The Sitka Historical Society is hosting a wine tasting and art display tonight, 7-9 p.m. Friday, March 8, in the main auditorium of Harrigan Centennial Hall. The event will celebrate the Sitka History Museum’s surprising art collection: “From Our Vault: Sitka’s Treasures on Canvas.” Board member John Stein says many of the pieces are from the 1800s and precede the creation of the museum. Other pieces are contemporary works by artists Norm Campbell and Steve Lawrie. Tickets $40, available online.

Raven Radio dedicated a live call-in show on Monday, September 24th to two questions on Sitka’s municipal ballot. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Our third and final election forum on Raven Radio this month shifted away from the people on the ballot – mayoral candidates, assembly candidates, and school board candidates – to policies on the ballot.

There are two questions on Sitka’s municipal ballot October 2nd. Both were put there through a citizen-led petition. KCAW’s Emily Kwong hosted a 90-minute call in show for listeners, supporters, and critics of the ballot questions to air their views. 

PROPOSITION 1: Should the Assembly’s decision to replace the senior sales tax exemption with a low-income rebate program be reversed?

If Proposition No. 1 passes, the senior sales tax exemption will go back on the books. The rebate program for low-income seniors, which begins in 2019, will be canceled.

If Proposition No. 1 does not pass, those over the age of 65 would continue to pay sales tax on their purchases.

During our forum, Shirley Robards and John Stein joined us to share their views on voting “Yes” and “No” to Proposition 1, respectively. Read more about the Assembly’s decision here. Following in Sitka’s footsteps, a similar question will also appear on the ballot in Petersburg. 

Listen to the full 41-minute Prop 1 (Senior Sales Tax) Forum 

Downloadable audio.

PROPOSITION 2: Should Sitka be exempt from Alaska’s statewide ban, which takes effect October 1st? 

If Proposition No. 2 passes, Sitka would be exempt from a statewide smoking ban in certain public places. Smoking would continue inside the Pioneer Bar,  American Legion Post 13, and Ernie’s Old Time Saloon. The Moose Lodge recently banned smoking within their establishment.

If Proposition 2 does not pass, smoking will be banned in those establishments per the new state law (AS 18.35.301-18.35.350). Smokers must take their cigarettes outside at a distance of 10 feet.

During our forum, Margaret Carlson and Doug Osborne joined us to share their views on voting “Yes” and “No” to Proposition 2, respectively. We were also joined by Emily Nenon, Alaska’s Government Relations Director with the American Cancer Society, and Joe Darnell, chief investigator for the state’s tobacco program, to answer technical questions about the new state law. Read more about the debate here. Sitka is the only community in Alaska to put a smoking opt-out question on the local ballot.  

Listen to the full 39-minute Prop 2 (Smoking Ban) Forum

Downloadable audio.

Raven Radio’s 2018 Election Hub

Election Day is Tuesday, October 2nd. Precincts 1 and 2 voters will cast ballots at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Polls will be open on Tuesday, October 2nd from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advanced (in-person) voting is available now weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall until October 1st. If you have questions about the election, call Municipal Clerk Sara Peterson at 747-1811.

In Sitka, voters are considering raising the cap on property taxes from 6 to 8 mills. The Assembly put the question on the ballot at the direction of a Citizens’ Task Force. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

To raise or to not raise the cap? That is the question before Sitka voters today (10-04-16). Proposition 1 asks if Sitka should raise the local limit on property taxes from 6 mills to 8 mills. If the ballot question passes, $1 million of that money would go towards the Electric Fund to help pay off the Blue Lake Dam.

Supporters of Prop 1 say it’s as step in the right direction towards financial stability. But opponents think there are better solutions to resolving the city’s budget deficit. Sitkans from both camps met to air their views last Thursday (09-23-16), during a live call in show hosted by Raven Radio. You can listen to full 90-minute forum here.

Downloadable audio.

As far as mill rates go, Sitka has one of the lowest caps in the state: 6 mills.  It’s been that way since 1990. Back then, Prudhoe Bay was entering peak oil production. Sitka’s roads were freshly paved and the population was steadily increasing. It was a different time for Alaska and for Sitka.

The question on Tuesday’s ballot asks voters to raise the cap from 6 to 8 mills. (CBS Sample Ballot)

John Stein, who is voting “Yes” on Prop 1, argued that times have changed. “It was a history of chronic underfunding of future expenses. There was no plan put in place to refund and repave and rebuild our utilities and our roads and our sidewalks. We enjoyed those years of low mill levies and it’s time to pay the piper,” Stein said.

Sitka is further challenged by diminishing state support. In FY17, Sitka received only $700,000 from the state, compared to $3 million four years ago. If the city budget were a basketball team, that’s like having your center – the guy who catches all the rebounds – catch the flu.

Gary Paxton, Marjorie Parmelee, and Robin Sherman, who joined Stein for the forum, all agreed that Sitka needed to looking within for solutions. “How do we ensure that those people in our town that are incredibly valuable to us can still afford to live here?,” Paxton asked.

But the group disagreed about whether raising property taxes should be a part of Sitka’s overall strategy for making ends meet. The “Yes” and “No” camps differed on three fundamental points: 

1) Can Sitka homeowners afford an 8 mill property tax?

For Marjorie Parmelee, who worked in the city’s Financial Department for 25 years, the answer is no. In her opinion, a two mill bump is too extreme. “I think this whole pill would be lot easier to swallow if we were at 1 millage rate instead of two at a time. 33% is a huge hike at one time. Especially when we’re already reassessing our property,” Parmelee said.

The city is working to bring all of Sitka’s properties up to market value, two thirds of which haven’t been assessed since 2003. When complete, this would generate an additional $1 million in revenue, but the city won’t be seeing that money for four to five years.

Robin Sherman, who is voting “Yes” on the ballot question, pointed out that once property values go up, the Assembly can lower the mill rate. That’s how property taxes work. And, she added, high property values aren’t a bad thing.

“A big part of the value of your home is the attractiveness of your community. And I think part of the reason why property values are so high in Sitka is that this is a really fabulous place to live,” said Sherman.

Sitka has the third highest property values in the state of Alaska, behind Juneau and Anchorage. But at six mills, it has one of the lowest property taxes in the state too. (Image from CBS Zoning Map)

2) Should Sitka shrink the size of city government? What will be lost if it does?

At present, the City and Borough of Sitka has 156 members in 17 departments, which oversee Sitka’s utilities, roads, buildings, harbors, public safety, and other services. Right now, the city administration is forecasting a $2.5 million deficit in the general fund to maintain city government at it’s current level.

Paxton questioned whether Sitka’s needs were that dire and felt that city government could be reduced. “The sky is not falling. This is a time in the next five years  – maybe you’re postponing disaster – that you need to be really prudent about what you do and how you spend your money,” he said.

Some callers agreed that city government should shrink. One cited new vehicles in the city’s fleet and capital projects as examples of exorbitant city spending.  Other callers disagreed, asserting that the city can be trusted to spend its money wisely and that too much was at stake if Sitka reduced further, such as the quality of the school or the safety of the roads.

The prospect of returning to gravel roads was unacceptable for Stein, who is the former Mayor of Wasilla. “Up in the northland, we couldn’t maintain roads that had more than 300 vehicles a day on them. There’s issues like dust and grit and dirt and all that kind of thing when roads deteriorate. I think that’s a huge quality of life issue,” he said.

Right now, the city administration is forecasting a $2.5 million deficit in the general fund to maintain city government at it’s current level. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

3) Is raising property taxes the best way to resolve the city’s budget deficit? 

For Paxton, the answer is no. He’d prefer to see the sales tax be 6% year-round. For Sherman, sales taxes hikes hurt local business and and low income families. Property taxes, she argued, are more equitable. 

But the real reason she supports the measure is because if it passes, the Assembly will dedicate one mill of revenue to the electric fund to assist with paying off the Blue Lake Dam. That infusion would buffer the need for an electric rate increase beyond 5% this year.

Sherman is worried that if electric rates aren’t tempered and the winters remain warm, it will be lights out in Sitka in more ways than one.

“The dam is the big expensive item but generation is useless if your distribution system is falling apart. So I don’t want to skimp on the maintenance that we need because I want to know that my lights and my refrigerator and my heating system are going to work,” Sherman said.

This notion, though, of bailing out the electric fund with money from property taxes – not utility payments, bothered Parmelee. “Enterprise funds need to support themselves. That’s the whole goal. That’s the whole way government is set up. Are we setting a precedent?,” Parmelee asked.

Completed in 2014, the Blue Lake dam cost $154 million. The dam was mostly paid through bonds, which the city must pay down annually through 2049. (Photo courtesy of Lance Ewers).

Now, if the ballot question on Tuesday passes and the Assembly raises rates by 5% next week, Sitka will be able to close the budget gap for the electric fund.

But what about next year? In an e-mail to KCAW, Utility Director Bryan Bertacchi said that if electric usage continues to decline, FY18 may demand a rate increase up to 15%. The Blue Lake dam is just that expensive and a huge part of the reason why Sitka finds itself in a tough spot: having to pay it’s biggest bill with less money than it’s had in decades.

Paxton, for his part, felt that that next five or ten years will be tough, but that Sitka can pull through. “Listen, Sitka’s best days are still ahead and we’re going to sort this baby out,” he said. Especially, he quipped, if the city is blessed with a cold winter. 

Gary Paxton, Robin Sherman, Marjorie Parmelee, and John Stein join KCAW’s Emily Kwong to talk about the pros and cons of Proposition 1, which would raise the cap on property taxes from 6 to 8 mills. (Emily Russell/KCAW photo)

Last Thursday (09-22-16), Raven Radio hosted a live, call-in show devoted to Proposition 1. That’s the ballot question asking Sitkans if the city should amend the charter to raise the cap on the mill rate from 6 mills to 8 mills.

We invited four Sitkans – Gary Paxton, Robin Sherman, John Stein, and Marjorie Parmelee – to talk about how they’ll be voting and their perspective on Sitka’s financial pressures, including property values, electric rates, the Blue Lake Dam, and the cost of living.

Proposition 1 Forum (Full Audio – 90 minutes)

Downloadable audio.

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Raven Radio has also broken up forum audio by section, so you can weigh the pros and cons of the ballot question yourself. Election Day is Tuesday, October 4th.

Background on Proposition 1: What is it? 

Downloadable audio.

The question on Tuesday’s ballot.

If passed, the local limit on property taxes (i.e.”the cap”) would increase from 6 mills to 8 mills. That means that if the Assembly decided to levy an 8 mill tax this year, instead of paying $6 for every $1000 a property is valued, property owners would pay $8. To determine how tax would change for an individual property, use this calculator on the city’s website.

If the ballot question passes, the Assembly will dedicate one mill of property tax revenue (that’s roughly $1 million) to the electric fund. Their goal is to use this money to stabilize the fund and keep this year’s electric rate increase at 5%. This spring, a Citizens’ Task Force recommended raising property taxes as well. 

If the ballot question does not pass, electric rates will go up by 11-20%. The electric department is in crisis because customers are using less – and thereby paying less – for the city’s hydropower. The electric fund is $2-$3 million short of where it needs to be to keep up with bond payments on the Blue Lake Dam and address maintenance needs.

How the Panelists Will be Voting

Robin Sherman and John Stein are voting “Yes.” Gary Paxton and Marjorie Parmelee are voting “No.” Here are their reasons why.

Downloadable audio.

Sales Tax: Is that a better alternative for Sitka? 

Gary Paxton proposes extending the sales tax to 6% year-round, which would require a citizen vote. This would generate $667,000 for the city. Robin Sherman argues against raising the sales tax. 

Downloadable audio.

Property Taxes: Is it time to raise the cap? And how do Sitka’s property values compare to other municipalities in Alaska? 

Of the twelve boroughs in the state of Alaska that have a property tax cap, Sitka’s is the one of the lowest: 6 mills. The cap was set in 1990, meaning property taxes haven’t raised in Sitka in over 25 years.

A breakdown of how Sitka’s taxes compared to other communities. Sitka has low property taxes, but a somewhat high sales tax. (Data from CBS Assessing Department)

Downloadable audio.

Electric Rates: How High is Too High for Sitka? 

The Assembly will be raising the electric rates this year. If the ballot question passes, the rate increase will likely be 5% – from 12 cents/kwhr to 14  cents/kwhr. But it may continue to increase if the electric fund does not generate more revenue by way of new customers and  increased load.

To help the electric fund, the Assembly agreed to another 5% increase this year. That would bring rates to 14.03 kwhr/month (on average). This would make utilities in Sitka more expensive than Juneau and Ketchikan. (Graph from CBS Utility Department)

Downloadable audio.

City Government: Is Sitka’s government too big, too small, or just right?

For its population and location, Sitka’s government is moderate in size. This year, the Assembly reduced city government by $1 million – which cut 4.5 positions (some through attrition) from various departments, including the police and fire departments, and saw closure of the library on Sundays. How much further should Sitka reduce city government? And what impact would have have to quality of life?

For its population and location, Sitka’s government is moderate in size. But could it be smaller, in services or personnel? The forum participants considered the options. (Table by Emily Kwong/KCAW)

Downloadable audio.

Blue Lake Dam: How do you want the city to address the bond debt for the Blue Lake Dam?

A significant proportion of the city’s budget deficit is due to the Blue Lake Dam. The bond covenant requires Sitka to generate 125% of operating costs and pay only interest on the bonds until 2030.  But, the city is struggling to keep up with those bond payments because electric usage has dropped significantly. For more information about the Blue Lake Dam shortfall, click here.

In the four years since the dam was approved, usage has declined to 104 million kwhr/year. With customers using less, the city is short several million dollars to keep up with bond payments. (Graph from CBS Utility Department)

Downloadable audio.

If the ballot question does not pass, what other sources of revenue should the City and Borough of Sitka pursue?

As one caller points out, property taxes are not the only tool for fixing Sitka’s FY18 budget deficit, which the city projects will be $3.5 million ($2.5 million for the general fund and $1.5 million for the electric fund)

The Assembly could reduce the size of government, levy other kinds of taxes, tap other funds and reserves, and pursue ventures that would generate revenue. The panelists shared their thoughts on where else Sitka should look for the money it needs.

Downloadable audio.

Affordability Challenges and Final Thoughts

Gary Paxton, Robin Sherman, John Stein, and Marjorie Parmelee, along with listeners, offer their final thoughts on Proposition 1. A landlord calls in to say he’ll be voting “Yes” and does not plan to pass along any increase in property tax to his tenant. Another caller says the city has been wasteful with its spending.

Downloadable audio.

Election day is Tuesday, October 4th. Precinct 1 voters will cast ballots at Grace Harbor Church on Halibut Point Road across from SeaMart. Precinct 2 voters at St. Gregory’s on Lincoln Street. Polls will be open on Tuesday, October 4th  from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Several local pastors, including Fr. Michael Boyle of St. Michael’s Cathedral of Sitka, Rev. Julie Platon of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and Rev. Sandra Hammett of United Methodist Church, brought flowers to the water in memory of those lost. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Sitka held its Blessing of the Fleet last Sunday (4-10-16). As the fishing community gears up for another busy season on the water, the annual ceremony bids safe passage to departing vessels and remembers those lost at sea.

The blessing came days after a local kayaker, Jesse Mills, went missing and the Coast Guard called off the search. His wife, Amy Fyrdundel and daughter Violet were present, surrounded by friends who laid flowers as a bell tolled in his memory.

Downloadable audio.

John Stein: Quite a number of folks have gathered for the Blessing of the Fleet. And we have assembled representatives from most every church in the community who will lead us in remembering and respecting the folks who have lost their lives over the years working on the sea.

Mary Todd Anderson, President of Southeast Alaska Women in Fisheries (SEAWIF): I just think people really feel a power greater than this world and they like to feel that their boats are blessed, their gear is blessed, and they’re blessed. Each day is a special gift of life and I think it’s just a reminder to take it easy. Grab an extra life jacket. Just be careful out on the boats. And make sure you show your appreciation for everybody you love every day.

Sitkans gather at Crescent Harbor Shelter on a warm day in April for the annual Blessing of the Fleet. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Pastor Sandra Rudd, Sitka Lutheran Church: So we’ll ask you to come forward at the reading of the names to place flowers in the baskets. [The baskets will] be there with us during the blessing ceremony. hen we’ll take them down to the boat and disperse them on the sea.

(Reading of names as bell tolls)

As local pastors read names of the deceased, Sitkans placed flowers in a basket at Crescent Harbor. The flowers were dispersed at sea. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Anne Lankenau: I went up and there was the bucket with all the different colored flowers. I’m kind of a fan of yellow – yellow daisies. I just picked up a cluster of yellow daisies and gently put it into the basket next to it. And in my mind I just said a little prayer for all those people who don’t have someone here to remember them.

(Reading of names as bell tolls)

Lankenau: I’ve come here before when someone I knew died months ago and they didn’t die on the water, but I was just thinking of the families.

Anderson: We’ve been asked by Amy, who is here and whose husband is lost at sea…that’s the word she wants to use. And it helps her today. We love you Amy. We’re here for you, okay?

Anderson: Amy really wanted her husband’s name mentioned today and she wanted the word “lost at sea” and for us to be there for her. Just the pain…I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless. But that a lot of us have gone through things where we lost someone. We’re a team in Sitka. People are so friendly, so kind so giving here.

Pastors (all): God bless all the boats in all the harbors of Sitka.

Crowd (all): Graciously behold your servants, that all perils being done away they may by favorable course come a fair haven. And their work being done, they return to their homes in safety. Amen.

(Amazing Grace music)

Friends of Jesse Mills began this collection page in Chico, California. 

Slideshow: Blessing of the Fleet 2016

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Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel

In November 20, 2015, a host of talented Sitkans with the GSAC Sitka Community Theater put on a production of four live radio dramas at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.

Included in the production are two original plays by Zachary Desmond, “Milktown 1999,” and Rebecca Poulson “A Fairy Tale,” a re-telling of the classic “Pride and Prejudice,” directed by Stefanie Ask, and a romantic comedy with a twist, “For Business Reasons,” directed by Shira Kahan. Sound effects were designed by Marybeth Palof, Dan Palof, Jessica Menary, and Angelo Cannizzaro. So, pull up a chair, a cup of hot cocoa, and tune in to something other than Netflix on a cold December night.

A recording of this performance will air on December 15, 2015 – at 7PM on KCAW Sitka. Tune 104.7 FM or 90.1 FM, or stream live here. 

EACH OF THE FOUR PLAYS:

For Business Reasons, from the series “Romance,” aired Jan. 1, 1949

Downloadable audio.

Starring William E. Davis, Peter Apathy, Emily Kwong, Marcy Drake, Hilloah Courtney, Ayla McNeilley. Music by Greta Healy. Directed by Shira Kahan.

A Fairy Tale, written and directed by Rebecca Poulson

Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel

Downloadable audio.

Starring Tamie Parker Song and Christian Litten. Directed by Rebecca Poulson.

Milk Town 1999, written and directed by Zachary Desmond

Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel

Downloadable audio.

Starring Seaton Bryan, Rhiannon Guevin, Tamie Parker Song, and Andrew Marius. Music by Sarah Swong and Stacy Evans. Directed by Zachary Desmond. 

Pride and Prejudice, from the series “Romance,” aired May 28, 1947

Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel

Downloadable audio.

Starring Jude Reis, Sotera Perez, John Stein, Brielle Schaeffer, Christian Litten, Adam Litten, Blossom Twitchell, and Mary Barrett. Directed by Stefanie Ask. 

This performance was organized by Sitka Community Theater, a project of the Greater Sitka Arts Council, with sponsorship from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Alaskan Dream Cruises, and Raven Radio.

Sound Effects by Marybeth Palof, Dan Palof, Jessica Menary, and Angelo Cannizzaro

Directed by Shira Kahan, Rebecca Poulson, Zachary Desmond, and Stefanie Ask

Production and lights by Shannon Haugland

Technical direction, lighting design, and visual effects by J Bradley

Sound by Max Kritzer

Stage Managment by Tom Hesse

Video by Lucy Poulson and J Bradley

KCAW Radio Production by Rebecca Danon

The radio theater show featured a 1950s Western, a Sherlock Holmes holiday mystery, and four original plays by John Longenbaugh. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

On Saturday, December 6th, 2014, a 24-member cast and 9-member crew staged an evening of live radio drama at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.

Directors Suzan Brawnlyn and Megan Pasternak chose a variety of plays, including a classic Western, a Sherlock Holmes mystery set during the holidays, and four original works by Seattle-based playwright John Longenbaugh. Gather round, close your eyes and listen closely…

A recording of this performance will air on Christmas Day – December 25th, 2014 – at 8PM on KCAW Sitka. Tune 104.7 FM or 90.1 FM, or stream live here. 

THE FULL SHOW:

Downloadable audio.

EACH OF THE SIX PLAYS:

Wild Jack Rhett, from the series “Escape,” aired Dec. 17, 1950

The cast of Wild Jack Rhett, a 1950 Western about a sheriff who shakes up the town of Red Mesa. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

Downloadable audio.

Starring Emeterio Hernandez, Adam Litten, Seaton Bryan, Erin Fulton, Emily Kwong, John Stein, Ira Snelling, Angelo Cannizzaro, and Mary Barrett. Music by Celia Lubin. Directed by Megan Pasternak.

In the Trees, by John Longenbaugh

“In the Trees” is the tale of three sloths, hanging on a limb, until one begins to lose his grip. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

We’re high in the tree canopy of the South American rain forest, upwards of 60 feet above the forest floor.

Part 1: It’s a lovely late afternoon. Hanging on one long tree limb are three large sloths: Oliver, Cynthia and Albert. Oliver is hanging between Albert and Cynthia. He has just woken up with a start.

Downloadable audio.

Part 2: Same setting as before, but eight years later. Oliver fell out of the tree. Two of the sloths, Albert and Cynthia, are hanging from the same limb.

Downloadable audio.

Starring Phil Horton, Tracy Turner, and Jay Sweeney. Directed by Suzan Brawnlyn. 

Facecookie, by John Longenbaugh

In this original play by John Longenbaugh, Facebook is no laughing matter. And neither are cookies. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

Two men, two women, all at their computers. It’s Sunday afternoon on Facebook.

Downloadable audio.

Starring Luciano Cannizzaro, Rachel Waldholz, Addie Fowler, and Phil Horton. Directed by Megan Pasternak. 

New World Under, by John Longenbaugh

“New World Under” is fresh take on the myth of Persephone, the man who wooed her to the underworld, and her overprotective mother. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

A retelling of the Persephone myth which explains the changing of the seasons, from spring to fall and winter.

Downloadable audio.

Starring Jessica Menary, Zack Desmond, and Stefanie Ask. Directed by Suzan Brawnlyn.

Sherlock Holmes: The Night Before Christmas, from the Sherlock Holmes series on the Mutual Broadcasting Company. Aired Dec. 24, 1945.

The full cast of Sherlock Holms: The Night Before Christmas. Several actors took on multiple characters, from children to cab drivers to criminals. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

Downloadable audio.

Starring Emeterio Hernandez,  Calvin Drake, Janet Drake, Luciano Cannizzaro, Athena Hughes, Bethany Boyer-Rechlin, Jack Petersen, Zeke Blackwell, and Seaton Bryan. Music by Celia Lubin. Directed by Suzan Brawnlyn. 

This performance was organized by Sikta Community Theater, with sponsorship from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Alaskan Dream Cruises, and the Greater Sitka Arts Council. 

Directed by Suzan Brawnlyn and Megan Pasternak

Produced by Shannon Haugland

Technical Direction by J Bradley and Monica Ague

Sound Effects by Jeanne Stolberg, Mary Beth Palof, and Karen Upcraft

Sound by John Herchenrider

Lights by Moncia Ague

Visual Effects by Phil Horton and J Bradley

Stage Managment by Tom Hesse

KCAW Radio Production by Emily Kwong 

The 24-member cast extends a thank you to lighting and sound crew as they take their bows. (Mike Hicks/KCAW photo)

Sitka City Administrators past and present discuss the city’s challenges at a live town hall meeting. From left to right: Mark Gorman, John Stein, Gary Paxton and Hugh Bevan. (KCAW photo/Rachel Waldholz)

It was billed as a chance to hash out some big, serious issues. How can the city balance a growing demand for services with flat or declining revenue? Should we raise taxes? Cut services? Grow the economy? And how?

Last week (Thu 2-27-2014), Sitka’s current City Administrator, Mark Gorman, invited three of his predecessors –  Gary Paxton, Hugh Bevan, and John Stein – to join him for a live, public town hall meeting before an audience of about 35 residents, to discuss how to tackle some of the major challenges ahead for the city. The event was broadcast live on Raven Radio.

Listen to iFriendly audio.

But the night started out on a simpler note:

“I was going to say, everybody raise your hand who doesn’t recycle, but don’t do that,” said Paxton, who was city administrator for nine years, 1992 to 2001. “But listen,  If you don’t recycle, dang it, recycle!”

It might seem like a small issue, but Paxton argued that engaging citizens, in ways both large and small, has always been the key to meeting Sitka’s challenges.

When the city clearly explains a need, he said, residents rise to the occasion.

“The good news is that our citizens, in my view, have always come to the needs of the city government in our town, when the need is there,” Paxton said.

For instance, he said, when the pulp mill closed during his tenure, residents voted to increase the sales tax from four to five percent to keep the city budget afloat.

The panel split over the question of deferred maintenance, the amount the city has to pay to keep up basic infrastructure. Gorman said the city will need $97-million dollars to cover deferred maintenance over the next 20 years.

“We all talk about well maybe it’s time to let our roads go back to gravel,” he said. “We’re not even putting enough aside to take care of gravel roads.”

But Hugh Bevan, who served as city administrator from 2003 to 2005, said the situation is not nearly so dire.

“I think we need to keep one foot on the ground with this whole deferred maintenance thing,” Bevan said. “I’ve been fortunate to live in a lot of little towns in Alaska in the last forty years, and Sitka is in really great shape….You’re building an $11-million addition to this building, a brand new library, we just paid cash for a fire station, putting brand new roofs on everything…I think we’ve sort of spooked ourselves with this whole deferred maintenance [concern].”

Bevan said that one way to address road repairs is through public-private partnerships, in which local neighborhoods band together to pitch in 25% of the cost of their local street work.

John Stein, who served as administrator from 2005 to 2008, said Sitka has seen that process work before.

“That’s how Sitka’s roads were built,” Stein said. “A third was the city, a third was one side of the street, a third was the other side of the street, and we used state money, so a lot of that 1970 construction was shared costs.”

Stein also pointed out that Sitka has enjoyed about forty years  of low property taxes, and maybe that era has to come to an end.

Resident Anne Pollnow proposed a different option, instead: rescinding the senior sales tax exemption.

“I know it’s never popular,” Pollnow said. “It’s been proposed at assembly meetings and it always gets shot down, and I feel very brave right now, coming forward with that, but I am, because I am having a really hard time.”

Many in the audience agreed with Pollnow. Others said that seniors living on fixed incomes are already stretched too thin, and getting rid of the exemption could drive them out of town.

One thing everyone agreed upon was the need for more affordable housing. Sitka resident Eric Jordan said the city’s biggest asset is its beautiful location and vibrant community — but that many people who would otherwise flock to Sitka are locked out by the price of homes.

“Fishermen from around this region – I know several including my own son – they would love to live here, if they could afford it,” Jordan said.

Current city administrator Mark Gorman said he recognized the importance of talking about some of these issues informally, before the assembly begins its annual — and often stressful — budget process. He referred to his three predecessors as an important asset for the community, and said that he personally had learned a lot.

And also, he said, to laughter, “Dang it. Recycle. It makes you feel good.”

Hannah Guggenheim recently released a four-and-a-half minute documentary about the project called “Energy Independence for our Future.”

The film is narrated by former city administrator John Stein.

The public will have two opportunities in the near future to learn first hand about the $142-million project. Thursday May 9 at 5:30 PM in Harrigan Centennial Hall, consulting engineer Paul Carlson will give a slide show on the project.

A public tour will be offered Sunday May 19, leaving on buses from Harrigan Centennial Hall at 1 PM. Reserve a seat on the tour.