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The Friends of the Library will begin holding monthly used book sales at the Public Library beginning Jan. 3. The mini book sales will be held the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will provide readers with more opportunities to purchase used books throughout the year, while also offering more opportunities for folks to donate salable books year-round. Sue Paulsen, the event’s organizer, said that the monthly sale will be in addition to, rather than in replacement of, the popular annual two-day used book sale organized by...
The U.S. Forest Service will soon be accepting comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Kake-Petersburg Intertie, a proposed electrical transmission line that would connect Kake to a SEAPA substation in Petersburg. The proposed project would bring cheaper power to Kake whose 550 residents are currently using costly diesel to power their homes and businesses. "In 2011, the full retail cost of power in Kake was 62 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), more than five times the... Full story
Though 97 percent of respondents said they are satisfied with Petersburg’s commingled recycling program, Public Works staff have also been alerted to possible improvements – including a switch to a cart-based program and bringing collection in house – after reviewing the results of a community survey that wrapped up last month about the program. At Monday’s Assembly meeting, Public Works Director Karl Hagerman presented the results of the survey, which was intended to help the department assess community satisfaction, cost effecti... Full story
Borough Assembly members moved speedily through the agenda at Monday’s regular meeting, approving a resolution to dedicate $950,730 of Property Development fund money to the Municipal Building renovation project. At the last meeting, Assembly members approved moving the monies – which are the surplus from the 2014 fiscal year’s General Fund – into the Property Development fund, so the Borough can have more financial options for funding local projects in anticipation of receiving fewer State funds this year. The renovation is the top priority on...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report to the Assembly at Monday’s regular meeting: Power and Light is proposing the addition of a new capital project to add a high voltage switch immediately upstream of PFI. This will improve reliability and aid in power restoration after an outage. The project would include replacement of the overhead primary metering installation which is very close to school property. The Harbor Security/Fire Vessel electrical upgrade was successful bid out to Bear Electric Inc., which came in as the app...
The borough assembly is listening. Let them know if they should participate in the purchase of land at Papke’s Landing. Some feel the Assembly should walk away from the property purchase. Too many adjacent landowners could make development of the property dicey. Yet others say, yes. The purchase of upland lots will allow for additional parking for users of the launch ramp and dock. One couple wrote that Papke’s is a link to Mitkof Island for many Kupreanof Island residents. Given the relatively strong financial standing of the borough gov...
The Assembly speedily approved two housekeeping matters at Monday’s regular meeting in addition to approving funds to ship a crane off for repairs after failing a recent OSHA inspection. Some $60,000 was allocated for the repairs to the small crane on the Crane Dock, which will be performed by Maximum Performance Hydraulics (MPH) in Seattle. The initial estimate from MPH was $25-30,000, though Harbormaster Glo Wollen said the estimate is based on pictures and information sent to the company, and a final estimate won’t be available until the...
December 3 An officer responded to the scene of a disabled vehicle that broke down on Mitkof Highway and was a hazard to traffic. The vehicle was moved off the road and its owner was working on moving it. A caller reported dangerous driving. Police received a report of an abandoned vehicle. A caller spoke with police about a civil matter. On a traffic stop, an officer issued a verbal warning for inoperable taillights and no visible license plate. December 4 Police received a report of a parking violation from DOT. A caller reported a...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report to the Assembly at Monday’s regular meeting: Breakfast with Santa is Sat., Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. for the whole family. The Aquatic Center will be closed from Dec. 14-21 for its annual cleaning. The pools will be drained, the tiles cleaned and the upstairs waxed and buffed. There will still be fitness equipment available downstairs and staff will be bringing some of the equipment down to make sure there’s still enough for use during high traffic times. Public Works is still planning on com...
November 25 Following a call to police, Petula A. Ohmer, 49, was charged with Driving Under Influence. A deceased cat near the roadway was reported by two callers. An officer patrolled an area after receiving a noise complaint. The officer did not identify any noise in the area. November 26 A caller spoke with an officer concerning a custody matter. Police received a report of religious pamphlets on the roadway along Sandy Beach Road. A welfare check was requested by a caller. An officer stood by a disabled vehicle until it was moved from the...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report to the Assembly at Monday's regular meeting: The library landscaping request for proposals is planned for mid-December through January. The North Harbor project letter of completion was received on Oct. 29 and a final payment was made. Last week the abutment was poured and Tamico is currently securing the last girders on the Drive Down Facility Approach Dock. Rock-N-Road Construction has trenched the uplands and is working with...
November 12 An officer responded to a report of a hit deer. The deer was salvaged. A caller reported truancy. Police issued a citation to Troy J. Rogers, 30, for speeding, 40/25 on Haugen Drive. A caller reported a hit and run. A warning was issued to a driver for inoperable lights. Police escorted the driver home and the vehicle is to be parked until fixed. A caller spoke with an officer about assault. Police notified the Department of Transportation about slick road conditions. A caller reported harassment. November 13 An officer responded to...
Petersburg Indian Association recapped nearly a decade of work on roads and trails across Mitkof Island at the Nov. 3 assembly meeting, with Transportation Director Susan Harai presenting a video detailing the tribe’s works. Since 2006, PIA has received more than $10.2 million for the tribal transportation program, working along a master guideline scoped 20 years ahead and more specifically revised for the next five in a Tribal Transportation Improvement Plan. Money is granted through federal transportation allocations divided amongst the t...
Borough Manager Steve Geisbrecht presented the following report to the assembly at Monday’s regular meeting: Medicaid recertification for the Mountain View Manor is approved. We’re good for two more years. Final touches are being put on the ten recently installed windows at Elderly Housing. Liz Cabrera met with Bob Weinstein from Senator Begich’s office on federal issues of interest and arranged for a tour of the Police Department. There was some progress on the dismantling of the Ellingstad/Triem house at 1011 Wrangell Avenue. The roof and a...
City Creek trail will be getting a significant facelift over the building season of 2015, and perhaps on into the next few years, in an effort to make the increasingly popular coastal rainforest sojourn more accessible to residents and visitors of all ages and fitness ― at least on the first leg. The project, funded by a $60,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service grant the borough accepted at its last assembly meeting, won't actually go very far in terms of miles. All told, the p... Full story
Borough residents will have to look elsewhere for school happenings and movie times than the usual spot along Haugen Drive, as, come the construction season of 2015, a large electronic sign advertising events will be relocated about a block away. Rick Dormer, principal of Petersburg High School, said the school and state had something of an understanding on the billboard when it was first installed. "They have a letter saying it's O.K. putting the sign there and using that land," Dormer said,...
Petersburg Assembly members voted, with a few caveats, to express their support to the state for a new ferry service to land in the borough. Despite earlier alternatives offered, the North End Ferry Authority (NEFA) had circled back to Banana Point, submitting a letter requesting the borough’s support of the location to get the project on track to begin carrying passengers in May of 2015. The letter, signed by NEFA Manager Kent Miller, included copies of its land use permits applications to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the p... Full story
Assembly approves PILT payoff, other business by Erik LeDuc The aftereffects of Petersburg incorporating as a borough continue to shake out, with the neighboring City of Kupreanof catching peripheral issues. “Because of the formation of the Borough of Petersburg, the City of Kupreanof no longer receives (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) funding,” Mayor Mark Jensen said. “The city has asked the borough to distribute the equivalent of what they would have received in PILT funds had the borough not been formed.” While no assembly member contest...
When he first took a job with the City of Petersburg, now Petersburg Borough, Leo Luczak didn’t expect to be with it long enough to retire from it. “It was supposed to be full time, temporary for three to four months, and it’s been 28 years,’’ he said. Starting as building inspector, Luczak was quickly fitted for new hats, gaining the titles and duties of Community Development director and supervising a building maintenance crew. The new roles came with new learning curves as well, throwing him headlong into bureaucratic waters he had only... Full story
Petersburg Public Library just finished the grant phase of a project to digitally preserve local Tlingit and borough history, according to Taralee Alcock, Library Director. The grant, obtained from the Institute for Museum and Library services and administered by the Alaska State Library, was for $16,940, which gave the library a "foot in the door'' to begin adding the wealth of local history available to a much greater electronic catalogue than is available at home. "We added 200 photographs...
A Kake-Petersburg Intertie (KPI) project update was given during this week's Southeast Conference held in Wrangell. The KPI includes a proposed electrical transmission line that would connect Kake to a SEAPA (Southeast Alaska Power Agency) substation in Petersburg. Kake, a community of just over 550 people, is situated on the northwest coast of Kupreanof Island and is working to find cheaper alternatives to costly diesel, which provides the bulk of their power currently. “The Kake-Petersburg Intertie would transmit power at either 69 or 130 kil... Full story
The 7th annual Rainforest Festival kicks off next week. There are many highlights this year including a portable planetarium for viewing a projection of the night sky indoors and the first ever Rain Forest Run half marathon. The Rain Forest Run half marathon, a 13.1 mile run or walk, will be the first event of the festival. The run will be held on Labor Day, Sept.1, on a course beginning at central Mitkof Island and ending at Sandy Beach Park. "The event was organized by local runners eager for... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly met Monday evening and approved several ordinances and motions. The assembly unanimously approved on the third and final reading the ordinance to increase and restructure electric rates. Mayor Mark Jensen was not present at the first two readings of the ordinance and asked Power and Light Superintendent Joe Nelson to clarify whether the rate increase sought to cover depreciation, build reserves or keep the department balanced. Nelson said the money from the increased rate will be used to cover some of the...
