Almost one year after reinstating Sitka’s Climate Action Task Force, the Sitka Assembly approved the group’s list of priorities for 2022. When the Assembly met last week (12-28-21), it approved the task force’s list of five priorities to tackle Sitka’s carbon footprint. Katy Riley is the vice chair of the taskforce.

“I know that this is quite a list. And our task force is very keen to be working on all these items,” Riley said. “I don’t anticipate that we’re able to finish everything on this list, but it is meant to provide us with the direction that says, you know, the Assembly wants us to be working on these things.”

Over the last year, the taskforce has been meeting regularly- and it’s examining how the city used its climate action plan 10 years ago to reduce its greenhouse emissions. This is the first list of action items, or next steps, that the task force has presented to the Assembly. Its areas of focus include things like sustainable tourism, electric vehicles, and an inventory of Sitka’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the priorities overlap strongly with assembly priorities for updating city infrastructure- like reviewing the city’s long-term solid waste plan. City Administrator John Leach said they hoped that the document would help them secure federal funding for some of the projects. 

“With with infrastructure funding becoming a reality, and knowing what the current administration is going to be looking for as you compete for that infrastructure funding, adopting a priorities list or a plan, with a group backing it and the Assembly acceptance of this plan is one more tool in our tool belt,” Leach said.

“To say to the folks handing out the infrastructure money, ‘Hey, we’re committed. We’ve got a plan. We have a roadmap,'” Leach continued.

The Assembly approved the climate task force’s 2022 priorities list unanimously. The task force typically meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. It’s next meeting is February 1. Those interested in attending the meeting can email jessica.earnshaw@cityofsitka.org for the Zoom link.