Sorted by date Results 851 - 875 of 1808
Senator is wrong To the Editor: Last fall the USFS held public meetings on the repeal of the Roadless Rule. The consensus was overwhelming public support in favor of the Roadless Rule as it now stands, from Alaskans who live, work and play here. Since the last 10 years the Roadless Rule was formalized for Alaska, many local guiding tours and a new a line of smaller, more personal cruise ships now rely on Roadless Rule lands, besides the mega ships that bring over a million passengers a year to...
The Petersburg Borough assembly voted in favor of directing Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht to move forward in the next four steps of the land swap between the borough and Petro 49, Inc. at an assembly meeting on Monday. A recent appraisal of the Petro 49, Inc. warehouse and vacant lots located at 703 S. Nordic Dr. valued the building and property at $365,000. Borough land at 902 S. Nordic Dr. and 100 Dock St. were valued at $285,000. If the borough were to engage in a land swap with Petro 49,...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly received a response from Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen after sending three letters requesting information about a possible review of the Tonka and Big Thorne Integrated Resource timber contracts. "I share your interest in a consistent, sustainable timber sale program on the Tongass National Forest that supports the local economy while adhering to strong policy, management and financial controls," wrote Christiansen in her letter to the assembly....
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance adopting the borough's fiscal year 2020 operating budget after making several amendments to it at an assembly meeting last week. The proposed budget was first presented to the assembly in mid-April. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it is balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is $4,396. The current 2019 fiscal year budget has a total of...
The borough assembly passed an online sales tax ordinance that adds language to the current tax code in its third reading at an assembly meeting last week. The borough's current tax code does not mention internet sales tax, nor does it forbid it. Ordinance #2019-02 will broaden the language in the current sales tax code to include internet venders not located in Petersburg or Alaska. Some online vendors, such as Amazon, have voluntarily been collecting and remitting online sales taxes on...
WRANGELL — Members of the Wrangell School District and the borough assembly came together for a joint workshop on the school district’s recently adopted budget. As Superintendent Debbe Lancaster said in the past, and repeated in Monday evening’s meeting, this was a “no fat” budget that was operating very close to the district’s bare minimum. The FY 2020 budget is assuming $6.34 million in revenue, and almost the same in expenses. In comparison, this is a decrease from the FY 2019 budget whic...
Assembly member Taylor Norheim requested a discussion item on Monday's borough assembly agenda that looked at privatizing the Petersburg Public Library. The wording of the discussion item was amended by Norheim at the start of the meeting to read as, "discussion of possible alternative funding for the public library." Norheim said that the wording of the discussion item was confusing to the public and changed the language to more accurately reflect his meaning. Although he clarified the wording...
The borough assembly amended and passed an ordinance in its first reading that would allow police officers to issue fines to individuals lighting off fireworks in service area one. If ordinance #2019-04 were to pass in all three readings, then residents could face a fine of up to $500 for lighting fireworks in service area one. The ordinance originally included language that allowed fireworks to be lit legally in service area one during three dates out of the year, July 4 and 5 and December 31,...
The bid for a new baler was awarded to Recycle Systems by the borough assembly at an assembly meeting on Monday for an amount not to exceed $535,327. The bid came in under the $600,000 that was allocated for a new borough baler by the assembly. All the bids that were placed came under the allocated $600,000, but public works director Chris Cotta recommended the bid be awarded to Recycle Systems. "The proposal offered by Recycle Systems was found to be outstanding in every regard, as well as...
The Public Safety Advisory Board supported filling the vacant EMS coordinator position and replacing two fire engines at their meeting last Friday. While the EMS coordinator position does exist, it has not been funded or filled in about six to eight years, according to Fire Marshal Ryan Welde. The position has an annual salary of $96,147. The EMT coordinator duties, include responding to calls and splitting the day-to-day duties with Welde and fire/EMS director Sandy Dixson. Additionally, an...
WRANGELL - The Wrangell Borough Assembly held an emergency meeting last Thursday night to adopt a "surplus property agreement" with the Nome Joint Utility System. The surplus property in question is a pair of diesel generators currently sitting in storage in Nome. Power has been a topic of concern around Wrangell, and amongst the assembly, thanks in part to the recent hydropower shortages at Tyee and Swan Lake. Wrangell currently has four diesel generators which it can use for power in the event...
A special meeting was held on April 17 by the borough assembly to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2020 Petersburg Borough budget before it goes before the assembly for its first reading on May 6. Finance director Jody Tow presented a slideshow detailing the general and enterprise funds for the proposed budget. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it's balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is...
At their monthly meeting on Thursday, the board of directors for the Petersburg Medical Center discussed the idea of holding their meetings in the borough assembly chambers to better receive the community. "It's more to do with community engagement," said PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter. "It just seems like a more centralized location." Hospital board meetings are currently held in the Dorothy Ingle Conference Room in PMC on the fourth Thursday of every month. If the monthly board meetings were to be...
The borough assembly approved a second follow-up letter at last week's assembly meeting regarding a letter sent to Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen in November requesting information about a possible review of the Tonka and Big Thorne Integrated Resource timber contracts. "It feels like we've been stonewalled for the last six months on that," said vice mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor at a borough assembly meeting on April 15. "Frankly, I want to put this issue to bed." The letter is the third...
Redirect $32 million to "legitimate" transportation need To the Editor: Only 15 seconds into my April 12, one minute public testimony for the state operating budget, my microphone was abruptly muted by finance committee co-chair Senator Stedman. His justification explained afterward was, "We are talking about the operating budget." If freeing up $32 million dollars to put toward genuine transportation needs is an invalid suggestion toward relieving our state's fiscal crisis, then Alaska resident...
SITKA, Alaska (AP) — A city government in Alaska has approved agreements allowing a regional health consortium to take over operation of its community hospital, officials said. The City and Borough of Sitka Assembly voted 5-2 Monday to approve asset purchase and facilities lease agreements so Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium can operate Sitka Community Hospital, The Daily Sitka Sentinel reported Tuesday. The consortium’s board will consider approval of the agreements April 26, with a likely June 30 closing date, the newspaper rep...
The borough assembly approved a resolution on Monday opposing Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed 2020 fiscal year budget that also lists the direct impacts of the budget to the borough. Resolution #2019-06 urges the governor and the Alaska Legislature to adopt a more balanced budget that only includes budget cuts that are backed up with an analysis of the cut's economic and social impacts to Alaska residents. According to the resolution, the proposed budget would do significant damage to the economie...
The borough's contract assessors gave the borough assembly, who were acting as the board of equalization, a review of the remaining unsettled property tax appeals between property owner Andrew Cowan and the assessor on April 9. Every four years, the borough's contract assessors cycle through different areas of the borough evaluating current building permits as needed. This year the assessors evaluated the canneries and properties near the borough's cemetery. The assessors received 81 appeals...
Mayor Mark Jensen, left, presents a Proclamation of Appreciation to retired fire chief Doug Welde for his dedication to the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department and Petersburg for over the past 50 years at Monday's borough assembly meeting....
During Monday's borough assembly meeting, assistant fire chief Dave Berg presented a petition to the assembly requesting that they fill the vacant emergency medical services coordinator position. The petition had over 25 signatures from members of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department. If the borough were to fill the vacant position, then the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department would have a designated person available to train EMS volunteers and free up Fire/EMS director Sandy Dixson's time...
Work began to clear land for Wrangell's new hospital last week. Kendall Nielsen, with Dawson Construction, said that they began cutting down trees on April 4, and will continue to clear and level land next to the AICS Clinic through the rest of the month. The land will be ready to pour the foundation by the second week of May, he added. The new hospital has been an ongoing project in Wrangell for several years. Construction of a new hospital was part of the deal made by the Southeast Alaska...
In its second reading on Monday, the borough assembly approved Ordinance #2019-02, which would create language in the borough's sales tax code regarding internet sales of goods and services. According to finance director Judy Tow, the borough's current tax code doesn't mention internet sales tax, nor does it forbid it. The ordinance would just broaden the language in the sales tax code to include internet vendors not located in Petersburg or Alaska. One member of the public spoke during a...
During Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting, residents gave testimony on the zoning of their property under the borough's new development code, which was passed by the borough assembly late last year, and allowing manufactured homes in residential areas. After hearing public testimony, the Planning Commission instructed borough staff to create a list of all the proposed changes to the development code to allow community members to see each of the amendments and provide further comment. At their...
WRANGELL — The Wrangell Port Commission met last Thursday, April 4, to discuss a plan to alter lease rates at the boat yard. According to Commission Member John Martin, lease rates at the boat yard cover a wide range, from eight cents per square foot to 28 cents per square foot. Under a new formula the commission is planning to use, several businesses at the boat yard will see their rates decrease, while others will see an increase. Martin said that they are trying to bring a sense of equilibrium and fairness to the lease rates. Greg M...
The borough assembly appointed the Public Safety Advisory Board to rewrite and craft an updated fireworks ordinance that includes fines and allows fireworks to be set off in service area one during certain dates and times each year. The current fireworks ordinance doesn't have the option to issue fines to residents violating the ordinance; as a result, the Petersburg Police Department has to file criminal charges of disorderly conduct instead. Police Chief Jim Kerr stated in a letter read by bor...
