Juneau Assembly Meeting Summary: November 17, 2025

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly convened for its regular meeting on November 17, 2025, to address routine approvals, public testimony on critical local issues including the Telephone Hill development and election procedures, and several ordinances regarding airport safety equipment and ski area franchises. While the assembly successfully approved several non-controversial items, significant deliberation occurred regarding Ordinance 2025-1-C (Ranked Choice Voting), which was tabled indefinitely following public opposition and committee concern regarding the timing relative to budget constraints.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the October 27, 2025, regular assembly meeting minutes unanimously.
• Added "Alaskan Coffee Pot" (currently licensed) to the consent agenda after it was moved from new business, based on the recommendation to approve their license renewal.
• Adopted the amended consent agenda as a whole.

Public Comments & Testimony

Telephone Hill & Community Development

• Joshua Adams (Incremental Developer): Expressed full support for legalizing building and reining in Community Development, stating the agency has become "high-handed" and "self-absorbed." He argued that weaponizing building codes has criminalized individual citizens and that the city competes unfairly with the private sector, worsening labor shortages.
• Catherine Fritz (Architect): Expressed opposition to the demolition approach (Concept C) for Telephone Hill, urging the council to explore Concept D (infill). She argued that Concept C involves significant financial and social risks, discards the neighborhood's history, and fails to maintain the scale and character of the community.
• Larry Talley (Resident): Urged the city to winterize Telephone Hill buildings to keep options open, arguing against immediate demolition. He noted that Concept D received substantial support in surveys and represents a lower-risk alternative to the vacant lot outcome of Concept C.
• Carol Bookless (Resident, Douglas): Expressed concern that the city was ignoring constituent wishes regarding Telephone Hill, drawing a parallel to the recent rejection of a new city hall and tax sales tax cuts. She criticized the $5 million demolition budget, noting the buildings are valued at $3 million.
• John Ingalls (Former Resident): Expressed support for restoring restorable houses on Telephone Hill rather than demolishing them. He advocated for a "win-win" approach that includes adding smaller housing units like garden apartments to the existing neighborhood.
• Bruce Simonson (Resident, Star Hill): Opposed the current irreversible direction on Telephone Hill, suggesting the assembly is conflating the asset of Telephone Hill with the broader housing problem. He urged the city to winterize the buildings as a stewardship measure immediately and form a working group to explore alternatives.

Election Procedures (Ranked Choice Voting)

• Angela Rodell: Expressed opposition to Ordinance 2025-1-C, arguing that changing election procedures requires a public ballot initiative to honor democratic consent.
• Michael Reeder: Stated that if RCV passes, the assembly must prioritize accessibility features like large font and plain English instructions to support voters with impairments or limited English proficiency.
• Dave Hannah: Expressed strong opposition, stating RCV is a "solution looking for problems that don't exist" in Juneau and will lead to discarded ballots, confusion, and higher costs.
• Joe Geldoff: Argued that RCV is a "gimmick" and unnecessary for local non-partisan elections, asserting that the assembly has more pressing priorities like housing and affordability.
• Tom Dienst (Poll Worker): Urged the assembly to vote against the ordinance based on high rates of rejected ballots in state RCV elections. He emphasized the need for a public ballot initiative if the change is proceeding.
• Frank Bergström: Expressed opposition, stating that RCV violates the "one person, one vote" principle.
• Beth McEwen (Retired City Clerk): Expressed opposition, arguing that local non-partisan elections do not require RCV and that implementing it now would confuse voters across multi-seat and single-seat races.
• Shannon Green: Expressed concern over the lack of public engagement in the RCV process, noting the assembly had previously changed election methods without significant public input.
• Roger Calloway: Expressed opposition, stating RCV is confusing, expensive, and unnecessary as Juneau already struggles with low candidate turnout and high implementation costs.

Other Public Comments

• William Quayle: Requested the reduction of "certificate of convenience" and harbor fees to $20 each to assist pedicab drivers facing high liability insurance costs ($5,300/year).

Discussion Items

Ordinance 2025-1-C: Ranked Choice Voting

• Manager's Office: The ordinance, proposed by Assembly Member Adkison, would implement ranked choice voting for single-member races starting in the October 6, 2026 municipal election.
• Assembly Consideration: Assembly Member Adkison initially expressed strong support for RCV as a means to handle races with many candidates and avoid split votes, acknowledging the city's general support for RCV at the state level.
• Objection: However, Adkison subsequently cited the severe budget cuts and impending layoffs as reasons why the timing was inappropriate, moving to table the ordinance indefinitely.
• Final Action: The motion to table was adopted by unanimous consent.

Ordinance 2025-4-1: Eagle Crest Ski Area Franchise

• Discussion: The ordinance authorizes a five-year franchise agreement with Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, LLC (DBA Kawanti Adventures) to operate the Alaska Zipline Adventure Canopy Tour at Eagle Quest. The update is intended to adjust the timeframe to allow for funding improvements.
• Outcome: No public testimony was received. The assembly adopted the ordinance by unanimous consent.

Ordinance 2025-01 B-P: Wetlands Rescue Vehicle

• Discussion: The assembly considered appropriating $320,200 (funded by FAA AIP and Airport Capital Reserve) to purchase a Marsh Master MM2 MX vehicle for emergency response in wetlands/tide lands. The vehicle will be stored indoors and floats to traverse ice and harsh terrain. It is required for FAA compliance regarding mass casualty event response.
• Debate: Assembly Member Steininger objected, stating that from a fire department perspective, the equipment does not appear necessary at this time.
• Tally: The motion passed with 6 yes votes (Mayor, Wall, Kelly, Hughes Scandis, Adkisson, Hall, Brooks) and 2 no votes (Steininger, Delgado's budget objection noted but vote not attributed to Delgado). Note: The transcript states "six yes and two nays," with Steininger being the sole objector who called for a roll call; the Mayor, Adkison, and others voiced their votes. (Correction: The transcript explicitly lists: Mayor, Wall, Kelly, Adkison, Hall, Brooks as "Yes" and Steininger as "No" plus the objector who called roll, but the roll call count was "six yes and two nays" implying another vote was "No" or the transcript summary of the count included the objector twice or a silent vote. Based on the text "Motion passes with two yes and six. Sorry, six yes and two nays," we record 6-2).

Ordinance 2025-01 B-Q: Motor Grader and Vacuum Truck

• Discussion: Appropriate $1,097,875 for new airport snow removal equipment. The new grader has a swept width of 8 feet compared to the current 2 feet, making it four times faster. It replaces aging equipment that is maintenance-heavy and poses safety hazards when down.
• Outcome: No objections were raised. The assembly adopted the ordinance by unanimous consent.

Hardship and Senior/Disabled Veteran Exemptions

• Discussion: The assembly reviewed nine late-filed applications for real property tax exemptions for hardship, senior, or disabled veteran status.
• Outcome: The assembly unanimously accepted and referred all nine applications (Estegoy, Giles, Lewis, Olsen, Sam's, Harris, Mulik, Polk, Potter) as eligible.

Key Outcomes

• Tabled Indefinitely: Ordinance 2025-1-C (Ranked Choice Voting) was tabled indefinitely due to timing concerns amidst budget cuts.
• Adopted: Ordinance 2025-4-1 (Eagle Crest Franchise) approved unanimously.
• Adopted: Ordinance 2025-01 B-P (Wetlands Rescue Vehicle) passed 6-2.
• Adopted: Ordinance 2025-01 B-Q (Motor Grader and Vacuum Truck) approved unanimously.
• Approved: Nine late-filed tax exemption applications were accepted.
• Appointments:
  • Reappointed Marion Call and Nick Waldo; appointed Ariel Haas Zamiudo to the Junior Commission on Sustainability (2026-2028).
  • Reappointed Linda Kruger and Diane Kaiser; appointed Rhonda Ward and John Brett to the Juno Commission on Aging.
  • Appointed Melissa Beadle and James Green (owner seats) and reappointed Trenton English (labor seat) to the Juneau Economic Development Council (until Oct 31, 2028).
• Committee Scheduling: Interview dates for the Empowered Board are tentatively set for December 17th.
• Next Meetings: December 6th retreat scheduled for budget direction; December 10th Downtown Business Association meeting; December 17th/18th board interviews.;