Moller Field re-opened in 2012 after a $2.6-million renovation, including artificial turf, which was paid for by the state. Sponsors of the proposed charter amendment believe that in order for Sitka to shoulder the costs of similar upgrades, it will have to bond (i.e. borrow) to cover the expense. They propose asking voters to allow excess revenue in the Sitka Community Hospital Dedicated Fund to pay off the bonds. (KCAW photo)

The Sitka Community Hospital isn’t around anymore. It was sold to the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in 2019, in a deal that included regular deposits to a dedicated fund to support the retirements of former employees (PERS), and other city obligations involving the old hospital. That fund also takes in money from the city’s tobacco tax (around $800,000 annually). All that revenue is significantly more than needed to cover the obligations. Last year, then-finance director Melissa Haley proposed a charter amendment to allow the excess to flow into the city’s general fund. The assembly voted down the idea, and that’s when assembly member Chris Ystad began to think about upgrading Sitka’s sports fields.

“It kind of occurred to me that this may be a source to be able to pull some of these desires that I’ve heard throughout the community, of doing some revitalizing or (building) new facilities,” said Ystad.

Sitka has one artificial-turf ballfield that was built with state money; paying for a new one, or two, on its own is a considerable expense. Ystad and his co-sponsor, Kevin Mosher, proposed that the city take on bond debt to cover construction costs, and use the excess revenue in the Sitka Community Hospital Dedicated Fund to cover payments on the bonds.

Amending the Sitka Home Rule Charter to lift the restrictions on the hospital fund will require a vote of the people. Assembly member Thor Christianson thought it would be a hard sell, as written. Something similar had been tried a couple of decades ago – unsuccessfully.

“So when I saw this, I got flashbacks,” said Christianson. “PTSD from the last time we tried this. In the late 90s or early 2000s we tried this, and I backed it, and we had a packed room of people wanting us to do it, and it went down in flames. My concern with this is not the proposal. I think it’s a great idea, but I want to make sure that it has a chance.”

Still, there could be a lot of public support for new or upgraded athletic facilities. Several members of the public spoke in favor of the plan. Bridget Hitchcock is a physical therapist, and a former community hospital employee.

“Sitka has been long overdue for a multi use field and facility that can be used for a variety of sports, including track and field,” said Hitchcock. “It can also be used for adult recreation. I often see adults walking on the (artificial) turf field. I often bring my patients to lower Moller Field. A lot of adult leagues play on different facilities in Sitka. And it’s not that we don’t already have facilities, but I think having an enhanced facility, a beautiful facility – the turf is huge in a in a rainforest. It really does make a difference.”

Although the plan’s sponsors definitely have athletic fields and a new, all-weather track in mind, Sitka Trail Works director Ben Hughey thought there would be broader public support if the proposal itself was broadened.

“We’ve got some things to figure out, and so let’s not pigeonhole ourselves into one proposal at this stage, before we go to the ballot,” said Hughey. “Let’s call this recreational facilities. If we strike ‘athletic’ and replace the word with recreational, we just give ourselves a little more leeway for the future.”

Assembly member Christianson offered an amendment to strike the word “athletic” and replace it with “recreational,” but it failed on a split vote.

The problem, it turns out, wasn’t really with a single word. The problem was a lack of specifics. Assembly members are no different than other residents, most of whom don’t like to rush into any idea without a full understanding of the possible outcomes. The plan’s co-sponsor, Kevin Mosher, said he could have more details, if his fellow members would allow the plan to advance to another reading.

“Years down the line, when we’re working on this, there’s going to be some people who are not happy because it wasn’t what they wanted,” said Mosher. “We can’t please everyone. But I think that everyone can agree, or most can agree, that we want to invest heavily in our athletic future.”

The assembly gave Mosher his wish, and voted 7-0 to send the ordinance to second reading, on the understanding that more information was coming, and a third, and possible even fourth reading would be needed before the August 12 deadline, the last date that the assembly can put a proposition to the voters in the October municipal election.

Assembly puts another $715,000 into haulout project, with August completion date

The City of Sitka is going to put up $715,000 of its own money to cover some final expenses to complete the initial phase of a new marine haulout.

The facility was supposed to be functional this spring, but permitting delays created some early setbacks during construction of the pier over the winter.

With the travelift on site and operational, the goal of Phase I is to have a useful working area adjacent to the haulout. The lion’s share of the $715,000 will be spent on an electrically-heated washdown pad, with appropriate pollution controls, and some additional equipment, like a forklift.

Around $50,000 is to be spent installing three electrical pedestals. This is far fewer than envisioned for a future, full-size boatyard. But the hope is that extension cords with gang receptacles – called a “spider boxes” – will serve as a stop gap, until a more extensive electrical service could be installed in the future.

Assembly member Scott Saline nevertheless thought Sitka’s fleet was being shortchanged with only three electrical pedestals, and he had concerns about the electric heat in the pad. Park director Garry White was going over the rationale, when Saline interjected. 

White: “We did an overall estimate of getting electrical to each different yard stall or boat stall, and it was in the millions. So this is just a short-term kind of plug, just to get stuff going, so they can put spider boxes, so we can have electrical to at least to some of the boats that need it right off the bat.”

Saline: “I’m confused. Spider boxes or millions?”

White: “No, no, no. Millions is to get the full electrical outlets to each spot and have the lighting above it and everything else. This is just to bring power pedestals to have electrical go out through spider boxes to multiple spots.

Saline: So three boats?

White:  No, we’ll have three pedestals, but then they’ll have spider boxes that they can go out and hit (more).

Saline: So like 50 amps a boat. How many boats could haul out and fill up the yard if that was the case?

White: That is outside of my purview.

Saline: Gotcha. I’m still hung up on spending that money for the electric pad. My IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) buddies are telling me we shot ourselves in the foot with that design again, and I’m just bummed trying to figure out what you guys got going on out there. Good luck.”

Assembly member Chris Ystad pointed out that the former Halibut Point Marine yard was also equipped with about the same electrical setup, a few pedestals and spider boxes.  The assembly approved the $715,000 supplemental appropriation 6-1, with Saline opposed.

Deputy Administrator, Port Director created in City Hall reorganization

In other business, the assembly approved the creation of a new deputy administrator position in city hall, and a new port director position. The deputy administrator will oversee eight departments, including the Library, Harrigan Centennial Hall, Parks & Rec, Tourism, IT, Public & Government Relations, Police and Fire, and Human Resources. Six departments – the so-called “Executive Management Team” – will remain under the administrator. Those include the Municipal Clerk, Public Works, Electric, Finance, Planning & Community Development, and Port Director. The port director, in turn, will have oversight of the Harbormaster, the airport manager, the marine service center, and the new marine haulout.

Neva Street vacation

The assembly also approved on first reading the sale of an unused city right-of-way. Neva Street is shown on early plat maps connecting Edgecumbe Drive to Davidoff Street, but it’s never been developed. Neighbors have offered to purchase the 15,000-square-foot property for $29,000. Mayor Steve Eisenbeisz thought it was undervalued.

“Well, we are selling the public’s land,” said Eisenbeisz. “I’d like to go back and clarify that, because we have to remember that this is the public’s land. This is our citizens’ land, for about $1.92 a square foot. The average or the assessed value of the lots surrounding it vary from $6.51 a square foot all the way up to $11.69 a square foot.”

Planning director Amy Ainslie explained that the assessor arrived at the price, based on the fact that a utility easement would be created under most of the property. The sale – officially called a “vacation” – passed on first reading, 6-1, with Eisenbeisz opposed.

Fisheries Enhancement Fund distributed

Lastly, the assembly on Tuesday distributed $49,000 from the Fisheries Enhancement Fund among three organizations: The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, the Sitka Sound Science Center, and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. The revenue comes from the $10-per-box tax the city applies to fish boxes leaving Sitka’s airport as luggage. In addition to the Fisheries Enhancement Fund, the fish box tax revenue goes into Harbors, the Sitka Permanent Fund, and the General Fund.