Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

City denies petition to put cruise passenger limits out to voters

The City of Sitka has denied a citizen’s petition to put cruise limitations out to voters in a special election this winter.

Historic sales tax returns mean more money for infrastructure

Sitka has another budget surplus this year, due in large part to a steep uptick in sales tax revenue. When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (9-26-23) municipal administrator John Leach asked the assembly to tuck some of that money away to cover repairs and replacement of aging infrastructure down the line.

Early votes to be counted on election night in this year’s municipal election

Sitka’s municipal election is days away, but polls are already open, and this year early voting looks a bit different.

Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary named National Blue Ribbon school

Three Alaska schools won a prestigious national education award this year, and one of them is in Sitka.

Sitkans push for vote on cruise visitor limits

As a record-breaking cruise season in Sitka comes to a close, and the promise of another equally busy summer on the horizon in 2024, some are wondering how, if at all, Sitka can sustain its tourist boom. Now a group of Sitkans is calling for a cap on the number of cruise passengers next year. They want to put that question out to the voters in a special election this winter.

Assembly supportive of community garden project

While a group of green thumbs in Sitka doesn’t have a lease yet, the municipal assembly on Tuesday (9-12-23) gave its thumbs up to a revised proposal for a community garden on public land. And although the assembly wasn’t ready to offer the group terms, they didn’t hesitate to share some hard-won advice.

Dock owner says better ship timing and a new theater will reduce Sitka’s bus traffic

Although summer is winding down, Sitka’s cruise season is still going strong. On September 5, over 9,000 passengers – and still more crew members – packed the main downtown thoroughfare, which was closed to traffic for the day.For better or worse, this scene is not likely to change in the near future. On September 6, Sitka’s cruise terminal operator told the Sitka Chamber of Commerce that he expects another huge season next year. And although he’s working on a plan to distribute more passengers to activities closer to the terminal, and to reduce the volume of bus traffic, he says he has no plans to turn away any ships.

Assembly considers first pay raise in over two decades

The Sitka Assembly may be getting a pay raise. When the assembly met last night (8-22-23) , it approved on first reading a measure that would increase their compensation for the first time in over 20 years.

SEARHC to close Sitka’s home health department in September

The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is closing its home health department in Sitka at the end of September. While the organization maintains that the closure is largely an administrative move, and that outpatient services – and in-home care – should be unaffected, some Sitkans are concerned that both the expense and quality of end-of-life care will change dramatically.

Could a new garbage compactor put the squeeze on Sitka’s trash bills?

While the amount of garbage Sitka ships out of town won’t be getting smaller anytime soon, the amount of space it takes up will be shrinking. The city installed a new solid waste compactor earlier this summer, and the $3 million dollar machine is finally up and running. The huge machine is eerily reminiscent of a famous movie compactor, and might be a new hope for putting the squeeze on Sitka’s high garbage bills.