The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has proposed granting $4.5 million to the city to assist with new housing developments in Sitka, as part of the Last Frontier Housing Initiative. City administrator John Leach said Sitka and Ketchikan were each chosen to receive the funds.
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All-Purpose Vehicles have been street-legal in Sitka for almost two years. Now riders want some of the initial restrictions rolled back, and they’re getting support at the assembly table.
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After nearly a decade with the city, municipal attorney Brian Hanson is retiring this year. When the Sitka assembly met last night (1-9-24) it unanimously accepted Hanson’s retirement notice, but not before assembly members showed their appreciation for the work Hanson has done for the city.
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After over a year of consideration, the Alaska Supreme Court has sided with the state in a lawsuit over the management of the Sac Roe Herring fishery in Sitka. The five-justice panel upheld a 2021 ruling by a Superior Court judge who denied a claim by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska that Department of Fish & Game managers had violated the state constitution.
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Visit Sitka has secured money to cover operations through the end of 2024, but the organization may see more scrutiny from the Sitka Assembly during the budget process for next year.
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Southeast Alaska has seen an explosion in cruise tourism in just the last two years, and communities are struggling to cope with the crowding, congestion – and simple exhaustion – that comes from managing the rapid growth. Next summer, the city of Juneau is planning to limit cruise traffic to five ships a day, the result of a newly negotiated agreement between the city and the cruise line industry. But Sitka’s only cruise dock is privately owned, and although its owner has said he plans to strategically manage ship visits next year, it may not satisfy Sitkans looking for a legislative solution.
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Sitka’s police department remains seriously short-staffed. Chief Robert Baty argues that police departments across the country are struggling to recruit and retain officers. But when he gave his quarterly report to the Sitka Assembly on December 26, he was met with grievances from former staff and their families who say the staffing shortage points to a hostile work culture at the local level rather than national trends.
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Sitkans who missed the recent town halls on tourism in Sitka will get another chance to share their opinions on the level of tourism in Sitka. The city’s Tourism Task Force is asking Sitkans to complete a survey to determine the number of cruise tourists the community can support.
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Sitka’s police department staffing is down by half. That’s according to a report included in the Sitka Assembly’s meeting packet tonight.
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On its one year anniversary, the city’s strategic plan is getting a public review. About a dozen Sitkans turned out for a town hall on Tuesday (12-19-23) where city staff launched a survey to gather feedback on how to update the plan.
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