Sitka’s municipal and tribal governments are celebrating a quarter-century of official cooperation. Representatives of both governments – past and present – met last Tuesday (7-11-23) to reflect on a Memorandum of Understanding that was the first of its kind in Alaska, and – despite some bumps along the way – has stood the test of time.

The Memorandum of Understanding established cooperative government-to-government relations “for the benefit of the Sitka community as a whole” when it was signed on July 11, 1998. City officials say it was the first of its kind in the state.

Current and former city staff and tribal council members, along with many community members, gathered in Harrigan Centennial Hall on July 11 to recall how the memorandum was first developed, and what it means to the community now. 

Gary Paxton, who was city administrator when the memorandum was signed, said that the document demonstrated both governments’ commitment to collaboration. 

“The work with the EPC, the mill closure, then eventually taking over Gavan subdivision and moving the city shops – all those things pale in comparison to the MOU,” Paxton said.

Stan Filler, who was mayor at the time of the signing, said that the document was one of the best projects he was involved in as mayor.

“It brought us all together again,” Filler said. “And that’s the way it should be.”

Tribal Council member Frederick Olsen, Jr. noted that a strong working relationship between city and tribe shouldn’t be taken for granted. 

“This is rare,” Olsen said. “You don’t have to have this kind of relationship between the city and the tribe. Often there is a relationship, and it’s bad, you know. They’re adversaries.”

Sitka Tribe of Alaska transportation manager Gerry Hope said that the success of the memorandum is a testament to the hard work of the original writers, and to those who have continued to make it work. 

“There are other tribal councils that have inquired and said, I heard you guys have an MOU, can you send me that, and for whatever reason, that doesn’t get off the ground and get traction in those tribal communities or those other municipalities,” Hope said. “So it takes a perfect, perfect set of characters on both the tribe and the City Assembly to craft that, but also to make it work.”

The City and Tribe have collaborated on a number of projects, including funding the paving of Indian River Road, establishing a child advocacy center, and creating a domestic violence prevention team. The governments also hold semi-annual meetings to discuss issues of mutual interest. 

Tribal Council chairman Lawrence “Woody” Widmark, who signed the memorandum 25 years ago, noted that although the relationship has had bumps and bruises, the memorandum has marked a major improvement.

“Now, we’re partners with the city, and I never would have dreamed of that,” Widmark said.

Though the relationship may be tight-knit, there’s always a little tension – at least about who’s buying lunch. As City Administrator John Leach said, 

“Chair Widmark, I think it’s your turn to buy our lunches – it’s been two in a row, right?”

The ceremony was followed by cake, and a citation was presented by Mayor Eisenbeisz at the following Assembly meeting. 

Editor’s note: For purposes of disclosure, besides serving on the Sitka Tribal Council, Fred Olsen is an employee of KCAW.

When the Sitka Assembly met Tuesday night (10-13-20), it held a ‘changing of the guard’– recognizing outgoing assembly members, and certifying the results from last week’s municipal election.

The results from the October 6 municipal election were certified and new members were sworn in when the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (10-14-20).

But first, the group honored outgoing Mayor Gary Paxton and assembly member Richard Wein with service awards. Wein, who has served on the assembly since 2017, did not seek re-election this year. 

“I would like to thank everyone in Sitka for their kindness and patience,” he said. “For those individuals who thought I did a good job, I’d like to say thank you. For those who were not so sure, I apologize, but I did try my best. And for those who really thought I didn’t do well at all, I ask for your forgiveness. Because, it’s a lot more work than you imagine.” 

A longtime surgeon, Wein said moving forward, he plans to pick up a reporter’s notebook, instead of a scalpel. 

“And what I intend to do, or will try to do, is to dust off my journalism degree, because believe it or not, I do have a master’s in journalism, and I will try to serve in a different way,” he said.

Gary Paxton served for two years as Sitka’s mayor, overseeing the finalization of the Sitka Community Hospital sale and the hiring of a new city administrator. A former city administrator himself, Paxton ran for reelection this year, but was defeated by Steven Eisenbeisz. After receiving his service award, he offered just a few words.

“Dr. Wein is indefatigable. I appreciate all the work you did for commissions,” Paxton thanked Wein.

“Last comment, I’m a soldier not a politician. God Bless you all.”

After the assembly honored Wein and Paxton, the new members, Crystal Duncan and Rebecca Himschoot, and Sitka’s new mayor, Steven Eisenbeisz, took their oaths of office. And municipal clerk Sara Peterson took a moment to thank all of the volunteers and staff who worked long and busy hours at the polls.   

“They did a phenomenal job during an unprecedented time and I am extremely appreciative for their help,” she said.

In the end, 3312 votes were counted in the 2020 municipal election, making it the second highest voter turnout for a city election in the last two decades, with over half of the votes cast early or absentee.

Related Coverage: Post-election, new assembly and school board members prepared to ‘get to work’

As a Sitka voting resident and Tribal Citizen, I understand my right to attend and offer public testimony on matters considered by the Sitka Assembly.

On July 14th, I gave public testimony on two concerns: mandating mask wearing as a preventative measure and the removal of the Baranov statue.

What I was not prepared for was the blatant disrespect and racist rant stated by the head of this governing body, Mayor Gary Paxton.  In a silent room, it served as a dog whistle to the continuation of unwritten policies and historical references.

I approached the microphone to speak and removed a chair so that I might stand while speaking to assure that all could hear me.  In a loud, angry, denigrating voice Paxton ordered “move it back!!! now!!! move it back… This is not some honky tonk…son!”

I was stunned and angered by the very public stereotypical references to a honky tonk (disreputable bar or club), and as an elderly Tlingit man, by being called “son” in a tone and demeanor used which clearly is equivalent of being called “boy.”

The threatening tone and blatant references delivered clear messages to a silent room:

1) if you identify with Mr. Sam, at this point of contact, the message is be silent or face retribution or worse.

2) if you recognize and own these same opinions as the mayor, the message is you are being reassured that you are in charge. This portrayal demonstrates how the mayor represents his constituents.

This outburst by the mayor exemplifies systemic racism in Sitka and elsewhere. 

Tlingit people have a 10,000 year history in this Tlingit Aani, too much of it darkened by this kind of behavior. Indigenous peoples’ and their allies’ identification with the Black Lives Matter movement is not some mimicry of the Lower 48.  Alliances have been formed and have evolved from our shared past and current lives. Individuals and organizations have reached out to say “I/we hear you and stand with you.”

When asked in a recent interview what the assembly’s role is in addressing systemic racism in Sitka and in America, Paxton first stated that he believes there is racism in Sitka and in America, followed by: “Call me naive or whatever, I don’t think we’re a racist town. I don’t think we’re a racist nation.” Sounds like double-talk.

Which is it Mr. Mayor? Why are millions of Americans (including Indigenous people) still on the streets (including Sitka) saying otherwise?

Like the “undelivered” apology Mr. Paxton claims to have made to me, the mayor has made clear his role and his responsibilities to the Indigenous People of Sitka when he said:

“I am hard-pressed to think of systemic racism (in Sitka) but if there is such a thing, then you need to figure out how to solve it.“

There is much lost when any individual or group is denigrated and silenced. I urge you to ask for leadership that respectfully hears and values all community voices.

Disclosure: David Sam serves on the board of directors of CoastAlaska, Inc., a nonprofit consortium which provides administrative, engineering, and editorial services to KCAW and other public broadcasters throughout the state.

 Just 24 hours after the filing period opened to run for Sitka Assembly and School Board, Gary Paxton filed for reelection as Sitka’s mayor on Tuesday (7-21-20). While his long-term agenda includes finishing some big projects; in the near term, he’s been working to roll back some remarks he made at a recent assembly meeting which many considered racist.

Gary Paxton is wrapping up his two year term as Sitka’s mayor. In those two years, a lot has happened: The city finalized its sale of Sitka Community Hospital to SEARHC, went through a dramatic public administrator firing, saw major budget cuts from the state, and now is in the throes of a pandemic.

An octogenarian, you’d think Paxton would be considering stepping back from public life, but he says he’s not done yet. 

“In short terms, it’s unfinished business. It’s been a really turbulent year, and we’ve got a lot of stuff we’ve gotta finish up this year.”

A lifelong Sitkan and former city administrator, Paxton graduated from West Point and spent much of his younger years in the military. That influence shows up sometimes at the assembly table when he calls fellow members “troops.” When he ran for mayor two years ago, his platform was focused on “sustainable budget and accessibility.”

Looking back on his two years in office, he’s confident that he and fellow assembly members made a good decision in hiring John Leach for the city administrator post. 

“John has done an incredible job under an immensely stressful time,” says Paxton. “We had enough challenges with the budget notwithstanding the COVID virus, and the state funding and the haulout issue that we’re trying to sort out.” 

If he wins, one of Paxton’s top priorities is getting the marine haulout project off the ground. The assembly recently put the project on pause in the hope of winning a federal grant to fund it this fall. He is also excited about plans to develop a section of city-owned property out Halibut Point Road. And his mind is on next year’s city budget, with more uncertainty than ever. He’s hopeful, too, for federal aid to overhaul the Green Lake power station, and SEARHC’s promised hospital expansion, along with other developments that are out of the city’s control, but would be crucial to help the city address future budget shortfalls. 

“With the pandemic done next year we should have a powerful tourism season that will be helpful in so many ways. We’re two years away, I think, from getting our new Coast Guard cutter. The budget and the economy of our town, they’re interrelated, is going to be the centerpiece of how we move forward.”

Paxton considers himself apolitical, and his is often the swing vote on divisive items at the assembly table. Though as serious conversations around the coronavirus and race in America come to the assembly table with lots of public input, Paxton’s comments, and his tendency to rush the meetings along, have come under heightened scrutiny.

At its last meeting, the assembly failed to pass a measure that would have strongly advised Sitkans to wear masks. Paxton was one of four assembly members who voted it down. At the same meeting, he voted in favor of moving the Alexander Baranov statue. Both items generated substantial public comment, but Paxton wanted to push the meeting ahead, saying “succinctness is next to godliness.” He’s received some criticism for cutting off public comment early. He says while his goal is to run efficient meetings, he accepts the criticism. 

“People on the assembly get criticized routinely for a lot of stuff and it’s not ‘Yay, I got to be criticized.’ But that’s part of the process,” he says. “Listen to people criticize what you’re doing, weigh it out and then try to go forward as best you can.”

And criticism of Paxton sprung up again after that meeting when, during public comment on the mask order, he admonished David Sam, a Tribal elder, for moving the chair in front of the podium in order to stand while he spoke. Here’s a brief transcript of that exchange: 

Gary Paxton: Put the chair back, son. Put the chair back. Thank you. 
This is not some type of a honky tonk deal here. Put it back! Where it belongs. Please. 
David Sam: I'm not going to use it I'll put it back after I speak. 
Gary Paxton: Okay. 

I asked Paxton if he remembered the incident and how he’d like to respond to people who feel his use of the word “son” in reference to Sam was racist or problematic.

“I’ve gotten some bad feedback about that,” Paxton says. “I apologize for that, that wasn’t my intent. I misinterpreted what I thought was his gesture when he moved the chair to the side,” he says. “That made me feel really bad, because that wasn’t my intent,” he continues. “I didn’t even know I used the word son. I have no reflection of doing that, but if I did that, that was inappropriate for sure.”

After the meeting, Paxton sent an email apology to Sitka Tribe of Alaska chair Kathy Hope Erickson and General Manager Lisa Gassman. In it, he wrote that a member of the public had explained to him that “Mr. Sam’s gesture of moving the chair and standing while he spoke was a sign of respect” and apologized to Sam and the Tribe. Erickson responded to Paxton, writing that the tense times we’re living in may have played into his reaction, but “Now more than ever, we each need to be on guard not to overreact and – heaven forbid, insult or denigrate our neighbors.” 

When asked what the assembly’s role is in addressing systemic racism in Sitka, Paxton says he believes that there is racism in Sitka and in America, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to “racist.” 

“Call me naive or whatever, I don’t think we’re a racist town. I don’t think we’re a racist nation. Now, it’s probably easy enough for people to be inadvertently insensitive to a racial context. But, listen, respect for our fellow citizens is fundamental to why we love Sitka,” he says. “I’m hard-pressed to think of systemic racism [in Sitka] but if there is such a thing, then you need to figure out how to solve it.”

Moving forward Paxton says he’s willing to listen and, if elected, says he will continue to work in the city’s best interest. 

“I try to make good decisions for Sitka as best as I can based on my experience and my knowledge of the town. I care about every bit of it, and I think I have Sitka’s best interest at heart, as best I can.”

Sitka’s municipal election is Tuesday October 6. 

Editor’s Note: In the interest of transparency, David Sam sits on the board of CoastAlaska, a regional nonprofit that provides administrative, technical and editorial services to this station.

A plan to build a 300-ton travelift stalled at the Sitka Assembly table this week. (Pictured: Wrangell’s Ascom boat lift hauls the 98-foot fish-packer St. Jude out of the water May 24, 2014. (Delton Claggett /KSTK)

A plan to build a privately owned marine haulout by next fishing season stalled at the Sitka Assembly table this week (6-30-20). How the city proceeds in the coming months depends on whether it secures a federal grant. 

When assembly members met in special session to review the final bid from SIMS, the Sitka Industrial Marine Shipyard [Web: Formerly WC Enterprises] to build a marine haulout, city administrator John Leach said the revised plan differed from what the city was looking for in its original request for proposals, or RFP.

That included changes to the type of lift they would build, and how the project would be funded. The final plan included the city backing a $375,000 loan for SIMS, and offering a three-year “ramp up” of zero lease payments. But they were still trying to leave room in the contract to pivot if more funding came through.

“That somewhat complicated the entire process, knowing that there’s potential for grant money to be invested versus private investment,” Leach said.  

Leach said the city was hoping to receive an $8.2 BUILD grant from the US Department of Transportation that would fund most of the haul out construction and make the lease and loan agreement unnecessary.

He said the possibility of federal funding was QUOTE “muddying the waters,” and recommended that the assembly reject all bids, wait for a decision from the DOT, and then go back to the drawing board with a more structured RFP.

The city is under pressure to find a solution soon, since the only show in town, Halibut Point Marine, plans to close down its marine haulout operation. No local haulout for boats will be tough on local businesses. Amy Underhill co-owns Underhill Marine, and said while they can go to other towns to get their boats serviced, it’s not ideal. 

“I appreciate that fishermen can go elsewhere to pull their boats, but for us that would mean a trip to Wrangell,” she said. “A couple of weeks living on the boat or in a hotel, transporting crew. Spending a lot of money elsewhere that would have been spent here in Sitka.”

Underhill said she was happy with the SIMS proposal — but there’s been considerable pushback from others in the fishing fleet. SIMS plans to acquire a 300-ton travelift, one that would not service boats smaller than 30 feet. 

Despite the concerns, the GPIP Board advanced the bid to the next stage. Once at the assembly table, however, most assembly members leaned toward rejecting the bid. But, as assembly member Thor Christianson said, that didn’t mean stopping the process. 

“Don’t waste the time,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. We are under a time crunch. I think at this point it’s extremely unlikely we’re going to have it in place before Halibut Point Marine shuts down…at some point we’re going to have to stop talking and start building.”

And Mayor Gary Paxton said, moving forward, city staff should develop two plans over the next few months. One for if they get the grant and one for if they don’t. City staff, he said, should check in with the assembly periodically about their progress. 

“I think the importance of this thing is to get it right, so strategically as much as I would like to have a functional haulout by next June, if it takes us an extra six months to get it but it’s the right thing, and it’s the kind of thing our fishing fleet needs and wants, I think that’s of a greater hierarchy than trying to piecemeal some structure between now and September,” Paxton said.

Ultimately the assembly voted unanimously (5-0) to reject all bids, effectively starting the RFP process over. Leach says the city should receive word about the BUILD grant by September, at which time they’ll issue a new request for proposals.

A plan to build a 300-ton travelift stalled at the Sitka Assembly table this week. (Pictured: Wrangell’s Ascom boat lift hauls the 98-foot fish-packer St. Jude out of the water May 24, 2014. (Delton Claggett /KSTK)

A plan to build a privately owned marine haulout by next fishing season stalled at the Sitka Assembly table this week (6-30-20). How the city proceeds in the coming months depends on whether it secures a federal grant. 

When assembly members met in special session to review the final bid from SIMS, the Sitka Industrial Marine Shipyard [Formerly WC Enterprises] to build a marine haulout, city administrator John Leach said the revised plan differed from what the city was looking for in its original request for proposals, or RFP.

That included changes to the type of lift they would build, and how the project would be funded. The final plan included the city backing a $375,000 loan for SIMS, and offering a three-year “ramp up” of zero lease payments. But they were still trying to leave room in the contract to pivot if more funding came through.

“That somewhat complicated the entire process, knowing that there’s potential for grant money to be invested versus private investment,” Leach said.  

Leach said the city was hoping to receive an $8.2 BUILD grant from the US Department of Transportation that would fund most of the haul out construction and make the lease and loan agreement unnecessary.

He said the possibility of federal funding was QUOTE “muddying the waters,” and recommended that the assembly reject all bids, wait for a decision from the DOT, and then go back to the drawing board with a more structured RFP.

The city is under pressure to find a solution soon, since the only show in town, Halibut Point Marine, plans to close down its marine haulout operation. No local haulout for boats will be tough on local businesses. Amy Underhill co-owns Underhill Marine, and said while they can go to other towns to get their boats serviced, it’s not ideal. 

“I appreciate that fishermen can go elsewhere to pull their boats, but for us that would mean a trip to Wrangell,” she said. “A couple of weeks living on the boat or in a hotel, transporting crew. Spending a lot of money elsewhere that would have been spent here in Sitka.”

Underhill said she was happy with the SIMS proposal — but there’s been considerable pushback from others in the fishing fleet. SIMS plans to acquire a 300-ton travelift, one that would not service boats smaller than 30 feet. 

Despite the concerns, the GPIP Board advanced the bid to the next stage. Once at the assembly table, however, most assembly members leaned toward rejecting the bid. But, as assembly member Thor Christianson said, that didn’t mean stopping the process. 

“Don’t waste the time,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to be done. We are under a time crunch. I think at this point it’s extremely unlikely we’re going to have it in place before Halibut Point Marine shuts down…at some point we’re going to have to stop talking and start building.”

And Mayor Gary Paxton said, moving forward, city staff should develop two plans over the next few months. One for if they get the grant and one for if they don’t. City staff, he said, should check in with the assembly periodically about their progress. 

“I think the importance of this thing is to get it right, so strategically as much as I would like to have a functional haulout by next June, if it takes us an extra six months to get it but it’s the right thing, and it’s the kind of thing our fishing fleet needs and wants, I think that’s of a greater hierarchy than trying to piecemeal some structure between now and September,” Paxton said.

Ultimately the assembly voted unanimously (5-0) to reject all bids, effectively starting the RFP process over. Leach says the city should receive word about the BUILD grant by September, at which time they’ll issue a new request for proposals.

The city is increasing its contribution to Sitka’s public schools this year. When the Sitka Assembly met with the school board Thursday, it approved a $7.6 million dollar contribution. That’s an increase of more than $333,293 from last year.

That figure includes half of what the city anticipates it will receive if federal funding from “Secure Rural Schools” program comes through this year. By the numbers, that’s an estimated $250,000 in federal dollars plus $80,000 from the city. 

Sitka school board president Elias Erickson said the district couldn’t authorize expenditure until they know their total revenue. But he says they’re pleased with the assembly’s support.

“Having a starting point is extremely important. We get it, things change, and there’s a whole lot that we don’t know about too coming down the pipeline from the state,” He said. “Regardless, being able to count on 37 percent of what our revenues are going to be is very important, instead of having to be uncertain about what 100 percent of those revenues are going to be.” 

This time last year, the city’s contribution to local schools was still up in the air, the district was looking at laying off numerous staff as a result of funding cuts at the state level, and school boosters were frustrated. After 120 community members showed up to a special assembly meeting in April, advocating for flat funding, the assembly finally approved a budget with no additional cuts by a single-vote margin. 

But the tone is different this year. On Thursday, most assembly members agreed to fund public schools to the maximum allowed under the cap. That will bump up the city’s contribution by more than 4 percent.

Even so, Sitka Mayor Gary Paxton said the city is not flush with cash. It has aging infrastructure, and most of the city’s departments are getting 2 percent increases — not enough to address deferred maintenance.

“I’m just saying that, in the situation of our current budget, I think this is a sincere and general offer and reflects the support that all assembly members have for the school district,” he said. “We value what you do.” 

There was some dissent. Assembly member Richard Wein said he’s concerned about committing firmly to the school district without knowing “where the city stands financially.” He also had reservations around the school district’s projected $645,000 deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.  

“I agree with the number, but I don’t agree with the process. I don’t think this is good, as they say, business math,” he said. “I don’t think you would instruct the kids in school to spend the money before you had it.” 

School board vice president Amy Morrison said the district, by law, was required to pass a balanced budget. That means they’ll be looking for where to cut to make that happen. 

“So what that $645,000 is, that’s where we are right now, with everything as it is, we have to make cuts equal to $645,000,” she said.

Wein cast the lone vote against funding Sitka’s schools to the maximum allowed under the cap. It passed 6-1.

The assembly’s commitment to the district isn’t fully locked in until a second reading of its final budget, which should happen later this spring.

Superintendent Mary Wegner said she was thankful to the assembly, city staff, and the community for advocating for education funding. She said this was the first time since 2010 that the assembly had pledged to fund to the maximum allowed by the state. And she added that the assembly committing to a funding level this early is a huge relief to the district.

“There was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of trauma, a lot of stress [last year],” she said. “By the city saying up front, here’s a third of your budget, we can actually focus on teaching, on learning and on what we do for students and our families.” 

Of course there’s still some uncertainty the district has to contend with at the state level.  And Wegner said, while the district will be looking to make cuts to make up the deficit, they likely won’t cut teaching positions, since student enrollment decreases have finally leveled off this year.

Sitka’s local government has joined the chorus opposed to exempting Alaska from the US Forest Service Roadless Rule. The Sitka Assembly on Tuesday (11-26-19), passed a resolution in favor of “No Change” to the 2001 federal rule — with only Sitka mayor Gary Paxton in dissent.

One week after the Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee adopted a resolution calling to keep the Roadless Rule fully intact in Southeast Alaska, the Sitka Assembly has followed suit.

At its last regular meeting (11/26/19), the assembly approved a resolution supporting the “No Action” alternative to the US Forest Service’s recent proposal to exempt Alaska from the federal rule.  

The Roadless Rule was put in place in 2001 to limit further development and resource extraction in National Forests to areas which already have roads. Currently, over half of the 16.7 million acre Tongass National Forest is considered roadless.

Assembly members Kevin Knox and Steven Eisenbeisz sponsored the two-page resolution. Knox listed off numerous organizations in favor of the Roadless Rule remaining as is: 

“The list is just on and on and on about the support for keeping the Roadless Rule in Southeast Alaska. It’s a major piece for why we live here,” Knox said, “of what drives our way of life, what drives our economy, and a big piece of why I brought it forward.”

During public comment, 12 people spoke, 11 voicing support for the resolution. Many argued that an exemption could have devastating effects on the Tongass and its resources. But why should the local assembly weigh in on the federal rule? Because an exemption, argued commercial salmon troller Lance Preston, could hurt the local economy. 

“I’d just like the assembly and all of us to consider what would happen to the Sitka economy if salmon fisheries experienced a slow death. Without three processing plants, without the charter fleet attracting clients traveling from all over the country to catch salmon, without the 500 plus commercial salmon fishermen who live in Sitka,” he asked, “would we be able to fund our city?” 

Two demonstrators stood in the back of the room holding signs that said “Let it Be” and “No Action, Alternative 1.”

But one person spoke in favor of an exemption: Teresa Helem, a local business owner who said she is concerned with a dwindling local economy, wants to see more of the national forest opened up for development. 

“The Tongass is 16.8 million acres- it’s the size of West Virginia- how much territory do you need to fish and hunt?” she asked. “16 million acres, that’s a lot. There is room for everything and for everybody.”

During deliberation, Mayor Gary Paxton argued that an exemption to the Roadless Rule would allow for more local control.

“It has to do with having control of your own destiny- when you’re in this Roadless Rule our destiny is going to be decided, in terms of this activity, by forces outside of our town and our state,” said Paxton. “So, my view is this [Roadless Rule] is something that is not constructive for our state.” 

And assembly member Kevin Mosher said he’d gone back and forth on the resolution, but finally decided to vote yes. 

“I do not believe the wholesale exemption will bring, in the end, bring economic development to Sitka because of all of the hurdles that would still be present even if there is a full scale exemption, or wholesale,” Mosher said. “I think that we could solve some of these issues in a more positive way.”

Ultimately the assembly voted 5-1 in favor of the resolution supporting a “No action” alternative, with Paxton opposed.

The Forest Service will continue taking public comment on the proposed Roadless Rule Exemption in Alaska through December 17th. 

Read more coverage of the Tuesday (11/26/19) Sitka Assembly meeting

Listen to the full assembly meeting here

Sitka has a new Planning Director, and one less vacant department head position.

The Sitka Assembly on Tuesday (11-12-19) approved the promotion of Amy Ainslee to the top job in the Planning Department. Ainslee has been working as a Planner 1 since last January — most of that time working solo.

Interim municipal administrator Hugh Bevan said the possibility of Ainslee’s promotion received the enthusiastic support of the Planning Commission, as well as the city’s other department heads — at least, those who are left.

“As you know we have five vacant department head positions now, which is a spectacular number,” Bevan said. “We’re finding that in some areas there’s not a lot of interest because the economy is so strong in the Lower 48, and unemployment is at a 50-year low.”

The other remaining vacancies in city hall are the Community Affairs Director, the Library Director, Human Resources Director, and Electric Department Director.

The assembly supported the promotion. Only member Valorie Nelson shared some reservations.

“But I have had a letter of concern from a member of the public that we’re steamrolling ahead with all these department heads,” said Nelson, “and we do have a new administrator coming in March or April, who may be concerned about some of the decisions. But I’m in favor of this one.”

Ainslee is a graduate of Sitka High School. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2014. Since finishing college, Ainslee has worked as a commercial analyst for BP Exploration in Anchorage, and as a store manager for the Hames Corporation in Sitka.

Members of the public testified in favor of Ainslee’s promotion. The assembly approved the hire unanimously.

Sitka Hires Washington DC Lobbyist

In another matter related to a high-level vacancy, the assembly on Tuesday authorized hiring a Washington DC-based lobbying firm Blank Rome Government Relations at $12,000 a month for ten months.

The money would come from the budgeted salary for Sitka’s Community Affairs Director — which has been vacant since Maegan Bosak left the job last May.

There was consensus on the assembly that lobbying was a necessary evil.

“I’m not a fan of the whole idea of lobbyists,” said member Thor Christianson, “but if they exist — and they do — we gotta have ours. In a sense, federal money is really the only place we’re going to be looking for money in the near future.”

The city has at least a dozen projects in the works that could benefit from federal funding. Interim administrator Hugh Bevan said that his priorities would be renovation of the Green Lake powerhouse, infrastructure to serve the SEARHC and Coast Guard expansion on Japonski Island, and restructuring Blue Lake bond debt.

Sitka Mayor Gary Paxton — himself a former administrator — said that even though Alaska’s congressional delegation kept Sitka’s interests in mind, the city had to stay involved in advocacy.

“But it ain’t going to happen by us disengaging,” Paxton said. “And we have not had the kind of engagement and lobbying in the last year that will be anywhere near as effective in my view as what this firm is able to do.”

Blank Rome will work for Sitka through December 2020. The assembly agreed to spend $117,000 on the contract, provided that the administrator not rehire a community affairs director in the current fiscal year.

Sell or Repair Marine Services Center Dock?

And finally, the Sitka assembly is going to take a hard look at whether to spend serious money to refurbish the Marine Services Center dock in the Sitka Channel.

Under the previous administration, city staff had prepared a request for proposals for a $2.8 million-dollar project to stabilize the sheet-pile sea wall at the center.

Interim administrator Hugh Bevan, who has worked previously as Sitka’s public works director, had reservations about the plan.

“I dusted off my old city engineer hat and actually went out there and spent some time looking at it,” said Bevan, “and I came to the conclusion that $2.8 million was not enough money to make a significant improvement to this wall. And by that I mean: Add 15 years of useful life, and for that we were exhausting the (Marine Services) fund. I just really question whether that’s the best use of our money.”

A condition assessment of the sea wall in 2011 estimated total reconstruction costs from $7- to 8-million dollars. Bevan suggested that the assembly schedule a work session to discuss its options — whether to invest the money to do a proper job, or sell the facility outright to one of the adjacent seafood processors.

Assembly members concurred. They directed the municipal clerk to put a work session on an upcoming meeting agenda.

The annual meeting of the Southeast Conference opened in Sitka on Wednesday morning (9-18-19). The three-day event is the largest gathering of regional government and business leaders. Over three-hundred attendees packed Sitka’s Harrigan Centennial Hall beginning at 8 am to pour over ideas for economic growth in Southeast, and to air their grievances against a governor whom they feel doesn’t understand the people or the region.

Gary Paxton — Welcome to this special and beautiful place…

That’s Sitka mayor Gary Paxton welcoming the Southeast Conference to the community. Paxton is a former municipal administrator in Sitka, and a veteran of many Southeast Conferences. He wasted no time in setting the tone for this year’s meeting. In fact, it took him only 35 seconds to get to the point.

Paxton continues — … and it is a shame that our administration does not understand the importance of our place here in Southeast Alaska. It is a national treasure. And part of that is our ability to interact with each other — specifically, the Alaska Marine Highway System.

The Southeast Conference was founded 58 years ago to help establish the state ferry system. This is the first time in its history that the Conference has had to reckon with a governor who would close it down completely as of October 1. The legislature didn’t let that happen, but the system still took a 30-percent cut to maintain limited service over the winter — leaving many communities in Southeast and Prince William Sound without a ferry for months.

The transportation crisis crosses political and cultural lines in Southeast. Lesa Way, with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, used her opening remarks to call out short-sighted politics.

“There is a saying in our culture that when you give something to somebody, do not see me standing here, but the people who have gone before me, and the people that are coming after,” said Way.

Richard Peterson, who lives in Kasaan and is the president of the Tlingit & Haida Central Council, made the same point, but in the language of economics rather than culture.

“The health and vitality of our communities have grown dependent on this system. And I think it’s something we should really come together on and work on, because I don’t think that some of our communities are going to be able to survive without this ferry system — this ferry system that we love, enjoy, and that does benefit not just Southeast Alaska, but Alaska. And there’s plenty of economic studies that prove that.”

The first morning session wrapped up with remarks from Sitka Sen. Bert Stedman, who co-chairs the senate finance committee. With his hands on the purse strings of the operating budget, Stedman has taken some heat for allowing the ferries to fall victim to Gov. Dunleavy’s draconian funding approach. Stedman, however, told the Conference that because the governor needed only 16 votes in the legislature to block any attempt to override a veto, that it was a stronger play politically to protect K-12 education funding, rather than sink the ferries in a losing veto battle.

“And that was the underlying impetus I had in my office to sit on the other side of the table from all your other elected officials in Southeast dealing with the Marine Highway, ” said Stedman. “And why I was not, as chairman of the operating budget in the senate, going to put a full-loaded Marine Highway budget in front of this governor. Because it would have been suicide for the Marine Highway System, in my opinion.”

On the recent closing of the Marine Highway route to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Stedman also had an opinion.

“From my office and my perspective, I want Prince Rupert more than I want Bellingham,” Stedman said.

Stedman hoped that Prince Rupert could be reintegrated into the ferry system, and suggested that a $2 million supplemental appropriation already passed and signed into the budget, could help resolve the disagreement between the Department of Transportation and US Customs that forced the shutdown of the port. “But we can’t control the DOT — they’re another branch of government,” said Stedman, “but I’m sure we can have some love language to encourage them to work through the issues.”