LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which  distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

State's Transportation Plan Gets Federal OK
28 Mar 2024 15:06

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    Federal officials on Wednesday approved most of Alaska’s four-y [ ... ]

New Funding Plan Ahead for Visit Sitka?
28 Mar 2024 15:02

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    At an hour-long work session with the Assembly Tuesda [ ... ]

Sitka 'Frankenstein' Puts Classic Tale in New Ligh...
28 Mar 2024 15:01

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    The story behind a classic, though often misunderstoo [ ... ]

State May Los Millions Over Ed Dept. Missteps
28 Mar 2024 14:59

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    The state government risks losing millions of dollars in feder [ ... ]

Gov Signs Bill On Internet In State Schools
28 Mar 2024 14:57

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday signed a bill that promise [ ... ]

Capitol Christmas Tree to Come from Tongass
28 Mar 2024 14:56

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, known for its steep mountains [ ... ]

City League Games Thursday
28 Mar 2024 14:52

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing Wednesday in competitive division City League volleyball matches, Ca [ ... ]

March 28, 2024, Police Blotter
28 Mar 2024 14:50

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 27
At 2:36 p.m. a dead  [ ... ]

March 28, 2024, Community Happenings
28 Mar 2024 14:48

This Week in Girls on the Run By Sitkans Against Family Violence
and The Pathways Coalition
During th [ ... ]

New RFP Sought For Managing PAC
27 Mar 2024 14:48

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]

Seiners Get Second Day with 2 Areas to Fish
27 Mar 2024 14:46

By Sentinel Staff
    The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]

Braves Take Second in Last Minute Upset
27 Mar 2024 12:41

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]

Tuesday City League Volleyball
27 Mar 2024 12:39

By Sentinel Staff
    The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]

Kodiak Alutiiq Museum Getting New Attention
27 Mar 2024 12:37

By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
    A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]

House Hearing on Inmate Deaths Halted
27 Mar 2024 12:35

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in  [ ... ]

Nominee to Bering Sea Council: Not a Trawler
27 Mar 2024 12:34

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Police Blotter
27 Mar 2024 12:26

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Community Happenings
27 Mar 2024 12:25

Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]

Reassessments Raise Tax Bills for Sitkans
26 Mar 2024 15:22

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]

Two Areas Opened in Herring Fishery Today
26 Mar 2024 15:21

By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]

Lady Wolves Rally to Take Fourth at State
26 Mar 2024 15:16

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]

Edgecumbe Girls Close Out Season Up North
26 Mar 2024 14:58

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
    Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]

City League Monday
26 Mar 2024 14:55

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]

House Votes to Broaden Rules For Review Panel Memb...
26 Mar 2024 14:52

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday  [ ... ]

Other Articles

Daily Sitka Sentinel

Cruise Ships Money On Assembly Agenda

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    How will the recent ruling in the cruise ship industry lawsuit against Juneau affect how Sitka spends its commercial passenger excise tax proceeds?
    That’s one of the items up for discussion at tonight’s regular Assembly meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall. The Assembly also has a work session on city financials starting at 5 p.m.
    A copy of the ruling is in the Assembly packet, in which the judge declared that funds may not be spent on services for passengers, “if those services do not also benefit the vessel.”
    Juneau bases its per-passenger cruise ship fees on its own local ordinance. Sitka receives its revenues from a statewide tax shared by port communities that do not have a tax of their own.
    Sitka’s proceeds generally have been spent on items to improve access, transportation and safety of passengers, including the sea walk and crosswalks at Centennial Hall and to Sitka National Historical Park. The ruling is causing city staff to reconsider Sitka’s plans for spending the funds.
    Also on tonight’s agenda is a discussion and possible direction on waiving late fees levied on utility bills for federal workers affected by the partial government shutdown.
    Assembly members Kevin Mosher and Aaron Bean, who made the proposal, wrote a memo to the Assembly and city staff arguing that the Assembly should consider the move.
    “This is a highly unusual circumstance,” they said. “Many times in the past, when there has been a government shutdown, federal employees received back pay for the period of the shutdown. We feel that the Assembly should give consideration to waiving the city utility 1 percent late payment penalty fee for the period covered during the shutdown.”
    Also on the agenda are liquor license renewals, board and commission appointments, and appropriations ordinances for increased staffing and security monitoring at Centennial Hall and the utility subsidization program.
    The Assembly also will consider rescinding appointments they made to the Sitka Community Hospital board at the last meeting. Due to an administrative error, the positions were not advertised correctly, the city clerk said.
    The vote to rescind needs five affirmative votes. If the appointments are rescinded, the positions will be readvertised and placed on the agenda for the Feb. 12 meeting.
    Also on the agenda tonight is a proposal from Police Chief Jeff Ankerfelt on recruiting and retaining police officers.
    The number of officers the department has been authorized to hire has been reduced over the years to 16, but presently the department has only 12 “with only 10 capable of performing the duties of a police officer,” Ankerfelt said in his memo to the Assembly. A total of 16 or 17 is needed to cover the shifts, he said.
    “The department’s history of chronic understaffing, poor working conditions, disconnected leadership and the stressful nature of police work has led to burnout, fatigue related errors, illness, excessive overtime costs and prohibitively expensive employee turnover,” he said. The city is facing a “public safety crisis” and needs to take action, Ankerfelt said.
    He proposes raising the base wage of officers by $5 per hour, compressing the wage scale from 15 to 5 steps, and taking turnover into account when hiring officers. Ankerfelt recommended hiring up to 19 officers, and cutting back when the city has a consistent staffing level of 16.
    “The benefits of this practice are measurable,” he said. “They include ... reduced overtime costs, reduced burnout and turnover, improved service delivery and improved morale.”



You have no rights to post comments

Login Form

 

20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.

50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.

Calendar

Local Events

Instagram

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Instagram!

Facebook

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Facebook!