 2025, but developing a full-fledged boatyard will take considerably more time and money. Should the assembly continue to appropriate resources to this as a public project?
Sell the 7 million dollar barge city bought that has mission creep away from fishing industry to love boat venues
Labor
The city is struggling to fill a number of vacant staff positions. What can the assembly do to support filling these positions?
Use sales tax from 700K tourists to adjust lo pay standards to get over the sacrifice of no housing options + highest groceries just to live in Sitka
Budget
Revenue growth in the city’s general fund has outpaced Sitka’s other enterprise funds due, in part, to tourism growth. Do you have thoughts on directing the rapid growth of sales tax revenue into projects outside of Sitka’s general fund, like harbors, water or the electric department?
Harbors – awareness that city staff not observing bucking piles to point of refusal is the cause of Eliason Harbor failing
Water- Sitka’s drinking water comes from a superfund site and that increased turbidity leeches dioxin up from sediment
Elec- Becoming a enterprise fund eliminated- annual budget for feeder lines and neighborhood infrastructure upgrades– look at rusty transformer across from LFS or Observatory Street
