Dear Editor: In this time of economic growth, we think most Sitkans can agree on at least one thing – how exciting it is to see (and taste) all the new and expanding food businesses! Restaurants, cafes, and other food-service businesses give locals and visitors alike the opportunity to gather, dine and, on occasion, enjoy a glass of beer or wine with their meal.
Currently, restaurants and eating place licenses (REPLs) that allow these businesses to serve beer and wine are limited to six for Sitka based on our permanent resident population, all of which are spoken for. This is why we are co-sponsoring a resolution to petition the Alaska State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for 6 additional REPLs in Sitka.
It is our hope that by increasing the number of available REPLs in Sitka, new and expanding food-service businesses will have the opportunity to widen their offerings to meet local and visitor demand, and make year-round operations (at least little) more financially feasible.
The Assembly will consider this resolution at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, starting at 6 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall. The resolution and supporting materials will be available to view online by noon on Friday, Aug. 8, at https://sitka.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
We encourage anyone who is interested in providing public comment on this resolution to:
• Attend the Assembly meeting in-person
• Testify by phone by registering with the Municipal Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, by emailing clerk@cityofsitka.org or calling 907 747-1826
• Submit written comments in advance to assembly@cityofsitka.org.
We hope that Sitkans join us in our support for local eateries!
Assembly Members
Thor Christianson and Chris Ystad
