Thank you, Deputy Mayor Smith.

Miss Hugh Scandis.

Here.

Ms.

Wall.

Mr.

Kelly.

Here.

Ms.

Adkinson is absent.

Mr.

Steininger?

Here.

Miss Hall.

Here.

Mr.

Brooks?

Madam Mayor?

Here.

You have Corma, look out for Miss Adkisson online.

Thank you, Miss Hendrix.

Today.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor Smith.

Resolution 4038, a resolution of the city and borough of Juneau declaring a local emergency in response to this December 2025 to January 2026 winter storm and a request for state and federal assistance.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Mr.

Acting Manager.

Or Mr.

Deputy Manager, please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Deputy Mayor.

My apologies for not having a manager's report in the in the packet today.

This uh has been an all-hands-on-deck situation.

This resolution declares a local disaster.

Um it was made um was it just yesterday um by the manager and mayor in concert with uh President Peterson from Clinkett and Haida.

Um we uh have exhausted public uh resources.

Um we have been very fortunate uh to have many partners um assisting us already prior to this declaration um at the state uh and other local partner agencies and uh this this declaration um avails uh us avails to us more resources uh from the state to address our critical public infrastructure um across the borough uh primarily focused on snow load clearing drainage assistance um opening up uh uh access to fire hydrants, stormwater infrastructure, and um last but but also critically uh avalanche monitoring forecasting and mitigation should that become necessary.

Um I recommend you approve this adopt this resolution.

Thank you, Mr.

Deputy Manager.

Um no apologies necessaries have been focused on the things that need to get done.

Um before I bring it to the assembly for action, just because this is obviously moving quickly, uh, I will open it up to the questions from the assembly if any has any for staff.

We have some others in the room, but any questions from the assembly on this resolution?

Mr.

Steininger.

Um, Deputy Mayor.

Um for you, Mr.

Barr.

So you said public um public infrastructure.

Um one of the concerns we've gotten from you know lots of emails from the public is uh uh more in the way of individual assistance and whether disaster declaration would enable um direct assistance to homeowners.

Can you speak to that and why that's not included here?

I can thank you for the question, Assemblymember Steininger.

Um we've uh asked this question uh a number of times uh of the state, and uh the the answer has been that um uh the declaration and assistance from the state uh is is unfortunately not available uh to help uh clear snow from private uh residences or commercial properties.

Um that that simply isn't uh isn't a service uh that we can that we can request um and that if we did request that that would be made available um to our community.

We certainly empathize and understand uh with with the challenge that uh we all as a community face um in uh caring for uh our own property and and keeping it safe um and in clearing what has been an unprecedented amount of snow and now uh ice and water uh from uh our own properties, and of course we uh as uh CBJ staff are very focused on um uh getting that done for the critical infrastructure that we all as a community rely on.

Um folks have asked us about the individual assistance program.

Um that was a topic that we touched on in our media availability that we just concluded, and folks can certainly listen to that.

Uh I believe K2 recorded it, um, and folks can find that on their website.

But the short answer to that is the individual assistance program is something that that is requestable uh through a disaster declaration.

Um it does require damage to have occurred uh and in significant fashion um for for it to likely be approved.

If we start to see that uh from uh a private or commercial perspective, um that is definitely something we'll explore.

I think it is also worth noting, however, that the state's disaster relief fund is um nearly or or potentially completely, I'm not sure, exhausted.

And that is a factor, right?

We have to consider uh finances when we are uh dealing with emergencies, local finances.

The state too has to consider state finances in in responding to emergencies.

And the state has faced more emergency declarations.

Well, I don't know that I can say more uh in any given time period, but there have been many uh disasters statewide uh this year that have strained state resources.

Thank you.

And I I should state that there was no one signed up for public testimony online.

There was no one signed up in the room, and I don't believe I'm seeing anyone who wants to sign up for public testimony.

So we're done with public testimony on the item.

Uh, Madam Mayor, I see your hand raised.

Well, thank you, uh, Mr.

Deputy Mayor.

Um appreciate the opportunity to ask question.

This is really not really to the resolution, but I've been asked by a few people today.

We have been granted permission from DEC emergency permission to dump our snow in the channel.

Um, is that also allowed for individuals?

Thank you for the question, Madam Mayor.

I believe the answer to that question is no.

Um, I will follow up.

Uh, and if that answer is different, we will communicate that.

Any further questions from the assembly?

Ms.

Wall.

Um, thank you.

Um, Deputy Mayor Smith.

I, you know, um understand the state can't come in and shovel off people's roofs.

You know, when we saw the flood, we saw kind of a lot of assistance from formal and informal volunteer groups who were, you know, helping um impacted homeowners.

Are we aware of anything happening in our community?

It's more form anything kind of formal that is being organized to support folks who who do need help right now.

Thank you for the question, Assembly Member Wall.

Um, we are certainly aware of a great deal of um, I'll frame it as neighbors helping neighbors activities that are that are going on right now.

Uh, we see that every day um just out and about in the field.

And um, and and and it is it is heartening, right?

Juno is a community that that comes together and supports each other in times of emergencies.

We've seen that time and time again through the pandemic, through the floods, and now through this event.

Um, we um have have been engaging in conversations with some of our partner agencies um about uh whether it may be uh feasible or plausible to formalize some of those efforts, um, specifically the United Way is one agency that has done that work in the past.

Um nothing, nothing beyond the kind of neighbor to neighbor piece so far, though.

Ms.

Hall.

Yeah, thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Um, and to follow up on that, uh, I had someone ask me today, you know, in one community they cited there was uh, I don't know if it was a Facebook page or some community forum where people could say, hey, I need help with this, and then someone would reach out and respond.

And so then uh so is there uh would the United Way or Red Cross or one of our partner agencies be willing to stand up a similar uh kind of formal way to get the need out there and and let folks respond.

Thank you, Assembly Member Hall.

We'll we'll certainly ask that question.

I think one of the challenges of those groups, one of the challenges that we have in in um that we have faced in the past, and I would predict we would face again, is that it requires a great deal of um staff capacity to manage um those sorts of efforts, which is why we look to um agencies like the United Way to assist.

Of course, it requires a great deal of capacity for them too.

So we one of in in investigating that, one of the assessments we would make would be um, which we haven't yet done, which we can do is would the kind of return on investment from investing those resources be substantially greater than what we already see the community kind of organizing on its own.

Mr.

Brooks.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Uh, as far as like the emergency resources go, that could be offered from the National Guard for the types of individuals that might be like elderly or disabled and are like physically like buried in on their properties.

I know we can't remove the snow, but what about like digging people out or making things uh more navigable and accessible on their properties?

Thank you, assembly member Brooks.

My uh my understanding is that the National Guard cannot be requested to assist on private or commercial properties.

Um we'll double check again on that uh as it relates to uh not off of roofs, but uh but off of off sorry, off of uh you know, from an access perspective, other than roofs, but but that is that is our understanding is that they're not available for that purpose.

And um when it comes to requesting the National Guard's assistance um in general, that is, you know, in requesting additional assistance from the state, that is uh an area that we are actively working on through our EOC structure and and seeking the supports that we need.

Um I'll I'll just flag again that uh uh you know one of the factors will will be money.

Um I do anticipate at some point needing to um come to you with an appropriation ordinance to address this particular storm.

I don't yet know what that looks like, but I did want to flag that for you tonight.

Thank you, Edmund.

I'm sorry if I missed it, Mr.

Bart.

Did you let the body in the did you let this body know what the the governor's response to this declaration was?

And if if you did maybe just repeat it because I think I might have neglected to do that.

Yes.

Uh last night um the governor verbally declared a state disaster um in response to our uh local our joint uh with the tribe local declaration.

Um that that verbal declaration carries the force of law.

Um we we uh we we know that the state's communicated that to us and and we would expect eventually a follow-up to have it written, um, but it's uh formality at this point.

Thank you, Mr.

Brooks.

Seeing no other questions, I guess maybe just while we're still on the topic, I will mention there was a press conference just before this meeting.

It is excellent.

A lot of information, and anyone you know who wants a lot more detail um from partners National Weather Service, um, recommend they take a listen.

Uh seeing no other questions, may I have a motion?

Ms.

Euskandies.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

I move that the assembly adopt resolution 4038, and I ask for unanimous consent.

Thank you, Ms.

Euskandis.

Seeing no objection, that motion is adopted.

That moves us to public participation.

No one's signed up.

Prior do not believe is there anyone in the room who'd like to speak and non-participant non-agenda items.

Seeing none seeing no supplemental materials, we are adjourned at 5 30.