Paid parking could finally be coming to Sitka’s airport. When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (10-14-25) it will discuss whether to submit a bid to the state to lease a lot at the airport for paid parking.
Parking at Sitka’s airport has long been free. However, the airport is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation project, largely funded by grants from the Federal Aviation Administration. In a memo to the assembly, Airport Terminal Manager Joseph Bea says the costs of maintaining the expanded airport could lead to an operational shortfall, which could require additional funding from the city in order to meet state and federal airport regulations.
Rather than take a subsidy from the general fund to operate, Bea and city staff say a user fee at the airport, like paid parking, could offset the additional costs and make the airport self-sustaining. City staff estimate that a paid lot could generate anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 annually for the city, depending on the fee structure, usage, and enforcement.
In other business, the assembly will consider a cooperative management agreement between the city and the state’s Department of Natural Resources for recreational areas at Baranof Warm Springs, and will consider rescheduling several assembly meetings in November and December. Newly elected assembly members will also be sworn into office.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
