TRUCK FIRE – Firefighters knock down a fire in a Ford Explorer truck in Arrowhead Trailer Park in the 1200 block of Sawmill Creek Road Saturday evening. One person received fire-related injuries and was taken to the hospital, Sitka Fire Department Chief Craig Warren said, and the truck was considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Warren said. The fire hall received the call about the fire at 5:33 p.m., and one fire engine with eight firefighters and an ambulance were dispatched, he said. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

State Sues EPA For Pebble Mine Decision
18 Mar 2024 14:29

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    The federal government owes Alaska more than $700 billion in comp [ ... ]

Bill Seeks Makeover In State Parole Board
18 Mar 2024 14:26

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    Sylvester Byrd Jr. served nearly three decades in prison for a [ ... ]

City League
18 Mar 2024 14:24

By Sentinel Staff
    Competing Sunday in a City League volleyball match, a short-handed Yellow Je [ ... ]

March 18, 2024, Community Happenings
18 Mar 2024 14:23

Heritage, Cultural
Tourism Event
Here this Week
The ninth annual Heritage and Cultural Tourism Conferen [ ... ]

March 18, 2024, Police Blotter
18 Mar 2024 14:19

Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 15
At 4:30 a.m. a fender bender invol [ ... ]

Sitka Officials Respond: Schools Facing Crisis
15 Mar 2024 14:47

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Rep. Rebecca Himschoot and School Board President Tri [ ... ]

Katlian Road Work Halted; $20M Needed
15 Mar 2024 14:46

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    With $20 million needed to complete the Katlian Bay r [ ... ]

Record Herring Run, Sac Roe GHL Forecast
15 Mar 2024 14:04

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    A historically high herring return is forecast for Sit [ ... ]

Dunleavy Names Judge For Sitka Superior Court
15 Mar 2024 14:03

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    After a year-long vacancy in the Sitka Superior Court  [ ... ]

Dunleavy Vetoes Hike In Education Funding
15 Mar 2024 14:00

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, following through on an ultimatum, vet [ ... ]

Bill Seeks to Lower Cost Of Diagnostic Breast Scre...
15 Mar 2024 13:59

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    For many of the women considered to be at high risk for breast ca [ ... ]

March 15, 2024, Community Happenings
15 Mar 2024 13:52

Climate Connection -- Cruise Tourism Choices
Citizen groups in many port cities have mobilized to pre [ ... ]

March 15, 2024, Police Blotter
15 Mar 2024 13:24

Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 14
An Austin Street resident said a c [ ... ]

Friday Dinner to Aid Cathedral, Homeless
14 Mar 2024 15:09

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Sitka Homeless Coalition and St. Michael’s Sist [ ... ]

Tourism Industry to Hold Conference Here
14 Mar 2024 15:08

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Sitka’s annual Heritage and Cultural Tourism Confere [ ... ]

House Bill: Child Porn Is Child Sexual Abuse
14 Mar 2024 13:26

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    Language matters, the House agreed on Wednesday, when it advan [ ... ]

Small Boost Forecast In State’s Oil Revenue
14 Mar 2024 13:25

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    A new state revenue forecast that includes modestly higher oil pr [ ... ]

March 14, 2024, Police Blotter
14 Mar 2024 12:15

Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 13
Vehicles left parked at Sealing Co [ ... ]

March 14, 2024, Community Happenings
14 Mar 2024 12:13

SFS, Coliseum
To Show 15 Shorts
The Sitka Film Society and Coliseum Theater will present the Oscar Sho [ ... ]

Sockeye Run Faces 50% Bag Limit Cut
13 Mar 2024 15:13

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Sitka Tribe of Alaska told the Assembly Tuesday that  [ ... ]

City May Take Over Blatchley Pool Operations
13 Mar 2024 14:45

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Among proposals presented to the Assembly Tuesday for [ ... ]

Sitkans to Share Tales of Wooden Boats
13 Mar 2024 14:18

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The public is invited to a discussion Thursday on the  [ ... ]

Commentary: Outer Coast College Has New Education ...
13 Mar 2024 14:16

By BRYDEN SWEENEY-TAYLOR
Outer Coast executive director
In 1986, two linguists, Ron and Suzie Scollon, [ ... ]

March 13, 2024, Community Happenings
13 Mar 2024 14:01

Vigil on Saturday
At Roundabout
Community members are invited to attend the weekly Voices for Peace vi [ ... ]

Other Articles

Daily Sitka Sentinel

Assembly Reverses Stand on CLT Funding

Newly elected Assembly members are sworn in Tuesday at Centennial Hall. Pictured are, from left, Steven Eisenbeisz, Ben Miyasato and Richard Wein. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Newly elected Assembly members Richard Wein and Ben Miyasato and incumbent Steven Eisenbeisz were sworn in at the regular City and Borough Assembly meeting Tuesday.
    The meeting was lengthened by intermittent problems with the sound system, a legal consultation in executive session, rigorous debate on two items, and a brief celebration to mark the transition from one Assembly to the next. The meeting ran past the three-hour mark, despite an action agenda with only a few items.
    Aaron Swanson and Tristan Guevin, whose terms were up, were honored with certificates from the city for their years of service on the Assembly. Swanson was elected in 2013, and appointed in 2016 to serve the final year of Matt Hunter’s term when Hunter was elected mayor. Guevin was elected in 2014.
    Before Guevin and Swanson stepped down and the others were sworn in, the Assembly certified the election results and approved the minutes. Guevin read a written statement from his new home in Baltimore, expressing the need for more “equity, inclusion and justice” in Sitka, and thanking volunteers and city staff he served with.
    There was a brief break, with cupcakes and punch.
    After the newly composed Assembly was seated, Mayor Matt Hunter went through a list of ground rules about decorum at the Assembly table, and told the new members how he planned to run the meeting. That includes report limits at 3 minutes, public comments at 3 minutes and Assembly comments during debate at 5. He said he planned to make sure all Assembly members have a chance to talk twice, and if he feels the debate is not advancing, he may call for it to be wrapped up.
    “If you disagree you can extend the debate,” he said. “I’m just one of seven.”
    In its first order of business, the Assembly narrowly rejected a request for city funds to help cover the cost of soil remediation at the old city shops property at 1306 HPR.
    The request came from the nonprofit Community Land Trust, which plans to build seven small affordable homes on that site.
    The city land was sold to the Community Land Trust for $1 with the understanding that the CLT would be responsible for cleaning up any soil contamination, a point that was made several times at the meeting.
    The motion to approve an agreement for payment of $47,267 to the trust for the soil remediation failed on a 3-4 vote. It was a turnaround from the Assembly’s 4-3 vote in favor of city financial support two weeks ago.
    Miyasato and Wein were voting on the issue for the first time, with Miyasato in favor and Wein against. But the swing vote was Hunter, who voted against.
    The funds would have come out of the city’s Southeast Alaska Economic Development Fund.
    “If we keep this money it will be available for future projects as well,” Hunter said. “I’m going to be the fourth ‘no’ vote on this.”
    He said he was basing his vote on the precedent it would set, and the fact that the project would still get done without city money. Estimates that were given at the meeting were that it would add between $30 to $50 more per month to the mortgage on the typical house to be built on the site.
    Besides Wein the other “no” votes came from Eisenbeisz and Aaron Bean. Voting in favor were Miyasato, Kevin Knox and Bob Potrzuski.
    In general, those voting no felt the homes would still be affordable. They also said the trust had accepted the responsibility for site cleanup when they signed the agreement.
    “It is my opinion that such a transfer of funds from the city represents a precedent that neither the City of Sitka nor this Assembly should allow,” Wein said. “This precedent overrides a prior contract agreement (or) ordinance and the spirit of the people’s referendum.”
    Bean said he feels the CLT and city should adhere to the original agreement, which he said called for the nonprofit to cover cleanup costs.
    “They knew it existed when they bought into the deal,” he said. He said he felt the $1 sale price was indication of the city’s support for the affordable housing project.
    The Assembly met in executive session for about a half hour to hear legal advice about the issue from City Attorney Brian Hanson.
    The members who spoke in favor of the project had their own reasons.
    In voting in favor, Knox said he felt the city had created the contamination, and had a responsibility to clean it up. For many years the land was the site of a diesel generating plant and the city shops.
    He said the $30 in additional monthly mortgage costs didn’t sound like a lot to some people, but it was to others, particularly those looking for affordable housing.
    Miyasato said he was following through with his support for the affordable housing project he expressed when he was last on the Assembly.
    “I was one of the sponsors and was included in the discussions between the Community Land Trust and city staff with this piece of property,” he said. “This is a reluctant ‘in favor’ of helping them out. ... I’m not going to walk away from my obligation.”
    Potrzuski said he was in support of the project, and that the increased mortgage costs were many times the increase of sewage rates.
    “If you truly believe you want to keep things affordable, and you balk at raising rates on things we have to have, that’s not being consistent,” he said. “Coming down to affordability, $40 is a huge dent to a lot of people.”
Liaison Assignments
    The Assembly spent some time working out liaison assignments. Assembly members sign up to attend committee, board and commissions, and provide updates to the Assembly.
    Eisenbeisz has been the hospital board liaison, and said would like to continue with that assignment, and Wein, who is a surgeon, said he would also like that position. Wein said he felt he his medical experience and hospital board work elsewhere would be of use in the position, and help the hospital at this crucial time.
    “We are at a point at Sitka Community Hospital where it needs knowledge to help guide the ship,” Wein said. With the review of the RFP for management of the hospital coming up, Wein said he felt he can “help direct and explain what’s going on.”
    Knox asked whether Wein would be an appropriate choice, given that Wein worked at SCH until his contract was not renewed by hospital administrator Rob Allen, who continues to hold that position. Wein said he bears no ill will over past incidents, and is a fierce advocate for the hospital.
    “The hospital is a gem,” Wein said. “I have the best interest of the hospital at heart.”
    The vote was 5-2 in favor of Eisenbeisz, with Knox, Hunter, Miyasato. Potrzuski and Eisenbeisz voting in favor. Wein and Bean voted for Wein. Bean said he felt Wein would bring needed expertise to the position.
    Wein will take the alternate liaison position and fill in when Eisenbeisz is unavailable.
    In the other appointments, and alternates:
    Gary Paxton Industrial Park Board, Potrzuski
    Health Needs and Community Services, Wein.
    Historic Preservation, Bean, Eisenbeisz
    SCH board, Eisenbeisz, Wein
    Investment, Miyasato, Bean
    Library, Hunter
    Local Emergency Planning, Potrzuski
    Parks and Recreation, Knox
    Planning, Knox, Bean
    Police and Fire, Miyasato, Eisenbeisz
    Port and Harbors, Bean, Hunter
    Tree and Landscape, Potrzuski
    Sitka Economic Development Association, Bean, Miyasato
    Sitka Tribe of Alaska tribal council, Knox, Bean
    Sitka School Board, Potrzuski, Miyasato.
 Other Business
In other business:
    – under persons to be heard at the beginning and end of the meeting, Library Board member Darryl Rehkopf passed on the board’s thanks to staff and in particular interim Library Director Maite Lorente for her work over the summer at the library until the arrival of the new library director; Bahá’í faith member Tammy Judd Jenny talked about the upcoming celebration in the B’hai community; Kendall Folkert talked about his work maintaining the Halibut Point Recreation Area and asked for Assembly support for him to continue; and Charles Bingham reminded the community about the Sitka Health Summit, taking place today through Friday. Local merchant Shirley Robards asked about the amount of money the city spends at Amazon.com.
    “I would like to know about it,” Robards said.
    Under the Sitka Tribe of Alaska report, Tribal Council Chairman KathyHope Erickson said the Canoe Dedication Ceremony will be 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the UAS and MEHS ramp, with a reception at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi.

   


   

 

You have no rights to post comments

Login Form

 

20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Businesses using the Centennial Hall parking lot testified Tuesday against a proposal to charge them rent in addition to the $200 annual permit fee. City Administrator Hugh Bevan made the proposal in response to the Assembly’s direction to Centennial Hall manager Don Kluting to try to close the $340,000 gap between building revenues and operational costs.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Alaska Native Brotherhood Grand President William S. Paul Sr. will be special guest and speaker at the local ANB, Alaska Native Sisterhood Founders Day program Monday at the ANB Hall.

Calendar

Local Events

Instagram

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Instagram!

Facebook

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Facebook!