By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly on Tuesday moved forward with an ordinance that would make early voting in city elections quicker and easier, among other changes in the rewritten chapter of city code.
With a 5-1 vote in favor, the ordinance will move on to final reading at the April 25 meeting.
The Assembly also approved several resolutions to authorize the administrator to apply for state and federal grants to purchase a haulout travelift at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park, repaving and improving Katlian Street, defraying the cost of a housing study, and replacing the electrical system at Eliason Harbor.
The Assembly passed on final reading an ordinance to give the Sitka Historical Society an exemption from paying property taxes through 2048 on the nonprofit’s museum space at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
The meeting lasted close to three hours, and included the grant of a citizen’s appeal on the grant of a senior citizen property tax exemption.
Elections
The election ordinance that passed on first reading would replace the section “absentee and early voting,” with a section headed “absentee or advanced balloting.”
Sara Peterson, city clerk, said today the ordinance clarifies but would not change the existing requirements for voting.
The main change is to make it clear that “absentee and early voting,” which are already allowed under the code, covers the option of advanced voting.
The proposed change was prompted by the increased number of Sitka voters casting an advanced vote in person during the pandemic, Peterson said.
Some 1,300 voted absentee in person in 2020, and about half that number did so in 2021 and 2022.
The new ordinance would mean those voting early and in person would vote in a process “identical to voting at the polls on election day,” the staff memo says. Voters would show ID at the polling locations, sign the register, vote and put their ballot in the ballot box. Absentee in person voting in the past has required voters to fill out a short form.
“Results are tabulated after the polls close on election night rather than waiting until the Canvass Board processes absentee ballots on the Friday following the election,” the memo says.
In the new ordinance absentee in-person voting would be called early voting. At least three other communities in Alaska have offered this option since 2020.
Another change in the election code being proposed is intended to clarify requirements for running for office. Requirements to run for an Assembly seat include being a resident for a year before the election, and a registered Sitka voter. Candidates for School Board need only be residents for 30 days and a registered voter. Candidates need to collect 25 signatures, and fill out financial disclosure information.
This year’s filing period is July 17 through August 4 (60 days before the election).
The new ordinance clarifies that candidates have the option of submitting a photo, statement and biographical information, but they must be turned in 46 days before the election in order to be posted on the city website.
The main point of debate at the meeting was whether it made sense to have a deadline for the supplemental information to appear on the website.
A number of comments were made about how the information was posted on the website, and the purpose of the deadline. Most Assembly members said they agreed with the ordinance, including having a deadline for candidates to send any optional supplemental information. The candidates are listed alphabetically on the webpage.
Crystal Duncan questioned whether the process yielded a diverse field of candidates, including the three-week filing period, and a deadline for the optional supplemental candidate information.
“I think there is a question of access, and who is accessing the seats at the city Assembly,” she said. “We have to look at even the nuances of this language ... we need to question, are the same candidates running? Are we reaching different pools who probably don’t have experience running an election?”
She said she knows how hard it is to run for office. “And until we see a body that’s reflective of the community, I think I’m going to stress we need to take those considerations into account.”
Others said they agreed that access is important, but also that there should be deadlines in the process. They spoke in favor of provisions that would make early voting easier for Sitkans.
Duncan made a motion to remove the deadline for turning in supplemental data to be posted on the city website.
“If you turn it in two weeks prior we’re going to miss a lot of viewing audience members who probably went (to the site) but I don’t think it should be excluded from the city website,” Duncan said. The motion received no second.
The vote was 5-1 in favor of the ordinance with JJ Carlson, Tim Pike, Kevin Mosher, Thor Christianson and Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz in favor, and Duncan against. Chris Ystad was absent. The item will come back at the next regular Assembly meeting for final reading.
Resolutions
All of the resolutions passed related to applying for funding from the state, federal port infrastructure program and Denali Commission.
The main discussion among the four agenda items was related to setting a level of funding the city would commit as a match for federal funding for the Katlian Street paving project.
In the end, the Assembly decided to select the highest match option of 24.13 percent ($2.56 million), in order to make the city’s application for the project as competitive as possible. The required match is 9 percent, but the city can earn a higher score with a higher match.
The city is applying under the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, in a program administered by the state.
The city memo described the need for the project as outlined in the competitive application for the infrastructure grant: “asphalt and concrete surfaces are deteriorating, the condition of the road is poor, with extensive alligator cracking, failing centerline seams, and many potholes and pavement failures that have been covered up with numerous spray patches.” The memo reports a number of traffic accidents and problems with the aging storm drain system.
Pedestrian safety is another issue, with the sidewalks failing to meet ADA requirements.
The estimate for the complete project is $10.6 million, and $926,238 in city funds is included in the draft of the city’s FY24 general fund budget as a start for the $2.5 match.
A city memo said that if the grant is awarded, the city could raise the balance of the required match from the Visitor Enhancement Fund, cruise ship tax funds and the city’s unrestricted surplus. But the Assembly agreed they could decide at a later time where the funds would come from if the grant application is successful.
They agreed they chose the highest match option in order to give the city the best chance of being successful in getting help for a much-needed project.
The Assembly also approved applying for $300,000 from the state’s Denali Commission to help cover the cost of the Housing Land Feasibility Study, planned to find the best opportunities for housing development on city land. The Assembly approved $750,000 for the study, but the Denali Commission grant would lower the city contribution.
The Assembly also approved the application to the Denali Commission to purchase a $1.1 million 150-ton haulout lift for the new boat haulout at the industrial park. Sitka voters dedicated the more than $8 million in proceeds from the sale of the old community hospital building and property to SEARHC.
Two members of the public spoke in favor of the item. A few Assembly members wondered why this item has a lower city priority than the Housing Study in its requests to the Denali Commission. City staff noted the high priority of housing for the community, as the reason for ranking the $300,000 request higher.
Garry White, director of the Gary Paxton Industrial Park, said the information he has gathered from the Denali Commission is that Sitka has a better chance of receiving money for housing than for the lift.
Answering a question about why the city didn’t ask for a higher amount in the haulout request, White said the city has no solid estimates for the haulout project other than the travelift.
“This is the only piece of the project that we can get a defined cost on because we’ve got a quote,” he said.
From the public, Kim Elliot spoke in favor of getting a haulout in Sitka. She said currently boat owners are spending funds leaving town for boat repairs, other communities are benefiting from the business that should be coming here, and having a haulout here will be convenient for family members who may want to help with boat repairs. Also from the public, Richard Wein said he thought the item should be highest on the priority list.
The final resolution also was approved, for $4.7 million grant to pay for the replacement of the Eliason Harbor electrical system.
“The electrical system has reached the end of its life,’’ the city staff memo said. “The main feeder cable to the harbor has failed multiple times, in each case requiring Harbor, Electric, Fire,
and Police Departments response and even resulting in a small fire on the main float.”
The city is responsible for a 20 percent match ($1.2 million) toward the $5.9 million project. The grant is from the federal port infrastructure development program under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act.
