By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
In a meeting with the Assembly, the Sitka Climate Action Task Force Tuesday presented its vision for a sustainable Sitka in the future and discussed possible focus areas for the group in the short- and long-term.
The Assembly set up the task force last November, and the eight-member group has been meeting regularly since February. It has given periodic updates, but Tuesday night was the first time members met with the Assembly in a work session.
After hearing some of the discussion, City Administrator John Leach suggested a future Assembly agenda item to get clear direction for city staff, so everyone’s on the same page.
“We’re going to develop that process to try to carry some of these projects over the finish line,” Leach said.
Leach said today he is spending considerable time now thinking about and planning for the influx of more than 400,000 cruise ship visitors next summer, which will have not just a positive economic impact, but possibly a negative environmental impact that has to be planned for.
“So we are going to need this group’s help,” he said today.
Asked what projects they wanted to see, a few Assembly members mentioned solid waste solutions. (In the regular meeting that followed the work session the Assembly passed an ordinance on first reading to purchase a $3 million garbage compaction system to improve solid waste disposal.)
Task Force Chairman Elizabeth Bagley said the group wanted to keep the Assembly posted as members continue working toward what they see as worthy and productive goals to combat climate change and improve sustainability.
“If we have a shared vision in mind, then it’s going to help us with those building blocks of what kind of goals we want to put into place over the next three months, six months, nine months ...” Bagley said.
The nine-member panel – currently with one vacancy – introduced its members and the various projects each is working on. Those include connecting with the community, researching federal grant opportunities, climate forecasts, connecting with other similar groups around the state, seeking alternatives to fuel consumption, tracking emissions, and working on electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the community,
“What are some of the directions we mentioned that are really interesting and align with your priorities?” asked Bagley. “Or what are some other directions you’ve been thinking about that we can help with that can become three-month, six-month, 12-month goals for us?”
After mentioning the electrification of ferries process under way out of Skagway, Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz pointed to a few things Sitka is doing right for the environment, such as its hydro-power system.
“I think we need to celebrate the victories that either we have today or that we will have in the short term,” he said. “We can always do a little bit better, but I think we’re doing really, really well. ... I want that spirit of celebration and congratulations to be out in the community as well.”
Assembly members took their turn on their concerns. Rebecca Himschoot brought up her interest in other solutions for Sitka’s garbage after the end of the 10-year contract with Republic Services, which elicited an enthusiastic response later from a task force member about the possibilities the group could look into.
Assembly member Thor Christianson said he’s interested in achievable and tangible projects, in the short-, medium- and long-term.
Kevin Mosher said solid waste problems have been on his mind for some time, and the time is right to create a multi-pronged approach. “Ten years may seem like a long time, but it isn’t,” he said.
Eisenbeisz echoed his concerns, but said it’s a larger problem than shipping waste out.
“So how do we avoid stuff getting shipped in to begin with? And then we don’t have to deal with it on the way out,” he said. He said education is a big part of that issue.
Dave Miller, the newest Assembly member commented: “We don’t need to create a new way to do things. I think we have to look at everything not only as a city but as a state ... If we can see what everybody else is doing, and we can all work together to do it, I think we’ll be better off, than just Sitka (working alone).”
At the top of Leach’s list of concerns is stress on the city infrastructure and finances from the massive increase in cruise ship tourism that is forecast.
“Do we have a wastewater system to handle that? Do we have a municipal solid waste program to handle that?” he said. “What if one of the cruise ships wants to connect to power grid when they get here?”
He added today: “We are basically staffed and funded to support the infrastructure and operation of a city of 8,500, and for nearly five months a year we may have a population of nearly 15,000... This is all energy (demand) and waste stream that we’re going to have to address. We’ll have increased bus traffic. ...”
The work session included an exercise for Assembly members to answer the question, “what is your vision for a sustainable Sitka?” Answers were in the areas of waste, energy, transportation, tourism, leadership, policy, stewardship and education.
