To watch a livestream of the Sitka Assembly meeting click here
When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (1-25-22) it will continue its discussion of a short-term tourism plan and may approve a budget for that plan, on first reading.
The city is anticipating a wave of around 480,000 cruise passengers this summer, following the recent expansion of the private Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. The city’s Planning Department has been tasked with figuring out the impact that number of visitors will have on Sitka’s streets, sewers, sidewalks, and communications in the short term, with plans to draft something more comprehensive for future seasons.
The Planning Commission approved a draft plan in December, and the Assembly reviewed the plan earlier this month. The biggest question that’s still unanswered is whether the city should completely close Lincoln Street on big cruise days, or make the street one-way for the entire summer. The Commission’s plan recommends a full closure, but the decision now rests with the Assembly.
In other business, the Assembly will hold a work session on the landslide warning project, and consider the city’s legislative priorities for Fiscal Year ‘23.
View the full meeting agenda here
The Sitka Assembly meets at 5 p.m. for the landslide work session at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Raven News will broadcast the regular meeting beginning at 6, following Alaska News Nightly. Our broadcast of the meeting will be interrupted briefly from 7-8 p.m. for the Governor’s annual “State of the State” speech.
