Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

September 27, 2022: What’s on the agenda when the Sitka Assembly meets tonight?

When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight, it will consider approving a new strategic plan spanning the next five years.

We did a deep dive into the bathrooms on Lincoln Street so you don’t have to

When Sitkans learned they would be seeing a record breaking number of cruise passengers this summer, there were a lot of questions about how the town would accommodate the influx of people, from traffic flow to garbage. And swirling in the middle of all of those concerns were public toilets. Sitka had nowhere near enough. So the city had to scramble to find solutions, and that meant acquiring some high end toilet trailers and offering a unique grant program.

Elder facilities, childcare top health summit priorities

The Sitka Health Summit has pinpointed two goals for 2023 aimed at caring for some of the youngest and oldest Sitkans. The health summit is a community coalition that meets once a year to brainstorm two initiatives focused on community wellness.

A month of construction remains for Sitka’s Sawmill Creek Road

Crews are planning to wrap up the construction on Sawmill Creek Road in Sitka soon; possibly by the middle of next month.

City seeks volunteers to join new ‘Sustainability Commission’

Sitka’s “Climate Action Task Force” has disbanded. The temporary task force was established in the winter of 2021, with the goal of tackling Sitka’s carbon footprint. Their work will continue in a way, though– the task force is being replaced with a permanent commission focused on sustainability in Sitka.

Restrictions on new short-term rental permits now in effect

Sitka is cracking down on short-term rentals run by non-resident owners. When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (9-13-22), it adopted new rules for vacation rentals that require owners to reside on the same property for at least six months of the year. And all permits for short-term rentals will sunset when a property changes hands.

UAS to receive $2.3M in federal funds to expand mariculture program

On September 2, the White House announced $49 million dollars in funding for further development of Alaska’s mariculture industry– that’s mostly shellfish and seaweed. The “Alaska Mariculture Cluster,” led by Southeast Conference, was one of 21 winners in the nationwide “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” program. $2.3M is going to the University of Alaska Southeast.

Sitka’s Lake/Lincoln Street intersection may get makeover next year

Sitka’s made it over the hump of what was originally predicted to be the busiest cruise season in the town’s history. And while there’s still over a month to go, city officials are already exploring changes for next year. At the top of the list: Sitka’s busiest intersection may be getting a makeover.

Rules governing short-term rentals could change under new assembly ordinance

The rules governing short-term rentals in Sitka may be changing soon. When the assembly met on Tuesday (8-23-22), it green lit changes that would affect new permits for short-term rentals in residential zones.