Sorted by date Results 501 - 525 of 717
July 15 A caller reported an individual passing at 50 miles per hour in the Hungry Point area. A suspicious substance was reported by a caller. Public Works staff requested that abandoned vehicles on Lumber Street be impounded. An officer patrolled Fram St. after receiving a report of individuals walking with open containers. July 16 An officer observed a fight in progress. Dieon Sanders, 19, was issued a citation for Minor in Possession by Consumption. A caller discussed a civil issue with an officer. An individual reported a vehicle that was...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s Assembly meeting: - An extreme low tide did damage Sunday morning at the launch ramp float when a random chunk of piling floated in and lodged itself under one of the float sections and punched through the styro billets and deck covering boards. Staff was able to pull it free and patch the hole. Tamico will order extra covering sheets in conjunction with the new fish cleaning station to allow Harbor maintenance to get things back in order. - Harai and Associates will t...
June 10, 1915 – At an adjourned meeting of the council Thursday evening it was decided to send a delegate to Juneau to take up the matter of the building of the Petersburg – Scow Bay board walk with J.C. Hayes, superintendent of construction of the road commission of Alaska. A delegation from Scow Bay was present and acted with the council in the matter. S. L. Hogue was selected as the delegate. Resolutions on the subject passed by the Scow Bay school board will also be presented to Mr. Hayes. June 12, 1940 – Three salmon canneries are runni...
Though three Assembly members were absent for Monday’s meeting, but the quorum present—Cindi Lagoudakis, Nancy Strand, Jeigh Stanton Gregor and Bob Lynn— swiftly approved the following: - An ordinance adjusting the fiscal year 2016 budget for known changes for several departments was approved on first reading. Many of the expenses had been previously approved by the Assembly for the FY2015 budget, but the funds were not spent before the fiscal year’s end. Those projects include $20,533 for public safety radios for the Police Departm...
In the works for awhile, Rainforest Islands Ferry Service has been delayed yet again. The ferry was set to sail June 14, then postponed to June 28. “We were so close” to that start, spokeswoman Heather Hedges said, but work at the shipyard was delayed. The 65-foot landing craft made its way up to Ketchikan from Anacortes, Wash. on Monday and sea trials have just begun with another U.S. Coast Guard inspection scheduled. The first delay was due to a wait on USCG certification. “As long as everything goes smoothly,” Hedges said, service is expe... Full story
The Petersburg Public Library just got a whole lot bigger. Not physically, but it has extended its electronic catalogue through the Joint Library Catalogue (JLC). “It’s a consortium of libraries across the state, so we actually have over 1.7 million titles Petersburg patrons can choose from,” said Chris Weiss, library technician. Residents with library cards can use them to reserve an item in any library that’s a part of the consortium, including those in cities such as Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage. Items include books, DVDs and music. “Everyt... Full story
Two borough committees are searching for new members while another is welcoming one. The Borough Assembly approved Dr. Monica Gross as the Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors’ newest member during its meeting Monday evening. She’s filling a vacancy left behind by Steven Samuelson, who resigned in April. Samuelson had served on the board since February 2014 and tendered his resignation because he wouldn’t be in town for meetings. During a hospital board meeting last month, Medical Records Director Janet Kvernvik clarified that Gross...
It's a frustrating plant when out fishing, but the prickly devil's club won Petersburg's Sunny Rice second in a statewide Salmon Haiku Contest. Sponsored by The Salmon Project, a group focused on exploring the deep relationship Alaskans have with wild salmon, the second annual Salmon Haiku Contest ran from May 1 to May 15 and encouraged participants to express their understanding of salmon habitat through poetry. This year, over 1,000 entries submitted across Alaska were judged, said Emily...
A one handed clap best describes the reaction to the 43,000 signature drop off by anti-salmon setnet advocates at the Division of Elections last week. It means enough signatures were gathered to include the question on the 2016 primary election ballot, and let Alaska voters decide whether to ban setnets at Cook Inlet, Mat-Su, Anchorage, Juneau, Valdez, Ketchikan, and any communities designated as “urban” and “non-subsistence” in the future. The ban is being pushed one-handed by the Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance (AFCA), whose board o...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s assembly meeting: The Middle Harbor waterline is back on. Crew from Rock N Road assisted the Harbor maintenance crew over the last week as the line was lengthened and laid completely outside of the problem area. EMS Marine Survey performed a condition survey on the Homeland Security boat as required by insurance every third year. All looked fine and no maintenance exceptions were noted. The Drive Down Facility is busy with 157 annual permits sold thus far. Mark Morris c...
WRANGELL - The next steps have been taken on an agreement between the University of Alaska Southeast and Wrangell Public School District, with the establishment of an office for the university's technical preparation program. The tech prep program is offered for college credit through the university, and courses are taught by approved instructors using UAS syllabi. Enrolled students earn high school credits needed for graduation as well, and school superintendent Patrick Mayer explained the...
State Department of Environmental Conservation results are in, and there don’t appear to be any issues with water quality after an accidental spill of waste at the borough’s landfill in late March. The borough’s Wastewater Utility transports and buries piles of solid waste at the landfill about once a week. While digging a hole with an excavator, Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said, sludge sitting to the side to be buried slid down a hill to a stream that runs to the Sandy Beach Park area. Mike Solter with DEC’s Division of Water said th...
A short-lived farm property tax exemption proposal died during an assembly meeting Monday afternoon. Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor had been contacted by residents on the possibility of the exemption earlier this year and asked in January if he could work with staff to develop an ordinance for future consideration. On Monday he said he liked “the idea of promoting agriculture in Southeast” because it’s challenging, but added that he could no longer support the ordinance knowing the exemption would also apply to marijuana grow opera...
As part of his bi-monthly report to the Assembly, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave updates on the road construction projects happening around town. SECON and Rock N Road are making slow but steady progress on gravity sewer work on Sing Lee Alley. Giesbrecht said it is "one of the deepest and most complicated sections of underground work on the project." SECON has also started work on the sidewalks, curbs and gutters on Haugen Drive. Giesbrecht reminded the public to drive slowly through...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s Assembly meeting: -On May 12, the Harbor Department had their annual surprise visit from the US Coast Guard Homeland Security unit to review the Borough’s Harbor Homeland Security Plan. They passed with no deficiencies. On May 26, Eddy Tagaban and Officer Jim Kerr attended the annual meeting in Wrangell with the Captain of the Port to discuss homeland security and other Coast Guard issues. -Public Works waited until after Memorial Day to begin work on the Columbarium foundat...
One of Petersburg's biggest construction projects is nearing its end as the other's just beginning. Work on the $8.6 million Haugen-Nordic road project started last week while nearly $3 million worth of runway resurfacing at the Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport is expected to wrap up by the end of next month, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Jeremy Woodrow said. Utility work at the end of Sing Lee Alley, on the south side of Rasmus Enge Bridge, got Phase One... Full story
The Assembly unanimously passed, on second reading, an ordinance that would create a special revenue fund to house Transient Room Tax (TRT) revenues. Those funds currently go into the General Fund, and Finance Director Jody Tow said moving them to a special fund will increase transparency during future budget decisions. Passing the ordinance will also result in the dissolution of the TRT committee and grant process they once oversaw. Assembly Member and Chamber of Commerce Director Cindi Lagoudakis said the Chamber board explained, “the T...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s Assembly meeting: Community Development and Finance staff are working to streamline the process of issuing building permits and other land use permits. With both departments in the same building, we need a new procedure for customers to help make the process easier. Community Development staff have also begun the process, with the attorney, to develop procedures and new documentation (letters, notices) for use with the new nuisance ordinance. Fire/EMS Director Sandy D...
How much are fishermen affected by long term health problems like hearing loss, lack of sleep and high blood pressure? A pilot study aims to find out and researchers are using the 500-plus members of the Copper River salmon driftnet fleet as test subjects. “The Copper River fishing season lasts five months and most of the fleet is very digitally connected so it seemed a great fit,” said Torie Baker, a Sea Grant Marine Advisory Agent in Cordova. Baker is the point person for the project being done by the School of Public Health at the Uni...
A petition to retain the blue bags as part of the Borough’s curbside recycling program has been withdrawn by its sponsor Angela Davis and 13 co-sponsors, bringing to an end a several months long debate about the future of recycling collection in Petersburg. Davis submitted the withdraw in a letter to the Borough dated April 23. In it she wrote, “In light of the approval of resolution #2015-09…I do not feel that it is in the best interest of the community to have increased garbage rates and to have two competing recycling programs.” The resolut... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Public Works Department has met a 48 hour nuisance abatement order issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for a spillage of waste, but an investigation continues. The Wastewater Utility transports and buries piles of solid waste at the borough's landfill about once a week. Last week, while digging a hole with an excavator, Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said, sludge sitting to the side to be buried slid down a hill to a stream that runs to the... Full story
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s regular Assembly meeting: • PFI manager Patrick Wilson has been chosen as the Grand Marshal for the 4th of July festivities. This year’s theme is “Freedom, FROZEN in time.” • Public Works staff helped expand the running track at the school. While not a full-distance track, it will be better for the kids to have some straightaways to practice on. • Crews will take advantage of dry weather to paint crosswalks and curbs downtown in the coming days before Mayfest. • Public Works...
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Water has issued a nuisance abatement order giving the Petersburg Borough Public Works Department 48 hours to clean up a spillage of waste. The Wastewater Utility transports and buries piles of solid waste at the borough’s landfill. This week, while digging a hole with an excavator, Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said, sludge sitting to the side to be buried slid down a hill to a creek that runs to the Sandy Beach Park a...
Petersburg residents will get to choose whether to haul their recyclables to the curb in a cart or a blue bag, following the Assembly’s approval of a resolution Monday night that provides for the dual program. The new program is aimed at maximizing recycling participants, some of whom favor the continuation of the blue bag program and others who’d like to see a move to a cart-based system. The resolution that passed on a 5-1 vote includes all the elements of the initiative petition submitted by Angela and Wes Davis and certified as suf... Full story
