By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Housing is among the community’s most pressing needs, with both Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Assembly agreeing that it’s a top priority for action in the near future.
City officials and the STA tribal council shared their views on the housing problem Monday night at a government-to-government meeting at STA’s new headquarters, the newly refurbished building on Siginaka Way formerly occupied by the U.S. Forest Service. The dinner meetings are held twice a year, with the parties alternately acting as hosts.
The STA tribal council meets with city officials at a dinner meeting on Monday. (Photo by James Poulson)
STA said about 55 percent of respondents in a survey of over 300 people identified expanding affordable housing options, and home improvement programs, as among top priorities.
From the city side, Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz pointed to a $750,000 study proposed in the fiscal year 2024 city budget to identify municipal lands that may be developed for housing.
“That definitely coincides with some of the efforts we heard earlier,” he said. “I think it’s easy for all of us to sit here and say we need more houses, we need more houses for low income (and others) - but to actually quantify that so we can put in grant applications and such is going to be huge.”
Tribal council member Lesa Way, who is also a commissioner on the Baranof Island Housing Authority, mentioned new housing units planned by BIHA for just off Indian River Road, as well as housing units that are being planned for unhoused people – the Jarvis Street project initiated by the Homeless Coalition.
“I feel like we’re not all talking together,” Way said today. “There’s a lot going on, and it would be good if everyone had all the cards in front of them.”
To that end, a housing summit is planned for this year involving various entities, including STA, the city and BIHA.
Some at the Monday meeting called attention to the housing problems of middle income as well as low income families.
Dionne Brady-Howard spoke of empty homes in Sitka, some occupied only two weeks a year, and not available as rentals; the difficulty in recruiting people for jobs because of high housing costs, even for fixer uppers; and other factors adding to the crunch.
“Whether you’re looking at a single teacher trying to make it on a single income or whether you’re looking at folks who’ve made their home here and still can’t afford to buy a home ...,” she said. “It’s definitely across the board. ... We also run the risk of just aging ourselves out.”
Near the end of the meeting, both tribal and city representatives took note of the 25th anniversary this July of the memorandum of understanding to establish the government-to-government relationship between the STA and the city.
Eisenbeisz suggested the two entities find a way to mark the origin of the MOU, which he believes should serve as a model for how tribal and non-tribal governments can work in unison.
STA Tribal Council Chairman Woody Widmark said he talks about the agreement when he travels on STA business.
“I take pride in it and I thought it was with foresight 25 years ago having signed (the MOU),” he said. “It’s a two-way street.”
STA Items
One of the documents handed out by STA listed $1.2 million in contributions from the tribe to the community. That includes some $327,000 in heating and utility help; more than $150,000 in help with housing; more than $150,000 in scholarships for higher education, youth and cultural scholarships.
Other contributions were made for community events and donations, groceries, bus passes, funeral costs, Native elders nutrition and transportation, and daycare assistance. STA also contributes funds to nonprofits, including SAFV.
STA gave the city a list of requests for further collaboration:
– rerouting Eliason Harbor traffic away from the front of the new headquarters to improve pedestrian safety. STA suggested sending traffic along the lower end of the parking lot.
– transfer of the city-owned float plane dock and tidelands to STA as mitigation for the new floatplane facility. STA would like to rebuild its natural resources facility.
– sidewalk and road improvements in the Indian Village.
– increase the supply of affordable housing in Sitka, and support housing for unhoused residents.
– co-sponsor a housing summit for the fourth quarter of 2023.
– wayfinding signs to help with directing visitors to the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi, which they said had a decrease in visitors last summer because of the Lincoln Street closure barriers.
– return of the fish cleaning station to its former location on the southern floating breakwater at Eliason Harbor. It is currently at the northern floating breakwater and inconvenient for sport fish and subsistence users, STA said.
As usual both entities discussed cooperating on legislative priorities, since both STA and the city make lobbying trips to Juneau and Washington, D.C.
“I think there are other ways (we can work together),” Widmark said, citing resources and partners the tribe has access to and can share with the city.
“I believe that it should be (reciprocal) instead of just a one -way street,” he said.
The groups briefly discussed the planned seawalk from the library to under the O’Connell Bridge and Totem Square, with tribal representatives expressing concerns about the loss of essential fish habitat due to the fill planned for the outside of the bridge, as well as evidence of a clam garden in the fill area.
“The other request that we had made for that project was to have a certified archaeologist on site when doing work around the cable house,” STA Resource Protection Director Jeff Feldpausch said, noting the discovery of human remains several years ago. “Just knowing that cultural site is there, any work around the cable house, we’re going to have to have a certified archaeologist on site.”
Council members Rachel Moreno and Martha Moses talked about former subsistence gathering areas now used for other purposes.
Eisenbeisz added that he didn’t see preservation as negative. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Why not preserve it for the future?”
Eisenbeisz said he believes it’s time to take a hard look at the seawalk extension and determine whether the city and state should move forward. Some of the negative comments have come from homeowners in the area.
“But to hear that we want the last little chunk of oceanfront left alone and that (people) will continue to go down there,” the mayor said. The challenge is balancing the economy and development of the town, with a desire to keep the small town spirit and “what we want it to be,” he said.
The group talked a short time about opportunities for expanding broadband, but Eisenbeisz said the city’s main concern is some backup for when the single fiberoptic cable fails, which has happened in the past.
“It may be a little bit of an uphill battle just because we are considered a served community,” he said. STA is partnering with the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which has received a $49 million grant to expand internet service across Southeast.
“It’s kind of like the housing issue,” said City Administrator John Leach. “A lot of people doing different things and want to know how we can all get together on that.” He mentioned some available opportunities through the state and Rasmuson Foundation, as potential funding sources.
“If we’re in this together we’re probably stronger in expanding that access to the community,” Leach said.
In his closing comments, Eisenbeisz called attention to the new city Parks and Rec program as one that’s benefiting both tribal and non-tribal citizens.
“I think it’s a community demand, it’s a community desire and there is a little bit of surplus this year to help facilitate that,” he said. “If we want to continue to strengthen the program and there’s opportunities to collaborate and some thoughts on what might help tribal citizens as well, we definitely want to talk about that as time goes on.”
Council representatives also discussed the new branding project, with a new logo for the tribe and a potential name change from STA. (A story will be in a later Sentinel.)
On a final note, Eisenbeisz brought up a proposed new turn lane at the corner of Lake and Lincoln streets.
“I think it needs to be shouted everywhere because, number one, people are going to do it wrong when it first comes and then we’re going to have all sorts of mess,” he said. “Number two is it’s a massive opportunity for our town that DOT agreed to redo the turning lane to help facilitate better flow through there.”
The change relates to vehicles approaching Lincoln Street from the roundabout. The left turn lane at the traffic light will be for cars turning left on Lincoln toward Sitka National Historical Park.
Attending the meeting were seven of the nine members of the STA tribal council, and four of the seven Assembly members, as well as city staff and tribal staff. It was open to the public.
