We'll bring the regular assembly meeting to order for March 9th.

We have a full crowd, so please keep your conversations outside.

Um Mr.

Smith, will you lead us in the flag salute, please?

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Mr.

Kelly, would you do the land acknowledgement, please?

Gladly, Madam Mayor.

We would like to acknowledge that the city and borough of Juneau is on Clinkett Land and wish to honor the Indigenous people of this land.

For more than ten thousand years, Alaska Native people have been and continue to be integral to the well-being of our community.

We are grateful to be in this place, a part of this community, and to honor the culture, traditions, and resilience of the Clinkett people.

Here.

And for the record, Ms.

Adkinson is absent.

You have quorum.

All right, thank you.

And Miss Agison said she would join us if she could when they get down up on the hill tonight.

So with that, we'll go right into special order of business.

Born and raised in Geno, Sienna has demonstrated exceptional commitment to civic engagement and environmental advocacy.

She has led statewide initiatives and inspired youth participation in public discourse.

She has testified before the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Board, contribute to an environmental research efforts, and spearheaded her school's Ocean Guardians Project, securing federal funding to support student-led conservation work.

Sienna further demonstrates leadership through her roles as president of our school's National Honor Society chapter, student site council representative and co-chair of her state's model until United Nations Crisis Committee through her dedication to service scholarship and committee community involvement.

She exemplifies the best of Genoa's youth leadership.

The City and Borough of Juneau's assembly congratulates CNFR on this well-deserved recognition and extends its best wishes for continued success in her academic and professional pursuits.

Presented this ninth day of March 2026.

I'm very thankful for this opportunity for my community and for my parents for supporting me.

And if there's not many, but if there are any youth in the crowd, believe in yourself because you can do anything.

So we will now close uh sign-ups for non-part public participation on non-agenda items as we have several folks, but we're not quite there yet.

Approval of minutes, Mr.

Kelly.

I move and ask unanimous consent that the assembly approve the minutes for the February 9th regular assembly meeting.

And the February 25th special assembly meeting and ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection?

Seeing none, they are approved.

Madam Manager, you have a couple agenda changes for us.

I do, thank you.

So there I have three things to mention, so please bear with me.

Uh, and they all pertain to new business.

First, I just want to highlight for the assembly and the public that new business is coming uh right after approval of the consent agenda and before public hearing.

Those are items that that we will um anything in new business, uh, we will be taking public testimony on.

The reason for this is the um staff memo on view drive and next steps is under new business, and I want to make sure since we may have members of the public here to testify on that, that we get to that um early in the agenda.

Um, so that is the reason for the new business shovel.

The other two items I request uh changes on is I'd like to um add an item to new business specifically for the purposes of considering a date change.

And that item is the uh ordinance that was discussed at the committee of the whole on January 26th uh regarding establishing the City and Borough Eagle Crest Recreation Area Department and Recreation and Ski Area Advisory Board.

That's the official title.

But if you recall the topic was uh making the Eagle Crest Empowered Board and Advisory Board.

That um item is currently scheduled for your um March uh 16th, Monday committee of the whole.

That was the direction that was given in the um in the meeting.

And I understand that just given everything going on, there may be a desire to postpone that so that that item and that conversation will happen uh under new business.

No action on obviously the item just action when you guys are going to talk about it.

So that's my second thing.

And my third thing is I would like to request to pull from new business resolution 4042, a resolution of the city and borough of June in support of the development of an enduring lake tap mitigation system to reduce Min and Hall Glacial League outburst flood hazards.

And I just want to briefly speak to that since that may come as a surprise.

Uh, but uh we are very much committed to an enduring solution and committed to working on uh on developing and furthering the Lake TAP.

However, we have received uh great news that um Secretary Adam Tell and a large delegation of his high up staff will be traveling to Juno at the end of this month.

And as part of that, we anticipate new information and new strategy and just want to make sure that this uh resolution is really specific to uh to that meeting, and so would like to bring that back to you after we've had that opportunity.

So those are my requests for changes.

Thank you, Madam Manager.

All right, next we're gonna go to public participation on non-agenda items.

And we have 41.

So uh Ms.

Hughes Scandis, I'm gonna go to you for a suspension of rules because we only have our supposed to have 20 minutes to this, and unless we give everybody 30 seconds, we're not gonna make that.

So we'll maintain our two minutes if you will.

Uh, thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move to suspend the assembly rules so that we can give uh a reasonable amount of time to testify.

And I ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection to that?

Ms.

Wall, you can't raise your hand when we ask for objections.

No plane with your hair.

Seeing none, uh, that will happen.

So we will go into that and we will start with our Zoom folks.

If you would bring over, um, you have your timer ready, Madam Clerk.

Would you if you would bring over Amy Miller?

Hello.

Hello, please state your name and area town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

Let me just uh sorry, I thought this was gonna be later on in the meeting.

Um hang on.

Um my full name is Amy Miller and I live in the valley.

And you have two minutes.

Hang on, I'm so sorry.

I mean, technical difficulties.

There we go.

Can you hear me now?

Yes, you can.

Okay, perfect.

All right.

Um, I just wanted to, I guess to start the timer already.

Sorry.

I started.

Okay.

My name is Amy Miller and I'm a resident of Menehall Valley.

I'm here because the truth is that me, myself and many of my friends are fed up with this CBJ.

We live in a valley that floods again and again.

Families lose belongings, stability, and peace of mind.

Many of us are paying higher taxes and for these flood barriers that still leave us vulnerable while the city continues to study the problem instead of committing to real long-term solutions.

The flooding on view drive and throughout the valley has become a burden on the people who live here.

Yet when we look at how city decisions are being made, it's hard to feel like the priorities are completely backwards.

We've watched the ongoing debacle at Telephone Hill.

Historic homes cleared and millions committed while lawsuits and uncertainties still surround the project.

We see continued financial struggles and controversy around Eagle Crest.

We read about the airport being dangerously close to losing service because it is short of functioning fire truck over and over again.

It feels like the same pattern, major decisions, major spending, and major consequences, but very little accountability.

Meanwhile, residents in the valley are left dealing with flooding, higher costs, and the feeling that our concerns are always pushed down the list.

It isn't frustrating, it's driving people away.

I'll be honest with you, myself and many of my friends and neighbors are actively planning to leave Juneau as soon as we can.

Not because we don't love this community, we do, but because we no longer feel like the city is working for the people who live here.

If the city continues to treat the valley's flooding as a problem to study instead of a problem to solve, Juno won't just lose land to the water.

It will lose the people who built their lives here.

Telephone Hill shows the city can move quickly when it wants to, which makes it even harder to understand why flooding in the valley is still treated like a long-term study instead of an urgent problem.

Residents are asked to pay the price for flooding that the city knew about decades before many of us even brought bought our homes.

That's all.

Thank you for your time.

Uh thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Miller?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Uh next we have Ms.

Kirsha Kirsa.

How do you say your Hughes Candies?

Kirsa.

Sorry.

Hi, uh, can you hear me?

Yes, please say your name correctly.

And uh area town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

Thanks my name is Kirchha Hughes Candies.

I live out North Douglas.

And I was just calling because I know from social media that it's gonna be a packed public commentary.

And I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to the assembly.

Um to say that you know it's cold comfort, but I think that a lot of what we see with the high emotions and the kind of ugly speech that's um making its way into the public forum is a lot of misplaced um tension and anxiety uh and upsetment.

You know, you look at any scale of global events down to national events, down to local events.

There's a lot to be fearful of and a lot to be anxious about.

Um, that being said, it's too easy to kind of displace that on what you can yell at, your local assembly.

You know, we know that you're gonna hear us because they can be there in person or we can call on Zoom like I am.

Um and it's really, you know, ultimately not gonna be productive for calming down.

I used to work in a preschool, and you know, the first thing to do to calm down is to put your hands on your your tummy and take a deep breath.

And um I really fear that a lot of that kind of stoking that I see online is not gonna make anybody feel better and make you feel worse.

If I called and yelled at you guys and ran to the range, I wouldn't feel calm after I hung up.

I would feel more agitated.

Um, so I just hope that people really take a look at that.

And you know, it's a it's a recognized fact in public polling that over half of Americans don't believe that social media is good for democracy.

I think we all know that effect, but it's really hard to not keep touching this though because it's designed to make us want to click and scroll.

Um so anyway, huge thanks to you guys.

I know you have tons of stuff on your plate, and I know that it seems like you can't catch a break because I feel like if it's not one thing, it's another, especially you know, the flood call that just came through.

Uh the pandemic.

There's so much going on.

Um, thank you so much for all that you do.

Uh thank you for that.

Any questions from Ms.

Hughes Scandis.

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Next, we have Max Rosen.

Um hi again.

My name's Max Rosen.

Oh.

Yep.

Please state your name in the area of town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

Yes, my name's Max Rosen.

I live in the Barons neighborhood downtown, and I serve on the board of the friends of the Juno Public Libraries.

Over the past couple of months, I've spoken to you, the assembly about what our libraries mean to this community.

Today I just want to highlight a simple idea.

Libraries are essential community infrastructure.

Libraries support early literacy, lifelong learning, and access to information and technology.

Libraries are one of the few places in a community that serve everyone.

Families with young children, students, job seekers, seniors, and people who simply need a welcoming public place to learn or connect with resources.

They provide welcoming public spaces where people can study, meet, explore ideas, and connect with resources that help them navigate their lives.

Much of this work happens quietly, but it has a real and lasting impact on the strength and resilience of our community.

On behalf of the Friends of the Juno Public Libraries, I encourage you to continue supporting our libraries as a core public service for Juno.

Libraries are quiet infrastructure that help our community function, learn, and stay connected.

Thank you for your time and thank you for your continued support of Juno Public Libraries.

Uh, thank you.

Any questions for Mr.

Rosen?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Next, we have Maureen Conerton.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

Hi, just one second.

I'm trying to connect.

We can't hear you.

Can you hear me?

Yep.

Hello.

We can read things.

All right.

Uh the CBJ is facing a 10 to 12.

Name and Andrews.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Uh, my name is Maureen Conerton.

I live in Onk Bay.

The CBJ is facing a 10 to 12 million dollar budget shortfall.

This will affect everyone in Juneau.

It doesn't make sense to spend 5.5 million on the discretionary demolition of Telephone Hill when there are so many pressing municipality needs.

So the latest plan for Telephone Hill is to give away 5.5 million dollars demolition site for free without an RFP in an attempt to attract developers.

That's just the beginning of the millions the city will hemorrhage.

Many Juno residents have valid concerns and have testified against this project, including a former administrative judge, an architect, a retired project manager, in addition to the more than 1,000 Juno residents who signed the stop the bulldozers petition that was presented to you last fall.

But assembly members continue to ignore public input.

No wonder so many Juno voters are upset with the assembly.

Juno's fiscal reality has changed since you decided to spend millions on this project.

A common sense solution is to table the 5.5 million demolition and use those funds to relieve almost half of the upcoming budget cuts.

It's our tax money you're spending.

And spending that 5.5 million on the budget shortfall would be a win for all of Juno residents.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Connerton?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Next we have Robin Chartrand.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

We cannot.

Oh, go ahead.

If you are online, please raise your hand.

Unmute.

We can hear you now.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

Okay, thank you.

Um, my name is Robin Marriott Chartrand.

I live out North Douglas.

Juneau's local government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

While the list of CBJ's waste is extensive, we have many more responsible and logical issues where our money should be spent.

CBJ is moving forward with pursuit of a multimillion dollar demolution of the historic telephone hill in preparation for a multi-million dollar build of condensed housing.

They have no contractor for this development, but are dangling sweet deals to coerce contractors to sign on, such as free land, land swaps, or $1 for the land.

CBJ claims the housing would be for the upcoming Coast Guard families soon to be stationed here.

They also claim they want a percentage of the housing to be for low-cost housing.

There are pending lawsuits scheduled to be heard this summer.

I would like to credit Doreen Lorenz with her research and explanation of how the National Historic Preservation Act and HPA and the Section 106 review affects this.

In summary, it specifically prohibits the use of federal funds for projects that intentionally destroy historic properties before completing the Section 106 review.

CBJ is clearly attempting to destroy the historic homes before a Section 106 review can take place.

If historic homes are deliberately torn down before the review, CBJ forfeits any federal income towards the project.

This will forfeit eligibility for Coast Guard housing, HUD housing assistance, low-income housing tax credits, and other federal assistance.

Is this the best and most cost effective way to move forward with the city's housing issues?

I understand there have been countless hours and dollars blown on getting to this point.

However, sometimes poor choices and bad decisions have to be acknowledged as such.

You are squandering our money.

Admit your peculation, the act of misusing funds that you have been entrusted with.

Listen to your constituents, slow down, let the legal processes take their course, follow the rules, present a more reasonable, realistic, cost effective, and feasible alternative.

Respect is earned.

You just may earn some of it back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Shortgrank?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Next, we have Sean Strauss.

Yes, my name is Sean Strauss.

I currently live in the valley.

And I have previously lived over five full years on telephone hill.

Now I want to go on the record that I am fully supportive of the urgent need to expand housing in downtown Juneau.

We need bold solutions.

But I must express my profound opposition to the current execution of the Telephone Hill redevelopment plan.

We are rushing to demolish houses in a historic neighborhood.

We are evicting residents, even though there is not a single developer who is willing to commit to construction between the site preparation, the immense cost of trenching necessary roads and utilities, and the massive feasibility gaps.

The ultimate price tag for me and all taxpayers is going to be in the tens of millions of dollars.

And we are risking all of this for absolutely no guarantee of any of the housing that is so desperately needed.

Please reconsider your positions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions from Mr.

Strauss?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Um that concludes our Zoom, so we will come into the room.

Robert Reich.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record.

You have two minutes.

My name is Robert Reich, and I live in Auck Bay.

That's on.

Okay, sorry.

You got me?

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, good evening, Mayor and Assembly members.

Uh, I'm here on behalf of Echo Ranch Bible Camp.

Echo Ranch has served Juneau and Southeast Alaska communities since 1964, offering safe, life-changing remote camping experiences.

During the record snowstorms that plagued Juneau in January of this year, we could not safely access our camp.

Glacier Highway to Echo Cove remained impassable for several days as crews work tirelessly to clear it.

Unfortunately, the Diller Field House, which has been an integral part of camp since the late 1980s had collapsed.

May 1st begins our camping season, hosting 2,000 participants each year.

Retreat groups such as Alaska Department of Fishing Games becoming an outdoors woman program.

Juno Karate Group, just to name a few, and the camp's summer youth program of a thousand campers all rely heavily on the field house for activities because of its size.

We urgently need to replace this critical building to resume full operations effectively.

The planning and zoning department denied our initial request to rebuild due to FEMA flood zone mapping.

We have since applied to the planning commission for an exception to rebuild on our current site, as no alternative site is feasible to prepare in time.

The sooner we have clarity to rebuild on our current site, the sooner we can begin all the logistics needed to prepare properly.

If the application does not pass the planning commission, we will bring our case to the assembly for its consideration.

Our hope tonight is for the assistance of the assembly in speeding up the consideration for an exception to rebuild on our current site so that we can be ready to host the community we so love for this year's camping season, as we have been doing for decades.

I want to thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Thank you.

Any questions for Mr.

Reich?

Ms.

Wall and then Mr.

Smith.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

Rake for being here.

I'm so sorry what happened to your property.

Um, do you know at this time when that is being heard by the planning commission?

Um did you hear that?

The second week of April.

Uh Mr.

Smith.

Thanks, Madam Mayor.

I was just wondering if you would actually heard.

I mean, typically things will work through the planning commission and then it'd come to the assembly.

So it doesn't have you heard that we can short circuit that, or is that that's the way it will?

I'm just trying to reach out to the assembly if they could expedite it so we can get on the agenda sooner.

Um, just for our planning side, because we're so remote out there to get things going.

So we're prepared.

Okay, thank you.

Anything further?

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

Thank you all.

Uh, next we have Will Jennison.

Hopefully, I said your last name right.

I was very close.

Please state your name in area town you live in for the record and have two minutes.

Yeah, I'm Dr.

Will Jemison.

I'm the uh live in the valley, and I'm the CEO of Jamie Health and Wellness here in Juneau.

Uh I just want to recognize uh Mayor Weldon and assembly members and city staff.

Um, that uh Jammy is here uh as a partner, and I'm here to speak as a partner to you all.

We understand that the city is having uh a difficult financial landscape, as many municipalities across the country are.

Uh, and I just want to highlight uh the planned reduction um in municipal grant requests as something that we're here to partner with you on.

Uh, but I also just want to highlight some of the tangible results of the investments uh of past years that you provided to Jamie.

Um, in the past year, because of the funding that you've been able to provide to Jammy, we've been able to bring on a new chief medical officer, so an MD and specializes in family practice, uh, as well as a new psychiatrist here to the community, Dr.

Ken Hopper, who's joining me tonight.

Um, and so because of that, we have two new providers who are located here in the community and uh uh really on the ground to provide services that are not locums here.

And so by having them in the community, we uh in the last quarter alone have seen a 76% increase in um primary care patients uh within Jammy Health and Wellness, um, which in turn turns uh into savings for the hospital because these are as we call frequent flyers in the healthcare landscape uh who otherwise might end up in the ER at a greatly higher expense.

Uh and so because of that, uh, we see that as a great return on the investment uh that the city provides to our organization.

Uh, also in terms of support, uh, because of this generous support of the city before, we are now in the implementation phase of the EPIC EHR, uh, which is considered to be the gold standard of uh health record systems for patients across the country.

Uh, we'll be the only provider with Epic uh within this community.

And so it allows us to talk not only to all providers within Juneau in Alaska, but we're able to talk across the country.

Uh, and so I ask and urge the city to continue to part with us and other nonprofits represented here tonight uh to find a great solution to the challenges that you face and the challenges that we can assist you with.

Thank you.

Uh, thank you.

Any questions for Dr.

Jamison?

See none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

And uh next, we'll have uh Catherine Fritz and then Tony Tangs and then Rebecca Bellinore.

Thank you, Catherine Fritz.

I live in the Highlands.

With all due respect, I am profoundly baffled by your recent action to proceed with demolition of Telephone Hill without a viable plan.

You said that you want flexibility to consider options, so you lowered the minimum number of units to 100.

Why a hundred?

What data did you use and analyze to determine that 100 units will work?

I estimate a feasibility gap of about 40 million for 100 units.

This is 40 million beyond the cost of construction to subsidize a private developer who will own the buildings, then add 5 million for demolition and site prep.

How many private entities have been gifted 45 million dollars from the CBJ?

I applaud your recent efforts around affordable housing grants.

43 new units of different types in different places around town being constructed and owned by local people for an average subsidy of 46,500 per unit.

Excellent.

So why aren't 43 or 80 or 99 units acceptable for telephone heel?

Some of you have expressed exasperation of how long you've been working on this issue.

You're tired.

I get it.

It reminds me of childbirth.

When I reached the state that stage that I seriously did not want to continue.

It's not okay for you to use your fatigue as an excuse for not considering any option that could bring success.

Some of you have raised concerns about spending more money to consider more options.

You don't have to spend more money.

You just need to pause demolition and write into your developer solicitation that all options will be considered.

You are smart, caring people who, with the right information, can keep Telephone Hill a cherished neighborhood.

Stop being risky and bold.

Instead, apply insightful scrutiny.

And to those who are tired, I would be glad to buy you a strong cup of coffee.

Thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Fritz?

See none.

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

So next we have Tony Tangs, then Rebecca Belnore, then Bruce Patello.

Please state your name and area.

I apologize.

I have I'm hard of hearing now.

I've suffered hearing loss, but I can see what I'm saying and listen somewhat to what you're saying.

I made this sign last night that says no subsidy for unaffordable housing.

I know a lot of what you're trying to do with Telephone Hill is create affordable housing.

And that's only pegged at 20%.

So I figure that the rest of it must be unaffordable housing.

So if you have 20% affordable, we can categorize the other 80% as being unaffordable.

I think a lot of the taxpayers should be shocked, would be shocked if they understood that this we were going after subsidizing unaffordable housing.

And uh on average, each unit between the affordable and unaffordable is going to be 300,000 subsidy.

And by the time they ever get on the tax rolls to begin recovering that investment, that's 20 years away.

And then it'll take another 50 years to recover that investment.

I think it's time to quit seeing how many quagmires we can get into and really tighten our belts and try to make Juno beautiful and make it a working capital city.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Any questions from Mr.

Tangs?

For your testimony.

Next, we have Rebecca Billinore, Bruce Motello, and then Melani Shibans.

Please state your name and the area of time you live in for the record, and you have two minutes, and I apologize if I'm not getting your last name right.

Rebecca Belmore, I live in the Valley.

Um I've lived in Juneau in the last for the last 10 years and have two kiddos at Cactabuheen Elementary School.

I'm the director, science director at the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition.

We're a mid-sized nonprofit here in Juno with biologists, hydrologists, and restoration practitioners.

And we work on community-based watershed stewardship throughout the region and have partnered in the past with CBJ on green stormwater infrastructure projects, uh invasive species management and recreation area management planning for Montana Creek and Fish Creek, for example.

Um today I just want to bring the assembly's attention to an ongoing project that we have aimed at identifying fish habitat restoration and enhancement opportunities in the Mendonhall watershed.

Uh the overall goal of this project is to find win-win restoration projects that also align with community efforts to mitigate glov flooding, flooding and erosion, which we fully support.

We want to continue to protect and support habitat for salmon in this community, which are important for local recreation and tourism and the broader ecosystem in conjunction with these ongoing efforts to protect community safety and property.

For example, as part of this, we have worked on a uh bioengineered bank stabilization design for the area upstream of the pedestrian bridge at Diamond Park that would protect the bridge and also provide fish habitat.

Um, and at this point, we are just looking for continued support from the city and relevant departments who have been um collaborating with us where it's been relevant on these various projects as we look for um prioritization and external funding and um implementation in the future.

And we'll also be hosting a public meeting at the Mendenhall Valley on March 19th at 6 p.m.

And invite everyone to join us.

Um we'll share some interesting history from the watershed, um, findings from a new salmon habitat study that we've been working on, and ideas for restoration in the watershed for the community.

So thank you.

Perfect.

Um any questions?

Um, Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you.

I missed getting that date in my notes.

Could you repeat that?

Uh March 19th, which I realize another meeting has been scheduled at that time, but thank you.

Folks like time and place of your meeting.

The Valley Library, 6 p.m.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Um, and for the record, we'll note that uh Ms.

Adison has joined us.

Um, so next, oh, thank you for your testimony.

Apologize.

Uh, next we have Ms.

Bruce Vitello, Melani Shibans, and then Josh Anderson.

Madam Mayor and Assembly members, my name is Bruce Patello.

I reside in downtown Douglas.

I'm here to uh ask that you take action to address the manner in which petitions for initiatives and referenda are accepted and processed by the city clerk.

The issue arises when a petition committee makes the submission of signatures equal to 25% of the number of voters in the last municipal election within the 30-day period that's provided in the charter.

The issue comes up.

Can a petition committee submit less than 25% and be granted an additional 10 days?

My view is the answer is no.

If upon receipt the clerk determines that there is an insufficient number of signatures that is less than 25%, the clerk must reject the petition.

However, if the clerk during the 10-day inspection period notes that uh while the petition has a sufficient number of signatures, but it turns out that some are invalid and therefore pushes the total below the 25% margin, then the petitioner committee is authorized to collect for another 10 days.

CBJ uh 2910070 speaks to an insufficient number of valid signatures rather than an insufficient number of signatures, and that mirrors the classic distinction between a petition that is numerically short on its face, that is a patent defect, which bars filing, and a petition that appears numerically sufficient but proves short once ineligible signatures are removed, but is called a latent defect that uh can be corrected or cured, which is the term people use.

What is called a latent defect that uh can be corrected or cured, which is the term people use.

And I believe that it this distinction and its application in June mirrors first of all the Charter Commission's understanding.

Madam Chair, I honor the two-minute rule.

Any questions for Mr.

Motello?

Mr.

Wall and then Mr.

Smith.

Ms.

Wall and then Mr.

T.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, thank you, Mr.

Matello.

Are you suggesting that you want less time for people to collect the signatures?

Are you suggesting that our law isn't clear, or are you suggesting we're not interpreting the law correctly?

Madam Mayor, I'm uh the belief that it's the third.

The time for collecting is set in the charter, which is 30 days.

My understanding, and again, I think it's reflected in past practice of the city clerk um for decades.

Um that you only get the 10 days if after the clerk using his or her 10 day period determines that there are insufficient number of valid signatures that one would get an opportunity to supplement with that 10-day period.

But if when the petitioner committee delivers the petitions as a package, which is also required by the charter, they don't have or it does not have 25% that number, then the petition has to be rejected out of hand.

And that has been the practice until and I think uh largely the result of uh an opinion issued by um the department of law in 2021.

And there have been again a couple of circumstances in the succeeding years where um petitioner committee uh petitions have been accepted, even though they fell below the 25% level and were granted an additional 10 days.

I think it makes sense for the uh for this to be corrected for a variety of reasons, most importantly to comply with the reasoning of the charter.

But I think also uh this is a perfect time.

We've we're seven months away from our next municipal election.

We have no petitions pending right now, and so this is an opportunity to clarify and to make sure that uh future um petition committees know what the ground rules are uh in advance, and uh and finally um I think uh to be candid to avoid the possibility of having uh petition or an outcome of a ballot measure challenged uh as having violated the charter.

Mr.

Smith.

He answered my question.

Thank you.

Anything further?

Uh Mr.

Brooks.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

And I I don't know if you can answer this, or maybe the the clerk's office, but you're saying that it uh based on a decision in 21 that it kind of got looser.

Do you know if there's been examples where uh it was that kind of grace was given before that period, or did it strictly just start happening at uh 2021?

Madam Mayor, my understanding is that it has only occurred um where a petition was allowed to go forward without the requisite 25% subsequent to 2021.

And I think that was probably triggered by a particular question made by the clerk to to the uh to the attorney's office.

Um the memo that I provided this uh weekend to you reflects uh in terms of history, particularly uh uh city clerk Lori Sika's 18 years as um as city clerk, indicating that her practice conformed to my view of how the charter should be read.

Anything further?

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you, madam chair.

Uh next we have Malani Shivins, Josh Anderson, and then Dan Parks.

My name is Malani Shivans, and I live downtown, and I'm here to speak in favor of the proposal just put forward by former mayor Bruce Batello.

Mr.

Botello has explained the legal and historical framework very well, and I wanted to just briefly add the broader community impact.

So once an initiative petition makes its way onto the ballot, the community ends what has um in recent years been a divisive period as complex issues are reduced to a simple yes or no vote.

At that point, there is no clear mechanism for ensuring that the public receives good objective information about the long-term economic consequences of a proposal.

The assembly understandably does not want to appear to be campaigning against a citizen initiative, but that leaves the community without a trusted source of data and analysis.

The last time we faced a citizen initiative, the assembly chose not to have staff provided an additional information campaign explaining potential impacts, leaving it up to the private sector and individual and residents, um, leaving them in the position of organizing campaigns to explain the consequences of a proposal or to support the status quo.

And the result of that um can be disruptive, expensive, and often feels driven more by Facebook messaging than good data.

And because of that, it's um important that initiatives meet it is especially important that initiatives meet the threshold that the charter was really intended before triggering a citywide election.

Clear rules and meaningful thresholds don't weaken the initiative process.

They protect it by ensuring that when a measure does reach the ballot, that it is reflective of real and substantial public support due to imprecise language and recent reinterpretation, the bar has been lowered.

Mr.

Batello's proposal restores clarity and returns the process to what it was originally designed to be.

And while I would personally support an even higher threshold, Mr.

Patella's proposal is reasonable, is a reasonable and responsible reset back to the original intent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Shivans?

Seeing none.

Thank you for your testimony.

Next we have Josh Anderson, then Dan Parks, and then Mariah Offer.

Hello, uh Josh Anderson, um North Deluxe is where I live.

And um, I'm a local contractor and own some businesses here in town.

And um, I just wanted to comment on some recent issues regarding local projects and policies around town.

Um, I understand that our local sales tax um uh rules and laws of apply or have changed, so that uh puts some stress on our budget.

And um, you know, even though it's it's hard for us, uh I want to say that maybe it could be a good thing for us to really kind of um take a step back and try to um simplify things around town a little bit.

You know, I always tell everybody that if you try to make everybody happy at your birthday party, you just end up making yourself miserable.

And I feel like we're kind of going down that road a little bit on a lot of issues.

Um I've served on the Parks and Rec Advisory Committee for I don't know, 12, 13 years or so now, and um also the youth activities board and you know, I I work all over town uh contracting and and I just travel in a lot of circles and I just hear all about it all the time over and over about the confusion and the lack of confidence in our city government, if you will, and in the planning commission or um, I mean, everybody's great, but it's it's really hard to make everybody happy.

And I think that it's just um it just starts to get out of control.

So, you know, for example, engineering on product projects that I see are grand in design and and are cut and paste from old projects, uh, don't apply right now to newer technologies, um, or they're too complicated.

Oh, cheapers.

I had a lot more to go to.

Any questions for Mr.

Anderson?

Saying none, thank you for your testimony.

Uh next we have Dan Parks, then Mariah Offer, and then Sean can talk and took.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record.

And you have two minutes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

My name is Dan Parks, and I live at Lena Point.

I am here tonight to make testimony on behalf of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, where I work as the executive director.

I want to um first off take this opportunity to thank the assembly for the investment that they have made in our organization over the last couple of years.

With the investment that you made in us, we were able to institute a new and now critical position to our operation, as well as amass a large amount of food in preparation for emergency response, which we all know is coming.

It's just a matter of when.

So thank you.

Um, but with that in mind, I want to reiterate what Dr.

Jemison said and remind you all that we work as social service organizations, many of which are present in the room tonight in partnership with the city.

And we're concerned to hear that the assembly is considering a reduction of investment in the social services block grant of up to 30%.

And to put it simply, what that would amount to is a reduction in services in Juno.

Um I can only speak for our organization, but demand is at record highs.

A couple of years ago, when I started with the food bank, we were serving about 300 individuals a week.

Now we're serving about 500 through our public pantry.

We're seeing more and more people slip from what used to be called the middle class into poverty.

We also know that hunger doesn't exist in a vacuum.

It's an indicator, a canary in the coal mine, if you will, of other social ills.

If the city wants to help us reduce the amount of people in our line, we need investment in mental health care, investment in affordable housing, affordable child care.

We will not be able to meet the demand that will be created by upcoming cuts to federal programs like SNAP.

In the last year, we've been able to institute a federal program for the first time receiving commodities from the USDA.

But um, with upcoming cuts, we fear that that might lapse.

So thank you again for your investment and please reconsider making these cuts.

Any questions for Mr.

Parks?

See none.

Thank you for your testimony and congratulations on your new position.

Um next, we have Mariah Offer, Sean Cantap and Skip Gray.

Thank you for your time.

My name is Mariah Thibodeau Offer, and I live in downtown Juneau.

Um, I've lived in Alaska since 1984 and in Juneau since around 2002.

I'm here tonight to speak about my opposition, adding to the many voices in opposition of the demolition of the beautiful and historic homes on Telephone Hill.

These houses are irreplaceable and their value very valuable in Juneau's history and heritage.

I've taken walking tours in downtown Juneau.

Telephone Hill is a highlight of any walking tour in downtown.

And a tour hosted by Northern Lights Church for members of the Presbyterian Community uh committee for apology and reparation of historic harms, uh, we were given a tour and learned not only about the racist closure of Dr.

Walter Savilev's church in downtown Juneau, but also the destruction of a clinkett Filipino neighborhood downtown in order to build the SOB, the state office building.

We also walked through Telephone Hill.

How can and we learned about the Webster building and the telephone company building?

And I learned about the switchboard that was there to connect the mines on both sides of the Gaston channel.

And how can we teach people about this history of these buildings, the Webster House and the telephone company no longer exists?

How can we teach young people today what a switchboard is?

Which they probably don't know, can't even imagine what that is with uh cell phones now.

And um I also want to mention that one of my mentors and friends, the late King Gestay David Ketzik, a Klinkenelder talks about the usquenty, the tree people and their value and their sacredness.

And if we make land acknowledgments here, we must also take action that shows our respect for Klinkerani.

And that means not evicting people from their homes as Juno has done in the past and not cutting down trees and not blasting 5,000 cubic yards of rock for telephone hill.

Thank you for your time.

Any questions?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony.

Uh next we have Sean Kantuk, Skip Gray, and Kim Metcalf.

Please say your last name correctly for the record, and you have two minutes.

My name is Sean Cantola, and I live in the valley.

Um, this evening I'd like to talk about the Juno Affordable Housing Fund.

I own both a real estate appraisal firm and a real estate development company here in Juneau and have worked in local real estate for 20 years.

Over the last decade, I've done subdivisions that have resulted in over 40 residential lots and currently have over 50, around 50 residential units on them with another 10 to 20 to be built this year.

Last month I was one of the recipients of a Juno Affordable Housing Fund loan for a fourplex that has two one bedroom units and two three bedroom units.

Through all of this, I've developed a keen understanding of what it takes to develop real estate here in Juneau and also what it takes to incentivize for-profit investors to help achieve community community goals.

I applaud your work on the Juno Affordable Housing Fund and believe that there is always room for improvement.

Based on my research, I don't think a for-profit developer has gotten a city loan for building a single unit with three or more bedrooms before my building this year.

Juno needs housing for families, and the numbers just don't add up well for investors to build three-bedroom or more units when the max loan amount is $50,000 per unit.

I'd like to recommend that if, and I know this is a big if, but if you find it in the budget to offer another round of loans for for-profit developers, that you initiate a sliding scale based on bedroom count.

One idea would be $50,000 for one-bedroom and efficiency units, $65,000 for two bedroom units, and $100,000 for three bedrooms or more.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your time.

Any questions?

Mr.

Brooks.

You tell us how many units you provide for the community again, please.

Uh, right now, the subdivisions I've done have around 50 residential units.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you for being here.

Um it always feels a little slow when we go through the affordable housing process.

I know there's reasons for it.

There's lots of criteria that we have.

How did our pace and our application process work well or not well for you in as you developed and planned your uh development?

I think with public funding, there's a lot of restrictions and so a lot of timelines that take a while.

For me, it's on the slow side, like our the fourplex that I haven't signed the loan yet for will be done here within the next four to six weeks.

Um we have the kitchens going in right now.

Um, and this loan will kind of be the bridge for the final little piece of it, but it's almost completed.

And so, but I would say that most people who come for these loans don't already have the permit in hand.

I think when I applied for the loan, I already had the permit, and the building started in August, and we have been able to move faster than the public process has been.

Thank you for your testimony.

I next we have Skip Gray, Kim Metcalf, and then Tina Rice.

Please state your name and area town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

My name is Skip Gray.

I live in the Twin Lakes area.

And I'd just like to say don't destroy the historic homes and beautiful green space of Telephone Hill.

Um, last I read you were talking about putting 155 units of housing there.

Uh tonight I hurt something about 100 units.

The numbers keep changing, the descriptions keep changing.

It's pretty obvious you don't really know what you're doing there yet, even though you're ready to destroy all these homes.

But just to give a point of comparison, the Minutemal Apartments has about 125 units of housing.

So what you're proposing is to put basically the equivalent of something bigger than the Minute Hall apartments across the street from the waterfront down right in the heart of downtown.

And I just wonder if that really what we want for our city.

Is that gonna add to the charm of downtown?

I don't think so.

You're going to spend many millions of dollars trying to do this project, which may or may not ever actually happen the way you foresee it.

Um instead, you could sell the houses as is where it with the original planning, and with stipulations that uh you have to keep the historic characters of the homes and make it a historic district, the historic district it deserves to be.

And for the record, 30 second two minutes is better than 30 seconds, but it's still not a reasonable amount of time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions, Mr.

Gray?

See none, thank you for your testimony.

Uh, next we have Kim Metcalf, Tina Rice, and Shannon Green.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, uh, Madam City City Manager and members of the assembly.

My name is Kim Metcalf, and I live downtown.

I'm here to ask once again that you give up on your plans to destroy the homes on Telephone Hill in the name of needed housing.

I'm sure you're aware that a petition was signed by 1,052 of your constituents, and we have said that we're against destroying Telephone Hill, the location of Juneau's most historic homes.

You were elected to represent us.

We have testified, attended meetings, sent emails, signed petitions, written letters to the editor, written opinion pieces, and we have demonstrated.

We do not want you to spend our hard-earned tax dollars on destruction of a neighborhood with no plan in place, spending at least $9 million, and we all know that's gonna be more than that.

When there are so many other needs in our community.

Yes, we need housing, but not there.

There are many other places that are much more buildable.

I urge you all to do the right thing.

You can reclaim credibility with the people you represent by stating that we cannot afford this project at this time due to so many other pressing needs.

Please do the right thing.

There's still time.

Thank you.

Any questions from Ms.

Metcalf?

See none.

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

So we have Tina Rice, Shannon Green, and Robert Pearson.

Thank you.

My name is Tina Rice, and I'm in the Valley.

Um, I'm here today representing the counselors of the Juno School District.

I'm here to speak about how important the Hope CBJ Social Service Grant funding is for the students that we serve.

At our school alone at Saatishinach Glacier Valley, we provide Friday food bags to more than 100 students every single week so that they have something to eat over the weekend.

We also send home food during long school breaks and when school meals are not available.

And we keep snacks available in our counseling office for any student experiencing food insecurities during each school day.

And I want to emphasize something important.

This data is not just our school.

Schools across the Juno School District are seeing similar levels of the need among our students.

For many of our kids, these programs are not extras.

They are a lifeline.

And I will tell you from somebody who knows as a school student that needed these resources.

In education, we often talk about the importance of academic achievement, but we cannot ignore a fundamental truth reflecting the Maslow hierarchy of needs.

A child's most basic needs must be met before their brain can access education.

If a child is hungry, they are not thinking about reading assignments or their math test.

They're thinking about food.

Food insecurity is one of the most consistent unmet needs that we see when students walk into our building each day.

When we are able to put food into a student's backpack on Friday, we are not just sending home meals.

We're sending them home with stability, dignity, and a better chance to come back Monday, ready to learn.

A 30% reduction in this grant funding would force programs like ours to scale back.

And that would mean fewer students receiving food support.

For some children, that can mean going through an entire weekend or a school break without reliable meals.

These funds distributed through the Juno Community Foundation directly support the well-being of children in our community.

I ask you to consider what it means for a child to come to school hungry, what it means when a community chooses to make sure that they don't have to.

Supporting these grants is supporting the health, stability, and education of Juno's children.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Seeing none.

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

Okay, next we have Shannon Green and then Mr.

Pearson and Mr.

Pearson.

We pulled resolution 442.

That's why you're doing it now.

And then Aaron Walker tolls.

Ms.

Green, please state your name and area town you live in for the record.

And you have two minutes.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Assembly members.

I'm Shannon Green.

I live in the Valley.

I did send you an email today, but I highly doubt you all got the chance to look at it because I know you probably were inundated and many other things to do.

But just as a mental uh exercise myself, I wanted to pull down the comments from two articles from our local media that were posted on social media.

And I disagree with what's been said about social media.

I mean, that is the way a lot of people on short notice uh communicate.

And so I think it's important.

You can toss and keep what you want, but it's it's still a reality.

So the two articles, and I did include them in your email.

One was citizen input from a KTOO article that was posted on March 5th, titled Eagle Crest Ski Area Preliminary Gondola Installation Cost comes in at 27 million.

That was the name of it.

It garnered 70 comments.

The other one was on March 4th.

Cost of Eagle Crest gondola originally estimated at less than 9 million, may reach 37 million officials say.

And that was from the Juno Independent.

So this is an example of informal but honest public testimony from your everyday citizens.

These are the people who are paying for your spending habits and are growing increasingly frustrated with your decisions.

They may not be able or available to give official public testimony at the chambers here in the limited window provided by CBJ, but their feelings and their perceptions are still your reality.

Although it may be unpleasant, I hope that you each take the time to read the comments that reflect a general loss in confidence of the CBJ leadership.

It's not too late to stop the spending and align with the priorities that were identified in the recent budget survey.

Please pursue actions that correspond with the will of the people.

Let's instead find a win-win solution to restore trust and hope in our community.

Thank you for your consideration.

Any questions for Ms.

Green?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony.

Next we have Robert Pearson, Aaron Walker Tolls, and sorry, Angie Man Bayer.

Sorry, apologize.

Do we have Robert Pearson here?

Okay, next we'll go to Aaron Walker Tolls.

And then Angie will hear her last name when she gets here, and Jacqueline Pada.

Good evening.

Please state your name and area town you live in for the record, and you have two minutes.

All right, thanks so much.

My name is Erin Walker Tollis, and I'm executive director of Catholic Community Service.

And I'm here today to echo what a lot of social services block grant grantees are saying tonight, which is please don't cut our funding.

Please maintain funding next year at this year's level.

I know times are hard.

If I really was going to say what I wanted, I'd say raise our funding.

Oh God, oh God, give us more.

But I'm just going to say, please don't cut us.

My first job in social services with the CBJ Mental Health Clinic.

And it was an amazing job back in the 90s.

There are a lot fewer home and community-based services available today in June than there were 30 years ago.

And that's evidenced by the fact there's a 30% decrease in the social service workforce in this town over the last 10 years.

There's only 70% of that workforce still around.

My agents, what that looks like, what that plays out, we have the Juno Senior Center.

Every 90% of the senior centers in the state are struggling.

Most of the funding is state, and it's not on the city alone to do this, but everything you give helps.

A couple of years ago, we had to make the decision.

Do we start a wait list for seniors who are hungry for meals on wheels, homebound seniors who are hungry?

Or do we reduce the total number of days per week we serve meals and make sure every senior who asks for a meal gets a meal?

And that's what we did.

We only serve meals four days a week anymore.

We don't, and it's honestly last year we served 20% more seniors than we thought we would.

Receiving more seniors than ever, but we're serving less food.

See, we just don't have the money, and the cost of funding, cost of doing business is going up and up.

So I encourage you to maintain that funding and remember when you invest in the food bank, in social services, in meals, in basic safety net stuff, it's saving you money because emergency services don't have to do as much.

There's less of homelessness, and you make money back.

So thanks a bunch.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Saying none, thank you for your testimony.

Uh, next we have Angie Manbayor.

Sorry, apologize for that.

Jackie Peda and then Logan Hankins.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, my name is Angie Amend Bayar.

Sorry.

And I'm a downtown resident.

I am 34 years old and I've been living here since 2015.

And um, thank you to JEDC for organizing the innovation summit on the very important topic of migration and to the assembly members who attended it.

So the recommendations from the Innovation Summit and the budget survey results both point to the same conclusions on Telephone Hill.

So the Innovation Summit highlighted that we don't not that we need newcomers in June.

We need to retain the current residents and help them root into our community.

The budget surgery on the um housing was ranked as number four to cut budgets on, and it didn't make it to top 10 priorities.

In addition, there were 240 unique respondents mentioning telephone hill.

That's almost one in 20 of those who who responded to the survey without the survey asking about Telephone Hill.

So you here you can see the clear concerns from our community in regarding this project.

And I understand you have to make um really hard decisions, but I think you see in the room and on the paper and around our community uh heightened sense of frustration and fear around the budgeting and fiscal responsibility.

So in this climate, moving forward with five million demolition will uproot our current residents.

I've we already heard from the residents online uh earlier, and so please I respectfully urge you to reserve the five million dollar budget for urgent fiscal needs and help us root into our community.

Thank you, Gonjish Hoa.

Uh thank you.

Any questions?

See none, thank you for your test for night.

Next, we have Jackie Peta, Logan Henriks, Hankins, and Gray McLaughlin.

Good evening, Ms.

Bada.

Good evening.

Thank you so much.

Um, I'm Jacqueline Peta.

I live in the valley, and I'm here tonight to talk about the social services budget.

Um, and in particular, I want to talk about Shay Khat Hit.

Um, you know, the JFC um hope funds have provided 200,000 annually for the last three years to Shahi Khat Hit, our youth homeless program.

Um, and that's in partnership with the Zach Gordon Um Youth Um Center.

And in doing so, um, we've been doing that for the last three years.

Um, what happens is the housing authority, Clinken Hydro Regional Housing Authority, I'm the president CEO.

We provide the property management and the maintenance of the building, and Zach Gordon provides the program services.

And this, well, this grant comes from the Hope Funds.

Um, we know that if those funds are cut, it will significantly impact those that get served and many other programs.

But in the case of Shay Chat Hit, I just wanted to let you know that last year we served 3,000 bed nights to runaway and homeless youth between the ages of eight, excuse me, of 10 and 20.

And 84 intakes resulted in 90 percent of those youth being served and exiting the program into a safe place, whether they went back to their home or another place to be able to live.

And so that was really important.

But in addition to that, we provide behavior help services, access to health care, um counseling services, and assisted them in critical life um skills to help to transition.

We believe in this project so much that the housing authority that we commit annually um to the maintenance funds out of our own grant funds that we get on a regular basis, and we also in um replace the roof on the building, the CBJ owned building for 150,000 um to be able to keep that program in place.

And we just deeply appreciate the partnership that we have with CBJ in this particular project, but clearly um appreciate the fact that we are all collectively in the community trying to address the critical needs of our youth.

Thank you, goodness.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Um, Ms.

Hall.

Thank you, Mayor Weldham, and and thank you, Jackie.

Um, do you have a wait list for your services with the youth shelter?

Uh the youth shelter is um sometimes um, particularly for those that are trying to deal with transitional housing.

Um, uh, but typically what happens with the youth shelter, we're finding that youth are telling other youth about the program.

And so for the homeless youth, we we continue to um make room.

Um, and so we have you know uh a limited number of beds, but we accommodate in every way that we can to continue to make room.

We just don't want to leave any youth behind.

Um, our rapid rehousing program, which runs simultaneously with the youth um homeless shelter, is something that we continually are looking for private sector partners as we provide vouchers for housing.

Okay, thank you.

Follow up.

Uh go ahead.

Yeah, is there additional space on your property to build more housing for your property on our property on your property that we lease from you and provide all the maintenance for at our cost.

And we it is in our vision and our dream that we would continue to um explore additional funding and partner with you to um be able to utilize that property to put more residential units in there.

It's deeply needed, and it's really hard to find private sector housing that meets our um criteria and the support that system that needs to be there for those for the youth as they're transitioning, um, as well as um the cost effectiveness of of our vouchers.

So thank you.

Anything further seeing none, thank you for your testimony.

Uh next we have Logan Hinkins, Gray McLaughlin, and then Kaya Quinto.

Okay.

Okay, so next we have Gray McLaughlin, Kaya Quinto, and then Morgan Cruz Airsman.

Do we have Gray McLaughlin here?

Okay.

Yeah.

So next we have Kaya Quinto.

And then Morgan Cruz Airsman and then Aaron Surma.

Please state your name and area of town you live in for the record.

You have two minutes.

Uh Kaya Quinto and the Valley.

Um, I'll be quick.

I promise.

Um, thank you so much for everything that you guys are doing.

Um, I'm Kaya.

I'm the executive director of Juno Housing First Collaborative, DBA The Glory Hall.

Uh, we provide 99 units of housing and operate the emergency shelter, soup kitchen, and care center, serving over 15,000 emergency beds, over 60,000 meals annually, and we are open 24-7, 365 days a year.

With me today are our board members Morgan Ayersman, Birdell Payton, Becca Antonopoulos, Joyce Niven, Bruce Denton, and Matt Schrum.

I also have staff members Terylyn Butler, Hayden Waddle, Carly Arnold, Logan Hankins, and Maria Loveschuk.

I am here to reiterate the importance of the SSAB funds for the operation of our shelter facility.

These funds are crucial and essential services cannot be provided without them.

We cannot afford to lose these critical safety net programs.

Additionally, without continuing city support, other federal and state funds which operate our shelter and housing programs are in jeopardy.

I know the SSAB funds are not on the agenda tonight, but I wanted to take this opportunity to emphasize how crucial these funds are to Juno's basic social safety net program.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions from Ms.

Quinto?

See none.

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

Uh next we have Morgan Airsman, Aaron Surma and Casey Crea.

Hi, my name is Morgan Cruz Airsman, and I live in the Valley.

Um, I serve on the Juno Housing First Collaborative Board.

I am also here to speak about the SSAB program, which provides critical funding that allows social service agencies to operate.

Frontline staff already underpaid and overworked, and client-to-staff ratios are kept as low as safely possible.

If we lose funding, we will not be able to safely staff or operate the local emergency shelter.

This funding supports the essential staff required to keep doors open and client safe.

At the same time, basic operating costs continue to rise every year.

Insurance utilities and other required expenses are increasing, not decreasing.

SSAB funding cannot be reduced while the cost of essential operations continue to go up.

The consequences of a reduction would be severe across our continuum of care.

It would mean cuts to services and elimination of programs entirely.

For example, the Glory Hall's Meal Program serves over 60,000 meals each year and feeds between 90 and 110 people every day.

That program would likely disappear.

There would also be job losses.

Most importantly, people in our community would have nowhere to go.

When services like these disappear, the need does not disappear.

It shows up elsewhere.

In short, essential safety net services for our community would be severely reduced or eliminated.

I urge you to continue supporting the SSAB program.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Seeing none.

Thank you for your testimony.

So next we have Aaron Surma, Casey Kraya, and then Heather Parker.

Hi, my name is Aaron Surma.

I live in North Douglas.

I work for Nami Juno and the Juno Suicide Prevention Coalition.

I'm one of the many social service people here talking about what potential cuts to CBJ hope funds would do.

And we had a reduction in funding last summer from the state.

And what we did was we decided to use savings to go for another half year in the hopes that we could find additional funding to make up for the loss before losing staff members.

We spent a lot of time applying for like Dr.

Scholl's Foundation funds and like American Eagle Funds that they fund a billion different categories of things nationwide.

You're spending a lot of time applying for $5,000.

It's kind of stupid and a waste and different than our uh actual programmatic stuff.

We do a lot of funding fundraising.

We did eventually find like some funding to keep going during the year.

We found it like four months into the year.

And when we lose funding, so I say it all to say like when we lose funding or we're at risk of losing funding.

We spend a lot of time doing stuff other than our mission.

Um we were asked to come here to talk about what the reduction in funding would do, and that's like my literal answer.

We spend a lot of time spinning our wheels hoping that we can find additional funding to make up for it.

We use hope funds as match for other grants.

So we can probably keep our little house of cards um documenting our matches together with other funding, but like that would also be at risk.

And I think the first thing that would go, and that does go when we have to spend a lot of money fund or spend a lot of time fundraising is the things that we don't explicitly state that we're doing in our grants.

So things like advocacy, like being on the homeless encampment task force, and like maybe my presence wasn't even that helpful there.

That's unclear.

But if it was, then that's something that is at risk.

And likewise um crisis stabilization task force or trying to revitalize the push to get crisis suicide crisis stabilization in Juneau.

That's stuff that I'm able to do with my spare time that goes out the window when we're in a budget crunch.

So that's it.

Thank you for your time.

I can't believe you all listened to this much of us before your meeting even starts.

It's bonkers.

It's all important.

Any questions?

Thank you for your testimony.

Next, we have Casey Craya, Heather Parker, and then Paige Bridges.

Good evening.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak.

I'm Casey Krieger.

I'm staying in South Douglas.

Uh, I wanted to thank the city attorney and the city manager in the assembly for dropping the unconstitutional trespassing charges put on me when I attempted to do my business with City Hall and attend an assembly meeting last year.

Uh, I was told four years ago when I worked at Eagle Crest that the Godola project was a dream.

It had no financial end.

And this was by the old maintenance man who's now working there again and got it a lot of the deferred maintenance back up online and working.

Uh I knew about it four years ago, and I don't live in Juno.

So I'm wondering how the Eagle Crest Board liaison, Mr.

Stottinger is unaware of the numbers that I'm hearing every year.

I come back to Juno, went from 10 million to 20 million, now almost 40 million.

When I was told four years ago by a guy who's worked on chairlifts for 20 years, it was a 40 or 50,000 project with no financial ending.

The community is just learning about this.

Community is upset about this, and you've told the community you're non-transparent.

Employees up there laughed for years about this gondola that sat on the side of the road while people bought season passes driving by it, looking at their money, just rusty.

Now it's been shipped from here to Colorado incorrectly.

And it's going to cost the city and taxpayers more money.

Before this project started, did anybody ever look at what's the you know, profit and loss for Eagle Crest?

What's it cost the community?

What's 40 million dollars gonna cost the community that could turn into 80?

And it's just a divert deferred maintenance caused the loss of Black Bear chairlift and deferred maintenance and your your decisions to not do maintenance.

Always comes back and costs the community more money.

Mr.

Craig to stop you.

Any questions?

See none.

Thank you for your testimony tonight.

Thank you.

Uh next we have Heather Parker, Paige Bridges, and uh Debbie Fisher, we're gonna take your testimony during this time since we pull that uh 4042 off our agenda.

Ms.

Parker, please state your name in Area Town Eleven for the record.

You have two minutes.

Heather Parker, I live in downtown Juno.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and members of the assembly.

Thank you for the work that you do for this community.

I'm the supervising attorney for the Southeast Offices of Alaska Legal Services.

And I'm here to talk about the uh CBJ Juno Hope funding.

Alaska Legal Services is a nonprofit statewide law firm dedicated to providing access to justice for those in need.

For many residents who can't afford a private attorney, legal services is the only option for civil legal help, as there's no right to court appointed counsel in civil cases.

For over 60 years, legal services has worked to provide unique benefits to vulnerable Alaskans to enhance and create safer and strong communities.

Two staff attorneys and a wear-based shelter attorney along with paralegals and volunteers serve residents in the Juno region.

To maintain a statewide footprint, legal services relies on local funding from each community where we maintain a local office.

The legal issues we provide assistance with are those that address a family's most basic needs, protection from abuse, maintaining safe and stable housing, protecting income, providing access to food and health care.

Collectively, these services enhance community health and safety and improve the quality of life for vulnerable individuals in Juno and the community at large.

Through legal services, clients have an increased opportunity to live independently and keep income in the community.

There are economic impact studies that show that legal services provides a five-on-one return on investment.

Legal work can keep dollars in the CBJ community.

We help ensure that clients have a dependable income, helping keep individuals from homelessness or rise out of it by protecting individuals from illegal debt collection, helping with disability benefits, helping access other state and public benefits, including SNAP, public assistance, senior benefits, and Medicaid.

In one just one case for a Juno resident last fall, we helped a family get over six million or six thousand dollars in SNAP benefits, which is a huge benefit to that family and to keeping the family and the dollars in this community.

We also help families stay in homes with negotiations with landlords and if necessary, represent some clients in court.

We help parents and children facing imminent danger to obtain protective relief and help with family orders that allow child support and financial relief.

And we provide access to health care, especially with Medicaid, which encourages preventative care and reduces reliance on Bartlett's emergency room, which in turn reduces costs for all Juno residents.

We're incredibly grateful for the generous funding we've received from many years through the Juno Hope.

Um yeah, thank you for what you do.

And please keep in mind that social services do good things in this community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony.

So next we have Paige Bridges, then Debbie Fisher and Dave Ringle.

Are you gonna testify?

Okay.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and the Assembly and the city uh staff here.

Um my name is Paige Bridges.

I live downtown in Carroll Way.

I'm gonna try to talk about something that an aspect of the Telephone Hill debate that's been largely missing, but to me is the most important, and that's beauty, beauty, creativity, and the arts.

Um, when I moved here in 1987, Juno was a paradise.

It was absolutely lovely.

I I lived in one of the most beautiful parts in town, Carroll Way, near between South Franklin and Gastino.

Then all the development happened and the jewelry stores happened, etc.

So we've lost every really stunningly beautiful place downtown except for Telephone Hill.

And a city without beauty is just plain depressing.

It won't attract people.

People will want to move away and not want to live downtown.

Um, to me, beauty is a sacred value.

Um, human beings from the beginning of history to have have worked on creating beauty, and then they don't want it to be wanted wantonly or otherwise destroyed when they put think how much effort, creativity, and love has gone into the houses in Telephone Hill and also the many artsy things that have happened there.

John Engels was telling me, you know, he's a resident, of course, about famous bands that started there and about celebrations started there.

And his own uh flutes started there, and he can't work on them now.

Um, every town needs an artsy neighborhood for the creativity to flourish.

We have that with Telephone Hill.

Um Juno is a Mecca for artists, and we're going to have a renaissance, and we can, and I I'm an artist in my entire adult life.

And I'm going to start a nonprofit gallery for Juno's serious artists because we don't have visibility in Juno for um for the advanced artists.

And so when we come out of the woodwork, it'll be just wonderful and an economic boon to Juno.

So I beg you to spare Telephone Hill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Ms.

Bridges?

Thank you for your testimony.

So next we have Debbie Fisher.

Dave Ringel, and I apologize.

You have beautiful handwriting, but I can't read it.

Maybe Hazel Lungden Lagdon.

Account.

Sorry.

Please state your name and air, Johnny Living for the record, and you have two minutes.

Debbie Penris Fisher and the Valley.

And I always speed talk, and I never get to say thank you.

So I'm going to take a risk here.

Agree with you or not.

I'm very grateful for your public service, and I thank you all for the many hours that I know you put in to serving us.

I want just to say to View Drive residents, you are not forgotten.

Um you have said that we rely on the core and their help is invaluable.

Here with the resolution that was going to come tonight, you're proposing that basically to go against what they said.

You're limiting the resolution to language just about the lake tap.

On February 25th, in a Senate hearing, Assistant Secretary Tell redirected the Alaska District and Pacific Ocean Division teams to go back to work on midterm solutions.

He said the long-term late cap is too expensive and will take too long.

They're still committed to Juno to find solutions, but the long-term late tap is not in play right now.

I verified today with the core the following.

Short-term solutions are the HESCOs.

Midterm is the advanced armoring of the banks.

Midterm is also other methods.

We haven't been told what those other methods are because, of course, studying and gathering information as I speak.

This midterm studying is what was talked about in the hearing.

Let's be smart and include all possibilities and not limit ourselves.

Please, the flood community asks you to broaden the language and the resolution and the $8 million spending request to include midterm and long-term studies and solutions.

What does it mean that CBJ, Clinkett Hyda, and USDA support the Lake Top, but our partner right now, USACE doesn't yet you move forward.

What is gained by digging our heels in and pressing this issue with the core, our partner?

Finally, after all this time, there still is poor communication with you.

As a flood community, we feel shut out of the information and the process.

We face personal, emotional and financial loss every summer.

Folks are already saying that the impending stress is overwhelming.

By being involved, using our voices, problem solving, pitching in to make a difference.

We can help, but we'll also provide a coping strategy for ourselves.

Okay.

Thank you for your testimony.

Any questions for Ms.

Fisher?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony tonight.

Next, we have Dave Ringel and then Hazel Lecount.

And then John Engels.

Dave Ringel.

I live in the airport neighborhood.

I'm speaking on behalf of the directors of St.

Vincent DePaul who couldn't attend, but I'm also speaking on behalf of the Juno Coalition on Housing and Homelessness.

I want to begin with some good data.

For the first time in four years, the increase that the warming shelter attendance between December and January has not increased.

We have averaged 10 to 15 more people a night in January and February than in December until this year.

This year we went from 43 to 41.

Might be a little bit of the weather.

But I think it's also a result of decisions made about affordable housing and decisions made by many agencies within this room.

We have 28 afford uh housing first residents.

Many of the people not at the warming shelter now are in those residents.

We have people who receive mental health services so they can continue to be housed rather than need the services of a warming shelter.

There may be some people who get food from the food bank so they can afford their rent.

Um the warming shelter still has 40 to 45 people a night.

That is too many.

But the services and the decisions of the Affordable Housing Commission over the last three to four years are working.

We need to continue that and see continued improvement in the fabric of our community because housing and homelessness homelessness and encampments are difficult for everybody.

It's not a humane way to live.

And most of the people in it would welcome the opportunity if the services are there.

We're not going to totally eliminate homelessness, but these services make a huge dent in the problems we could have if we didn't have those services.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for that.

Any questions?

Thank you for your testimony.

Okay, next we have Hazel LaCown, John Ingalls, and then Susan Clark.

Okay.

So we have John Engalls, Susan Clark, and then Bruce Simonson.

My name is John Ingalls.

I'm a former uh Telephone Hill resident.

And one of the most interesting and exciting projects I've seen in recent days is the Gross Alaska Theater.

They've done a wonderful job of restoring everything and being very true to history, I think.

And the inside is beautiful.

And I remember an architect I was talking to said it could never be restored, and it looks just great.

And I think it's very unfortunate for the city to build to tear down historic buildings when you have people who are spending their hard-earned cash right nearby, trying to create history and try to make it interesting for people to visit.

And it it actually that train left the station when Trump became president because the cost of building doubled.

And there's a basic rule of economics.

And it says this is economic microeconomics 101.

Rule number one don't start a project based on last year's costs.

I'm done.

Any questions, Mr.

Ingalls?

Thank you for your testimony.

Next we have Susan Clark and then Bruce Simonson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

My name is Susan Clark.

I live in the flats by the federal building.

The city manager was correct at the cow that we have spent $517,000 on the Oregon Consultant first 40 feet, which was hired to imagine a solution for redeveloping a valued neighborhood occupying about one acre of actually buildable land adjacent to our sea level downtown.

But the Oregon consultant has already signed an amended contract for with the city for $84,000 for hazardous waste and demolition design bid packets.

Why do we have to contract out how to design local contractor bids?

In the works is also an additional 800,000, which will require a Sixth Amendment to the Oregon consultant, to which they already have committed but haven't signed an extension of time necessary to do the geotech and core samples work.

The Oregon consultant had contracted with an Alaskan subconsultant respect engineering, which has refused to do the core sampling until all the houses and structures have been wiped out.

Current engineers tell us that core sampling can be done accurately, even right next to a house with current portable equipment.

Thus, Oregon, the Oregon consultant is has for the consultants, we've spent over a million committed over a million 400,000 dollars.

And that comes out of the 2 million of the 1% sales tax that hurriedly was slipped into the once every five years sales tax proposition that we voted on in October 2022.

The legislature had quietly just handed the narrow ridge that was left of Telephone Hill after the SOB was built over the top of almost everything that was courthouse skill.

There are other um consultant contracts in the works for how to do an RFP for developers.

The sales tax may be allotted to other projects.

You do not have to use it for an Oregon consultant.

Thank you.

Any questions from Ms.

Clark?

Seeing none, thank you for your testimony.

Please state your name and area time for the record, and you have two minutes.

Thank you for a chance to provide public testimony this evening.

I attended the Cow meeting on the 23rd, and I appreciate the assembly's discussion on the need to issue an RFQ as part of the process for developing telephone hill.

I believe the city should issue this RFQ, but I absolutely believe that the city should not move forward with the irreversible demolition of Telephone Hill and its own homes until the assembly and the CBG staff publicly review and vet the responses to this RFQ.

Advanced planning is in accordance with CBJ's established procedures for development in Juneau.

And then bid through the low bid process.

All this has to be done in advance in order even to apply for the money.

This inconsistency, I think, can be easily addressed just by pausing the demolition of the telephone hills in his homes until the assembly reviews and publicly votes the responses to the forthcoming RFQ.

Please do that.

Any questions from Mr.

Simonson?

See none, thank you for your testimony.

So thank you all for being here.

We'll bring the assembly meeting back to order.

We're on the consent agenda.

And just a reminder to our listening public, we have consent agenda items, and then we have public hearing, and the consented items are usually just ordinances for introduction.

We don't deliver these usually, they just get passed to be introduced, and then they get set for public hearing.

So just wanted to remind people about that.

I did not.

See none that consent agenda passes.

So that brings us to new business.

There's a memo in your packet that describes what the process would look like to pursue to continue to engage in the NRCS bio program.

I think the the message that came through to me at least during that meeting was that there were more residents that were potentially interested in a buyout than was indicated in the informal survey that we performed at your direction.

And they they really expressed a need to have uh more detailed information about specifically about the what value they would receive in a buy-out process at the conclusion of a buyout process, um to to be able to make that decision.

The NRCS by the NRCS program does offer a path um that that would allow us to gather that information and share it with homeowners.

Um and then once they get to that final real estate transaction, which where they would have all that information about the value that they would be receiving, um, then they they would have the ability to to make a decision to participate or not participate.

The process in the memo uh describes how how we would go about doing this if the assembly desires to continue to process to continue to participate in the process.

So we would formally sign the NRCS buyout agreement.

Um that would that would begin to obligate us to costs at the at two different levels that would obligate us to the 25% cost share, which um you could direct be funded uh by value in the homes or paid for with local dollars or paid for with other two be other dollars to be determined.

The salient fact there is that that twenty those 20 that 25 percent of the costs that are eligible to be shared with NRCS cannot be federal dollars.

They just have to be local or they just have to be non-federal dollars of some flavor.

Um there's also costs that that CBJ would bear that are not eligible for a 75-25% cost.

Those are we think a smaller proportion of the overall project, but it's not a de minimis number.

Um we would uh then uh after signing that process signing that NRCS bio program agreement, we would begin doing appraisals.

Um we've had some preliminary discussions with uh the Southeast Alaska Land Trust, their executive director was at was also at that meeting uh on March 3rd and um offered some some insight uh and and comments and uh you know, potentially with their help or certainly at least with their invoc their involvement, uh, conduct appraisals on each parcel at the pre-2024 Gloff level levels uh and then also engage in cost estimating to determine uh exactly how much uh it would cost us to demolish the homes on View Drive, those that want to participate, as well as return um those parcels to a natural parkland state for eventual conservation.

Once we had all of that data, we would be prepared to negotiate that real estate transaction homeowners.

Um we we would we would look to you for direction on what flavor of local dollar uh should be assigned to the 25% of the cost share, as well as potentially the you know what costs CBJ would wholly bear that aren't eligible for that cost share.

Um and then that would inform the terms of the real estate negotiation that we would have with the homeowner, and the homeowner would at that point be able to say, yep, I want to do this or no, I want to opt out.

So what we're looking for you for tonight after that meeting, and and I I realize I'm the only one speaking right now, and three assembly members were at that meeting too.

So please uh I missed anything.

That would be that would be great.

But what we're looking for is direction on whether or not we should enter into that formal agreement.

Um, and uh alongside if we do drafting an appropriation ordinance for up to $558,000.

Um, and the the rationale for that cost is laid out there.

That up to language is important because that assumes every uh parcel, every property owner will want to participate, which we don't think is accurate, right?

Based on based on what we heard at that meeting.

Um, but it's possible that every parcel or at least most of the parcels might want to get the information uh to make the decision.

So I madam mayor, that's what I have for you.

And again, if I missed anything, please.

All right, I'll go to Mr.

Kelly and then Ms.

Hall and see if you guys have anything to add or not.

No, I think the memo and Mr.

Barr's recollection of the event is pretty comprehensive.

Um, and I think I came away with the same understanding that he did.

Uh, when people heard from us and had the chance to ask questions informally directly with uh the the represent the federal representative who was able to talk about the program when they will they're able to ask questions directly of staff, uh speak with each other, speak with assembly members.

I feel like we had a very productive dialogue that helped correct a little bit of misunderstanding and might have changed the minds.

Ms.

Hall, do you have anything to add?

Uh just to say that agree that the residents were very grateful to have the opportunity.

So I'm I'm appreciate staff making the time to make that happen.

Thank you.

Yes, I would concur.

I think the neighborhood appreciated the time that we spent with them.

Um and we did forewarn them that um assembly hasn't spoken yet because there was only three of us, but um, they would likely have to come up with close to a quarter of the value of their house plus more money for the uh work that needed to be done and the appraisal um that 5836 dollars, whatever it is, maybe the extent of the city's participation, and they may have to put the rest of the bill.

So we were very transparent.

So with that.

Questions to miss the Mr.

Barr or S.

Ms.

Wall and Ms.

Euskanis.

Um the costs here, I know we talked about this last time, but the costs that are not an NRCS cost share.

What exactly does that entail?

And like what is that for?

And how did you estimate it?

Mr.

Barr.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, the NRCS program allows for um a small percentage of what they call technical assistance to be part of the cost share and technical assistance is things like project management services and administrative overhead and things of that nature that we commonly think of the services that our engineering department provides um through construction administration and inspection and um uh planning and design, those those types of things fall under the umbrella of technical assistance.

And we are confident uh that the um the the percentage uh that would be eligible as part of the total project costs will be insufficient um to cover what is a kind of a tip typical um amount of of those costs for a project of this scope.

Um also like permitting costs are not covered, things like that.

So uh we um don't have a firm estimate of of what those dollars are.

We just know they will be um there and significant, and um, you know, if I had to ballpark it, uh you know, I would I would say somewhere in the million dollar range, but I'm ballparking pretty hard there.

Ms.

Hugh Scannies.

Thanks, Madam Mayor.

Thanks, uh Mr.

Barr and to the other assembly members for also making time for the meeting.

I appreciate that.

So I'm just gonna restate I think it is fairly straightforward in your memo, but if we move forward with this, the up to number and as a result of getting that information, nobody wants to do it anymore.

CBJ would only be on the hook for those non the other work of estimating, we would have appropriated funds for that.

Is that accurate or is there Mr.

Bar?

We can also off-ramp at that point.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

That's correct.

We can also offer at that point.

There will be costs.

Um if if no homeowners decide to participate at any point, there will still be costs um that we would be obligated for, but but at that point, most of those costs should be 7525 split between us and NRCS.

Okay, thank you.

And and sorry, if I could just add those costs would not exceed $558,000.

But they would probably be less.

Any further questions?

Well, back to you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

It it um is there any way that anyone's thought about where we could only do the appraisal if somebody's seriously thinking about this?

I I'd hate to spend maybe there's no way to tell, but spend money for private homeowner who just wants to find out what their house is worth if I'm understanding this correctly and and they're not participating in this program.

Yeah, so now you have the same thoughts because one of them already said we'll have to ask them again.

I don't want to buy into it, love my house and everything.

So that takes the whole, it's not going to be one big project.

So that was my concern is do we have to um appraise the houses that wouldn't qualify that are up high enough and wouldn't flood?

But I'll let Mr.

Barr answer all that.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

There are certainly some residents that have indicated that they're probably not interested at all.

Um, and so we would certainly ask them if they're not interested at all to to not uh ask for an appraisal and for us to perform that cost estimate work for demolition return to parkland.

Um I think if the uh one one piece of information that I think the homeowners would um that would that would inform their decision is if the assembly um knows that it will not be willing to uh invest significantly more local dollars into this project, um, communicating to the homeowners up front that there is certainty around the project costs needing to be borne at the 25% of the project costs needing to be borne by the homeowners.

Um, I think that would um potentially inform some homeowners in their decision making process early, right?

Pre-appraisal.

Um so that that's just a thought.

Anything further?

Is Hugh Scandis if you have hand up or not?

Right.

Seeing nothing further, Mr.

Smith.

Will you take a stab at a very good madam mayor?

I move that CBJ should enter into a formal agreement with NRCS to participate in the view drive buyout, and also to direct staff to draft an appropriating ordinance up to $558,000 for appraisals and total project cost estimating.

I ask for unanimous consent.

Are there any objections, Mr.

Kelly?

Thank you.

Um, I would move to amend it to allow the flexibility in in drafting the ordinance that it could come from either general funds or emergency reserve and ask for unanimous consent.

Um are you objecting?

Okay.

Would you wish to speak to your objection?

Just that uh I do not want to dip any more into our general reserve than we already have.

Any further objection?

I'll object because I don't think we should tie money up yet until we it's until we uh exhaust all avenues.

So we have an amendment on the floor and object, Mr.

Ms.

Hughes Ganys.

Did you want to speak one way or the other?

Thanks, Madam Mayor.

I'm looking for clarity.

Are is these are two objections to the amendment?

Okay, thank you.

So we have an amendment, we have an objection, Madam Kirk.

Will you call rule?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

For Mr.

Kelly's amendment to allow flexibility in drafting the ordinance that it could come before from either general funds or emergency reserve.

Mr.

Kelly, actually, point of clarity.

Can I ask one more question?

I know she started clarifying.

Only because you were the because you got in there before someone voted.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you all for your lineance.

Uh that as an amendment, I actually now am having a moment of confusion.

So all that this all the only motion I heard was let's enter into the agreement and direct staff to do an ordinance up to I may I I don't think I've seen an ordinance.

The funding source has to be clear in the appropriating ordinance, so it can't have flexibility one way or another.

So are you asking for two ordinances to be created?

Because I don't, and maybe the attorney can correct me and I'm overconfusing this.

So Madam Attorney.

Thank you for the question.

So in the appropriating ordinance itself, it can designate two potential funding sources.

You both you would have to decide um at the next meeting to designate one.

But I believe Mr.

Kelly is asking for it to be drafted with options.

Um so that you don't have to decide right now what fund it comes from.

So we can draft it that way.

You can't pass it that way.

All right.

Do we need two-minute recess to think about this?

Mr.

Kelly, do you have something?

I just wanted to uh to speak uh real quickly to it, especially to address Ms.

Atkinson's uh concern.

Um I have some very preliminary ideas that I would like to investigate to how uh those funds would be able to be repaid.

So it wouldn't be a permanent uh drawing down.

I just wanted to address that before our days.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms.

Hugh Scannys, do we need a two-minute recess or um thank you, Madam Mayor?

I I guess I can probably move down ordinance or without a recess.

I think for me, as I'm deciding to do this vote in general, yeah, having more options, you can always just weed them off.

So I don't particularly care.

It's not gonna make more work for staff necessarily, but I was also not sure even I understood the the nature of the objection to that amendment.

I both don't understand the amendment and don't understand the objections to it.

So I think I can vote based on that.

I don't always know what you all are thinking.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Right.

Are you maintaining your objection, Ms.

Addiction?

Well, after everybody's discussion, I'll withdraw mine.

So um, so we have a motion with objection, please call the rule.

For Mr.

Kelly's amendment, Mr.

Kelly, yes, Ms.

Adkisson, no, Mr.

Brooks.

Yes, Ms.

Hall.

No.

Mr.

Steininger.

Yes.

Ms.

Hughes Scandis.

Yes.

Ms.

Wall.

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Smith.

Yes.

Motion passes.

Oh, Matt.

Motion carries seven yes, two nays.

Okay, then we're back to the motion with as amended.

Any objection, Ms.

Wall.

Just for a question.

Um the entering into a formal agreement that that would happen tonight.

Or I mean, we we take action and you guys can go do that.

And but we can't actually do anything until we pass the ordinance.

So we could basically get out of that agreement or not spend any money if that ordinance fails.

Is that a good summation of what we're deciding tonight and not deciding?

Who's gonna tackle that one?

Mr.

Barr.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Yes, there are there are multiple off ramps.

Um I think that's I think what assembly member Wall said is accurate.

Um I'm just remembering back to the meeting of Mr.

Nelson, the NRCS uh uh staffer who's been assisting us through this process, just repeated repeating that NRCS looks like looks for a firm commitment and understands that these are challenging decision making processes that communities struggle through.

And uh he his comment was that we are appropriately struggling through as well.

Uh I'm not objecting, but can I make a quick comment?

It's okay.

If you say no, if no one else is objecting.

Certainly, Ms.

Wall.

This one time, everybody gets one time.

Very very quickly, just to say, you know, I'm not going to object to this.

I don't know what my decision will be when we actually vote on this, and I'll have questions along the way.

So I think that's probably the feeling of several of us.

So all right, we have a motion as amended and seeing no objection, that motion as amended passes.

Our next item, Madam Manager.

If I may, Madam Mayor, an ordinance establishing the City and Borough Eagle Crest Recreation Area Department and Recreation and Ski Area Advisory Board.

Go ahead, Madam Manager.

Thank you, Mayor Weldon.

So this item is placed under new business strictly for the purposes of schedule of meeting scheduling.

At the January committee of the whole, when you discussed it, the motion was to discuss it again at the uh March 16th committee of the whole.

And um, in order to change that uh that uh discussion being on the that item being on the agenda, we wanted to make sure and have this conversation just so the public would would know and be able to follow.

Uh so um the request would be to make a motion to uh postpone conversation on uh that ordinance, the ordinance that makes the Eagle Crest Board advisory uh to uh a future date, but a date certain.

And just for your um scheduling purposes, six months out would be the September 28th committee as a whole.

Uh thank you, manager, madam manager.

I am going to pass the gavel to Mr.

Smith since it was my ordinance and I'll speak to it when he's ready.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Mayor.

Um, so we have been meeting uh with the Eagle Crest Board.

In fact, we met with them today.

So um there's just a lot going on, and I don't think now is the time to tackle this issue with the board.

Um, since we're tackling so many other issues, which we're gonna hear even more about on April 1st.

So um that's why I asked her for six month um extension.

So that would be my um wish is to table this for six months and then have it come back to us then.

So that's my motion.

Madam Returning did.

It's not tabling, it's postponing to a date certain sure.

Postponing to the date certain of six months, which remind me, madam uh manager, what that date was.

September 28th committee.

September 28th committee of the whole.

Heard the motion objection, Miss Walt.

Thank you.

Um I'm curious what we know about Eagle Crest Board's current timeline for hiring a new GM.

I am you know, I spoke to this last time.

I'm not opposed to postponing this.

I don't think I agree.

I don't think we're ready to make this um decision to disempower them, but I do worry that this hanging out there is going to have impacts on their ability or inability to hire a GM.

So curious.

I definitely think there are lots of things they've got to figure out.

So it's a tough one.

Wondering what we know.

Thank you.

So uh the board is proceeding with um applications for uh Eagle Crest General Manager.

They have received applications.

We're just checking to see if the position is closed, but they're they're proceeding on that hiring decision.

Um Mr.

Brooks.

Ms.

Adkisson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Do is there a date set yet for uh discussions between the board and the manager's office and any uh or with gold belt as well?

Yes, uh we met today with um gold belt, and um we will be submitting an official request per direction from the assembly at the joint meeting, and that request is um you know to look at what gold belt could uh provide uh for uh assistance with both the gondola and the ski area.

And follow up, yeah.

What day uh is that next joint meeting on uh the um we've requested we will be requesting officially from Gold Belt that feedback, and then that will be discussed at your April 1st finance committee, where you're also going to spend time looking in greater detail at the um budget details and different trajectories for the gondola.

And I will uh just mention that the first review of applications is um March 15th, which is like a Saturday or something.

But anyway, it's it's open for another week.

I'm sorry, it's open till filled, but the first review of applications is on March 15th.

Ms.

Edgison.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I do feel ready to make this decision tonight, but I can read the room.

uh just mentioned that the first review of applications is um march 15th which is like a saturday or something but anyway it's it's open for another week i i'm sorry it's open till filled but the first review of applications is on march 15th miss edgison thank you mr chair um i do feel ready to make this decision tonight but i can read the room so i guess my uh follow up question then would be has there been any discussion about doing a similar thing with the airport manager where the city manager's office was involved in the hiring of uh that person um you have not given us that direction uh before we give that direction sorry i'm taking speaking without asking you mr w you might tell us about that experience uh you know i um i think that uh deputy manager barr and i both sat on that committee as uh did assemblymember he scandies um i'm not sure how uh productive it was use of our time um i do know that the board of course appreciated our professional expertise in uh hiring executives uh but it really was an airport board decision and um you know they they wanted to exercise their influence there so you know we're kind of like I think we served in more of an advisory role and um I'm not sure if I don't think it was a negative outcome um but I'm just not sure that it was the best use of everyone's time um I saw Miss Wall first and then Miss Hugh Scandis after that I'm gonna thinking through this I'm gonna formally object I I I do want to make the decision not to disempower the board I think I've been clear about that so I would rather make it soon so that we can put that to rest for a while.

I agree that someday it might be worth exploring I don't think leaving it out there is a good idea.

Um so I'd rather us um just make the decision very good um so we have now a motion and an objection Miss Euscandies I just want to say something very good.

Uh yes thank you Mr.

Chair I was actually uh initially put up my hand to chime in on the airport hiring situation because I spent a lot of time with the manager's office and the airport board what I will say that Miss Wall brought up is true you have to be very clear in the interviews you know I was chairing that and they're talking to the managers but we're also needing to make clear because we hadn't made a decision to de-empower the airport board that they were going to be answering to this civilian or whatever this uh you know nine people the same way here and that's a very different skill set and a very different job than having a manager.

So I think it would be a bit of a pickle for us to get involved that said what I saw as a gain it took a tremendous amount of time was it's really a matter of trust of whether you need you feel like you need to be in the room it was re it's comforting for me to be in the room was also a big investment of effort.

Um so I think if we feel um something that I took out of that our joint meeting with the Eagle Crest board was that there just needs to be open communication continuously and if we feel like that's enough to keep up the trust then I think it would be better to steer clear.

So I just wanted to add that from the assembly uh position.

Um but since um Ms Wall made that motion I I think I'm gonna say that all of the decisions that we're gonna make these are all tied so I don't know that having it postponed is going to make necessarily a big difference you can kind of see how I'm making my decisions tonight like we might change our mind but yeah I guess I'll I'll pause and think there.

And Mr Steininger and then Mr Brooks thank you and I I think we'll all say here I'll speak in support of the mayor's motion um I think that the discussions that we're gonna have and the decisions that we'll have to make after we have those discussions on the first you know depending upon the direction we choose to go as an assembly with Eagle Crest and the direction we go there might change how I view empowerment versus disempowerment and forcing us to have that empowerment disempowerment discussion before we've kind of made those decisions those pretty existential decisions for the ski area I think you know I I think we have to have that empowerment discussion but I think it should happen after we've kind of figured out um the probably more important question that's in front of us that we'll be talking about on the first and so I mean I don't know about pushing it all the way six months but I don't can we I guess to shift suddenly into a question if if we pass this motion to push

I think, you know, I I think we have to have that empowerment discussion, but I think it should happen after we've kind of figured out the probably more important question that's in front of us that we'll be talking about on the first.

And so I mean, I don't know about pushing it all the way six months, but I don't know.

Can we, I guess, to shift suddenly into a question if we pass this motion to push it out to a date certain.

Can we pull it up sooner than that with another motion at some point?

Um, but the answer is yes.

I then I support the mayor's motion.

Can I let me just ask one question?

What what other action could we take on this ordinance tonight?

Like, could someone say this, say this motion to postpone or to you know postpone to type certain fails?

Can we can we like vote no on this ordinance or not because we haven't hasn't been noticed?

Yeah, yeah.

You are the chair.

It's really any um so no, um these are this is specifically for a postponement at the date.

Any substantive action would require public notice and action at a public hearing.

Okay, thank you.

Sorry, Mr.

Brooks, go ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, uh Assemblymember Steininger um touched on most of what I wanted to cover.

So thank you.

Mayor Weldon.

And the reason I was looking at postponing this is because we are working with the Eagle Crest board.

So not only were we going to um ask send a letter to Gold Belt.

Um the members there, was there's Mr.

Collum and uh Mr.

Calvin were also going to look at other people that might be interested in um running Eagle Crest and Mr.

Calvin is still working on the performance, so they're still actively doing work.

So I just didn't think it was timely.

And I think depending on what happens to Eagle Crest depends on whether we're even going to have a board or not.

So that's why I was comfortable with six months.

Okay, we have a motion and objection.

Madam Clerk, would you call the roll, please?

Thank you, Deputy Mayor Smith.

For the motion to postpone the Eagle Crest ordinance to the September 28th Cal Committee of the Whole.

Mayor Weldon.

Yes, and Mr.

Smith is chairing, so he's last.

Mr.

Brooks.

Yes.

Ms.

Hall.

Yes.

Mr.

Kelly.

No.

Ms.

Adkison.

Yes.

Mr.

Steininger.

Yes.

Ms.

Hughes Candies.

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Smith.

Oh, you missed me.

So sorry.

No.

Motion carries with Deputy Mayor Smith.

Yes.

Motion carries with seven yes and two nays.

Phew.

Okay, that brings us to item three under new business.

Um Mr.

Smith, are you prepped for this one?

Ms.

Candies, would you please uh give us a motion?

Oh, sorry, Madam Clerk.

Will you read the title of three?

Sorry, we're sketching a little uh sorry.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Hardship in senior citizen disabled veteran late filed real property tax exemption applications.

Ms.

Ganys.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh I would note that for a late file senior and disabled veteran hardship exemptions.

We received and reviewed exemption or uh applications.

Didn't we view the applications?

Ha ha late fall, late file veteran disabled hardship.

Let's all start over.

Two applications for late file senior and disabled veteran hardship exemptions.

Paula Sumdum and Daniel Roundow.

And I move that those be accepted and sent to the assessor for process.

Review.

Review.

And I ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection.

Seeing that motion passes.

Thank you, Ms.

Euskannies.

So now we're on to public hearing.

Item one, Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ordnance 2025-01.

Lowercase B, uppercase AB, and ordinance appropriating 400 493,000 to the manager for the Desonta Kahini Playground Capital Improvement Project.

Funding provided by Juno School District Funds.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Uh Madam Manager.

Thank you.

This project appropriates just shy of 500,000 of Juno School District funds to complete the Zansekahini Playground Project.

That is an addition to the 845,000 in CBJ funds that's previously appropriated.

I will note that Superintendent Hauser has valiantly sat through everything this evening.

So he is in the uh audience, and I recommend you take public testimony and adopt this ordinance.

Thank you, Madam Manager.

Um, is there any member of the public, including Superintendent Houser, that would like to speak to this ordinance?

Seeing none, we'll bring it to the assembly.

Ms.

Wall.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move the assembly approved ordinance 2025-01BAB and ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection.

See none, that ordinance passes.

Item two, Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ordinance 2026-10, an ordinance amending Title I general provisions to add a definition of newspaper of general circulation.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Madam Manager.

Thank you.

This ordinance defines newspaper of general circulation to include online notices.

This modernizes how uh we do notices.

It modernizes really how our public engages with uh looking for that information, and it's a practice that many other municipalities have done.

Uh it's still we still remain compliant with uh state statute on public notice.

I recommend the assembly take public testimony and adopt this ordinance.

Thank you, Madam Manager.

Is there any member of the public that wishes to speak to this ordinance?

Seeing none, we'll bring it to the assembly, Mr.

Brooks.

Thank you, madam mayor.

I move uh we send ordinance two zero two six dash one zero uh to the committee of the whole and ask for unanimous consent.

Or oh sorry.

I move that we adopt ordinance 2026-10 and ask for unanimous consent.

Good correction.

Any objection?

See none that ordinance passes.

Item three, Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ordinance 2026-08, an ordinance amending the uniform sales tax of the city and borough of Juneau.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Madam Manager.

Thank you.

This ordinance adds residential composting as an eligible essential uh residential and solely non-commercial utility that is eligible uh to be exempt from sales tax.

I recommend you take public testimony and adopt the ordinance.

Thank you, Madam Manager.

Is there any member of the public wishes to speak to this ordinance?

Seeing none, we'll bring it to the assembly, and I'm gonna go to Mr.

Kelly on this one.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move that the assembly adopt ordinance 2026-08 and ask for unanimous consent.

Any objections?

I'll object.

I get to speak to my objection.

I appreciate Mr.

Kelly's uh um take on this.

However, um a sales tax is kind of regressive and hits uh lower income people more than upper income people, and since you already pay money to get your composting, I don't see these people as having a lower income problem.

So um and um when the foregone revenue folks are gonna meet with us again.

The committee is gonna meet again.

We're gonna be looking at ways to um get rid of sales tax exemptions and those kind of things.

So I don't see that it um behooves us to start putting exemptions on them.

So I will object.

So uh Ms.

Wall and then back to Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'll speak in support of this ordinance for many of the same reasons the mayor just spoke to.

This is a hard service to afford, and so this would make it more affordable, and we know that composting is something that um we want to encourage for our landfill.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you.

I think Ms.

Will actually spoke to my points as well.

All right.

Any further comment?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, we have a motion and objection.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

For ordinance 2026-08.

Mr.

Kelly.

Yes.

Ms.

Adkison.

Yes.

Mr.

Steininger.

Yes.

Ms.

Hall.

Yes.

Mr.

Brooks.

Yes.

Ms.

Hughes Candice.

Yes.

Ms.

Wall.

Yes.

Deputy Mayor Smith.

No.

Madam Mayor.

No.

Motion carries seven yes, two nays.

Uh that brings us to item four.

Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ordinance 2025-01, lowercase B, uppercase U.

An ordinance appropriating 150,000 to the manager as a grant to Society of St.

Vincent DePaul, St.

Teresa Conference Inc.

for long-term maintenance, funds provided by Juno Affordable Housing.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Madam Manager.

Thank you.

This ordinance was pulled because we referenced only the Teal Street facility in the title last time.

So we had to reintroduce it.

It's 150,000 grant for St.

Vincent's to do just general maintenance to all of their properties.

Unfortunately, we still didn't catch a warehouse clause that also mentioned Teal Street.

So there is a staff amendment on page 64 of your packet that we will uh need you to adopt.

I recommend you take public testimony, amend and adopt this ordinance.

Thank you for that.

And we do have Mr.

Ringle in the audience.

Did you want to testify?

Only as needed, correct?

All right.

So with that, we will bring it to the assembly.

Ms.

Adgison.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I move we adopt ordinance 22501 version B, large letter U, and I object for the purposes of a staff amendment.

Well done.

Look at you.

Please give us that amendment.

The one in the packet.

And I don't need to speak to it because I think the manager just did.

Ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection?

All it does is remove the reference to seal street.

So seeing no objection.

That amendment passes.

Back to the motion as amended.

Any objections?

Seeing none, that motion passes.

Do they need to declare?

Okay.

Okay.

So the amendment passed.

Back to the motion as amended.

Ms.

Hall.

I would like to declare a conflict of interest as I sit on the board of directors of St.

Vincent de Paul.

I do I'm declaring I'm not a conflict of interest.

And you've spoken to the attorney and she is good with it.

Yes, that's right.

Okay.

Thank you.

Mr.

Steininger.

Similarly, I would like to declare not a conflict of interest.

Having spoken to the attorney, I sit on the finance committee for St.

Vincent DePa.

Okay, thank you for that.

I was so close.

Do it so well now.

All right.

So motion as amended.

Any objection?

Seeing none, that motion is passed.

So that brings us to item five, Madam Clerk.

Thank you, ma'am mayor.

Ordinance 2025-01, lowercase B, uppercase C, an ordinance appropriating two million to the deferred building maintenance capital improvement project funding provided by the general fund.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Madam Manager.

Thank you.

This ordinance replenishes the deferred building maintenance CIP from with uh two million dollars of general fund that uh was uh removed from it when you made the transfer to uh fund renovations to the um new municipal building also known as the Burns Building.

I recommend you take public testimony and adopt this ordinance.

Uh thank you, madam clerk.

Um any member of the public wish to speak to this ordinance.

Seeing none, we'll come back to the assembly, Mr.

Steininger.

I move the assembly adopt ordinance 202501BZ and ask for unanimous unanimous consent.

Any objection?

Seeing none, that motion passes.

Oh, Mr.

Brooks, you need to wave your hand more.

Mr.

Burks.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, objection for the purpose of a question.

Uh I was just wondering why we didn't just do the $2 million appropriation straight out of the general fund and took it from deferred maintenance, and now we're going from general fund to refill that deferred maintenance.

Like, why don't we just take it straight from general fund to begin with?

Madam Manager.

So I presented you with a transfer request uh that found kind of fund from uh funds from various different projects uh that I believed had room in them.

Uh the assembly decided that you wanted to um I mean you made that decision as a body to move forward with that transfer request and then introduce an ordinance to backfill deferred maintenance.

Thank you.

Okay.

We have a motion, any objection.

Seeing none, that motion passes.

Item six, madam clerk.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Ordinance 2026-07, an ordinance exempting the 2026 fireworks display purchase from compliance with the procurement code.

Thank you, Madam Clerk, Madam Manager.

Thank you.

We are making great progress working with the fireworks crew that has put on our annual Fourth of July fireworks uh show for many, many years now, um, and increasing our collaboration with them.

Dox and harbors has taken that on and hats off to them for really trying to find ways to um you know find them appropriate storage and and um in the future make sure that uh those purchase purchases are subject to CBJ procurement code.

However, because you have to purchase fireworks so far in advance, this ordinance is required in order uh for that group to get reimbursed for purchases that were made for this upcoming year.

Uh thank you, madam manager.

Um any member of the public wishes speak to this ordinance.

We've lost all our members of public.

Uh, we'll bring it back to the assembly.

Miss Ms.

Hall.

I move we adopt ordinance 2026-07 and ask for unanimous um consent.

Any objection?

Seeing none, that ordinance passes.

Um so that brings us to staff reports.

And we had to postpone this last time.

So Madam Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

In your packet, I've included the 2026 municipal election overview and deadlines.

This should look familiar.

This is what we include every year with um upcoming municipal deadlines.

The high-level overview of the 2026 municipal election, including general election timeline key, statutory deadlines.

The assembly should be aware of, such as candidate filing, ballot preparation, and the vote by mail election period.

Uh, no action is required tonight.

This is just informational and intended to give the assembly a look at the schedule and constraints that guide the clerk's office as we administer the election.

Any questions for Ms.

Hendricks?

Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you.

This question is uh was posed to me by a constituent, somebody who was concerned about the change at the United States Postal Service on Christmas Eve.

Some you might have heard that there's a change as to when about when the mail that you're submitting, especially for a ballot is being stamped, is not necessarily when you submit it to the post office.

Um there was concerns that people's who are people who are unaware of the the change in postal service regulations might submit a ballot before the deadline, but since it's not watermarked, might not have their ballot counted.

I I share my constituents' concerns and was wondering if the clerk's office is planning to do any sort of communication around that to come to encourage people to remedy that perhaps by getting uh it canceled in person or submitting it early.

Thank you.

Madam Kirk.

I believe that we have encouraged on our mail out that individuals who mail close to the end of the deadline really should be bringing that to the counter and getting it stamped in front of them to care for that.

But I'll make sure to double check that when we're throwing together our informational guides this year.

Yep.

And they also uh point out where the drop boxes are and people can come to city hall and drop theirs off any time.

Mr.

Steiniger.

Um yeah, thank you.

And um I have a question kind based.

We heard some uh public testimony earlier today about the um petition process and deadlines and signature gathering.

And you know, I was wondering if our attorney, Miss Wright could speak.

Do you have kind of a take on that on those deadlines and that process that you might be able to share with us?

Madam Attorney.

Sure, and I'll try and keep it succinct.

Um, I have a lot of feelings about this one.

Um so what I will tell you is I've I've I fully respect Mr.

Botello's um position and his presentation.

I'll start by saying you're the legislative body.

You we can draft an ordinance um putting that mark at 30 days that if you don't have enough signatures at 30 days, you're done.

I looked back, it's happened about six times in the past few years.

Three last year, two got on the ballot, one did not.

Um, and back in 2021, there were three cruise ship um petitions, all of which did not have the number of signatures, and they did not get the signatures after the 10 additional days.

It is true uh that there was a shift in interpretation uh in the clerk's office and the law department, probably in about 2017-2018.

There were not very many initiatives or petitions filed before that.

So there was a pretty large hole from 2011 to 2020 2018, 2019, 2021.

We've seen a lot more going on.

So it wasn't like it was a complete turnabout all of a sudden.

We just didn't have them.

What I will tell you is if you go back and look at the Alaska Constitutional Convention as well as the CBJ charter notes, the concept of recall uh initiative and petitions, it's meant to give the maximum uh ability of the citizens to tell their elected body that they're upset with them and they don't like uh what you're doing in a recall, or they they think that you should be passing legislation.

So case law, all of the notes, all of the discussions, it's maximum um uh you know, process for the citizens.

It's their way of telling you what they think.

With that in mind, um the CBJ charter.

There are notes that the charter um committee talked about, whether it should be 30 or 40 days.

There's no like aha moment where we can say, oh, it was supposed to be 30.

What we can see is that they knew the whole process was going to be 40 days and they were comfortable with that.

And so, based on that, uh based on some case law, Mr.

Palmer in 2021 advised the clerk's office to give the full 40 days.

I was again asked about that last year.

I also advised the full 40 days.

You 100% can change it.

Um, and I would recommend legislation to do that if you want.

My only other piece, Mr.

Botello talked a little bit about that there's no petitions right now.

And to be fair to him, he brought this up uh to me and others uh a while ago with plenty of time, but you are about to hit petition time.

Petitions normally come in the beginning of April.

And so if you want to do this, we can either do it now very, very quickly, or you could postpone until after the election and deal with it kind of when there aren't petitions pending.

I does that um give you a good overview of where we are.

Yes, yeah, thank you.

Yeah, and I'll just add so Clerk Laurie Sika interpreted 30 days, and then Clerk Beth McEwen interpreted it 40 days.

So difference as um attorney said vague.

So it was up to interpretation.

Uh, any further questions on this one?

All right, thank you, madam clerk for that.

And uh any further staff reports.

No.

Um, so the only thing I have for the mayor's report, and some of you were there, but um went to the women's of distinction where um aware honored um our former deputy mayor, Maria Gladyshewski.

So uh honored to see her being honored.

So she gave a great speech.

So that's uh all I have on my mayor's report, other than watch the melting and freezing because it's slippery everywhere.

So with that, we will go into uh our committee reports.

Mr.

Smith, committee of the whole, you have anything.

Um I was not in attendance and you gracefully chaired for me, so thank you.

I forgot to uh prep that.

So if anybody else remembers anything of mail, um Ms.

Wall, who finance has been busy.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um we had a finance committee last week that I sure you all remember.

And our next one will be a special assembly meeting.

We will be meeting with Jockson Harbors and the school board, and that is coming up in next week.

The 18th, yes, next week.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Wall.

Lands, Ms.

Huscandies.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

In February, the Lands Committee met and we discussed uh vertical bridge, uh lease or a comms tower, um a land trade uh in the works with CBJ and the state of Alaska trading uh bit of land that is directly to the side and under of the Juno Douglas Bridge.

That the state just wants to make sure that nothing permanent gets billed there in case they need to repair the bridge.

Uh and in exchange, we could free up some land into CBJ custody that would be beneficial for North Douglas boat ramp.

Um, which is something people have been trying to develop for a while.

Uh introduced tonight was the ordinance related to city halls disposal.

Um Lands Committee looked at this and talked about a couple of different methods of disposal.

Uh now that it's been introduced I'm sure we will talk about it as a full assembly.

Look for that at a future cow.

Um, I say with confidence, not being sure that's where it's going.

Um we also talked about peer-to-peer car uh licensing fees or uh fees related to that.

And that is if you have been seeing any churros or increased tarot usage you might have in the downtown uh vicinity.

And um, those were our keeping it moving of the day.

And then we also uh the lands committee took a look at all of the past, not the true comprehensive, but a lot of past materials related to short-term rentals uh and limitations on short-term rentals.

So they are queued up and ready to talk about um next steps coming out of the short-term rental task force.

Thank you.

Um Public Works.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh we met last in late February where we had some um transfers because there are water mains failing in lots of places around town.

So that's fun.

Um we also talked about the downtown waterfront um improvement, which is the new city museum, and so there's some um the uh process of actions on that.

Uh, and also got an update on the recycling center, which is back up and running.

So that's good news.

Uh, we got a presentation on the solid waste uh situation and the transfer station, kind of keeping us up to date on what to do when this landfill fills up.

And we were going to discuss microtransit, but we ran out of time.

So we will be doing that this upcoming meeting.

Thank you.

Want to do visitor industry task force while you're there.

I don't remember what we did in the visitor industry task force.

Downtown congestion.

We did downtown congestion.

Thank you, Mr.

Spinninger.

And I believe we have a meeting this Thursday.

This Thursday where we're doing flight seeing.

I think.

Okay, thank you for that.

I'll read it the day before.

Okay.

Human resources, Mr.

Kelly.

You guys were busy.

We were uh we were busy, not nearly as busy as land's committee, uh, but we did um quite a bit of business.

We are forwarding uh to the uh committee of the whole.

Um sorry, uh Mr.

Deputy Mayor.

Um actually I I guess I shouldn't apologize, but anyway, uh we are forwarding to the committee of the whole a uh draft resolution.

This uh resolution was brought to us by the uh human rights commission, um, which has a very similar acronym to our own.

Um and the idea around this resolution was to increase engagement in our uh in our many committees and commissions.

So we'll be forwarding that to the committee of the whole.

We did make a few amendments ourselves and hopefully be able to uh do a little bit more refining at the committee of the whole.

Um we discussed a resolution uh uh brought forward by Mr.

Brooks uh to consider a change to assembly rules.

We've decided to hold that in committee so we can uh refine the language on that.

And we did manage to dispose of a long-standing committee topic, and that was discussion on board members serving past their term and at least uh I wouldn't say we disposed of it, but we uh we advanced the conversation and we'll be um reviewing some language at our next human resources meeting around that.

Um finally, we do have some appointments to uh we forwarded.

So I move that the assembly approve the reappointment of Nadine LaFave and the appointment of Miguel Roerbacher, both to the labor representative seats on the personnel board for full terms beginning immediately and ending January 31st, 2029, and ask for unanimous consent.

Any objection?

Seeing none, they are appointed.

Oh, you just had one.

I thought you had two of them.

Never mind.

All right, thank you for that.

Um I miss any assembly committees.

All right, and we'll just go down the line, Ms.

Hughes Scandy's uh committee liaisons, questions, comments, concerns.

Oh, there's always if I'm prepared for one thing, I always forget another thing.

Um I will start with questions, concerns, comments.

Um the petition issue, I'm interested in hearing more, but now getting and more information from the assembly or the attorney.

Um I think I will kill that one and just say a follow-up offline.

Um I think Ms.

Wall in the past has used this time because we can't all be together and get kind of a pulse check and not wanting to waste time or valuable meetings.

Sometimes it's good just to know where people are at and pretty extremely limited with resolutions where I think they make sense, who we should be limiting our resolutions to things that we have more control over, or rather the less we do of them, the more weight it carries than if we're doing resolutions for this and that and everything.

So I am curious where folks are on a resolution with Cascade Point, and if we all feel really good about Juno not taking a position on that, our neighboring communities have um so if the mayor feels like indulging that uh to let people know where they are.

And then the other thing I wanted to say was we received um uh memo style communication from the chair of J COS uh related to the mines and uh smelting and um looking at ways to see if there's other mechanisms that make sense for the community to capture uh revenue from the mines in a way that is less boom dust and and more ongoing.

So I just kind of want to make you all aware of that.

And if anyone started screaming, not the mines, then that would be helpful to me.

Um that's all I have at this point.

All right, uh, so we'll tackle the first one.

Uh first.

So in the past, we typically don't do a resolution for basically something that's not we have no control over, but we'll hear from the body and I'll just go down the line.

So uh I'm not starting with you, Ms.

Hughes Candies, because you asked the question, so Ms.

Wall, I'll start with you.

Um I don't think this is something we should take a position on.

I do think it's important for a community, but I don't see how us doing that moves the needle on it.

I also don't think we all agree, and I think it's kind of only powerful if we all agree.

So that would be my guess is that getting into that debate won't be worth it.

Worth our worthy of our time.

Thank you, Ms.

Wall, Mr.

Brooks.

You want to weigh in?

And you can pass.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just feel like we have a lot of uh energy that needs to be focused on on the issues that will have the most immediate impact on.

And that's a lot of our own budget woes, and this is more of a uh state budget woe.

So I would like to keep it on as much city matters as possible that we have a say in.

Thank you, Mr.

Brooks, Ms.

Adgison.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, personally, I'm I'm definitely not opposed to a resolution on this, but I do tend to agree with you, Madam Mayor, that it's best in a situation where there is public comment to submit, or you're supporting a project that is like out for public comment or spit or something like that.

And this is not one of the situations.

And it is my observation that in general the folks who represent Juno at the state level are uh already have their opinions formed on this one.

And I don't know that this will will change that.

So while I I support the concept, I do think it might not be worth the time this body would spend.

Thank you, Mr.

Steininger.

Um I don't have much to add to what's been said before.

I I don't think it's necessarily worth our time to work on.

Um, and I would echo what Ms.

Wall said.

I think you put it best.

Uh Ms.

Hall.

Yeah, and I would also echo what Ms.

Wall said and others have said previously.

Thank you.

Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you.

Um, I might join uh the minority with uh with Miss Youscandies.

I um I I guess I'm more flexible on on whether or not we take a position on this.

I think uh at least uh a couple of us though have taken uh public positions as well.

So I guess that's always also an option.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Thank you.

I'm I'm not sure this is something that again is worth our time to to spend and um would it make any real change?

Um I appreciate knowing that a lot of people in our community have spoken up through different ways that they're able to, but um I don't know if it's something we need to do.

So thanks.

There you go.

And as for myself, I think it was all well stated from everybody else, and I'm more keep your powder dry for times when it does count.

Um is you who scandes, did you want to weigh in on that one?

Or just no, that's super helpful.

I mean, I think a lot of us already have utilized the other mechanisms, just occasionally come back to well, actually the fairies are super critical to our thing.

Should we be talking to the state?

And it's frequently feels pointless because we're not very often way out of line with our state representation.

So uh but it's I think it's good to check in.

Um, that's fine.

Um, like you said, we don't get it um talk very often.

Um, and then your second thing, I'll be totally transparent.

I didn't see that, so I haven't read it.

So I don't know if that's something that we should stick more with finance than assembly tonight.

Uh I I have no idea what you're talking about, but extreme extreme early stages, just for anyone who did see it.

I'm following up, I guess.

So do anybody want to weigh on it if they read it?

So I didn't read it.

So it um know that we're gonna weigh on that tonight, but not say we can't weigh in on it later.

So anyway, did you have any liaison or anything that you want to talk about?

Ooh, that's the one where I said this I can get two out of three.

Um chamber is meeting this week.

Um chamber is uh following child care with some concern for the summer.

Um no, I'm sorry.

I'll if I remember anything relevant for the assembly, I'll come back.

Okay, that sounds good.

Ms.

Wall, do you have anything to add?

Um, thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, the um crack has not met since we last met.

They instead of a meeting this month, they are um taking a tour of Diamond Park Aquatics Center on thir Thursday at noon.

And there is an invite for you if you would like to join it in your um uh Friday report, and that is a public meeting since they're doing it together.

So you could join, you could all join if you want to.

Um, and the airport has not met since we met with them as a board.

Um, they meet on Thursday.

Um, so I will be there.

And I think I did want to say something briefly because it is going to be three weeks until we talk about the gondola, just been doing a lot of reflection since we got that initial estimate.

And I know there's gonna be more um you know, investigation and more discussion on that number, but I am you know just as as someone who is on the body, and many people here weren't um when we voted to go into that agreement with cold melt.

I am sorry that that that happened.

I think many of us knew that that was a poorly planned project, and and when we saw the that someone wanted to invest that much money in it, that's all we could see.

So um, you know, I know we're gonna be working hard to try to figure out our way out of it, but but everything I know right now makes me feel like I just wanted to say something before we get to April 1st um on the record.

And and also apologize to the five members who were not here when that decision was made that you all are now gonna deal with the consequences.

Thanks.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Well.

I don't apologize for that.

They that's why they get the big box.

Mr.

Brooks.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Um the school board has been meeting a lot, lots of special meetings, executive sessions discussing uh their pay uh packages.

I think that they have one ironed out for the support staff, and they're still working on one for the educators.

Uh they will have their final reading of their budget in the middle of March.

So uh they don't have much much time to figure out the uh the teachers pay package, but they're doing a lot of work and then um also uh uh ironing out all their um procedural rules and uh you know guidebooks, just refining the language and their own internal ordinances and uh and then just figuring out the facilities and finances.

So they've had lots of really robust conversations and uh lots of you know legitimate concerns being raised about you know uh equipment, the one-to-one on tablets and laptops and then other things as far as interdepartmental engineering costs.

I know that really inflated the cost of the DZ playground, and uh, you know, they're hoping that they wouldn't get that same treatment for other future school projects, but then there's the um the uh local emergency um preparedness.

Um they uh had the first meeting that I've attended since being elected, and uh uh it was just kind of you know going over what they had been working on prior to me getting on and figuring out ways to make programs for uh flood preparedness and then working with the uh community partners and uh and then as we had already earlier discussed the Juneau Commission on Sustainability had uh worked on providing us with that memo.

And uh that seems to have been their their focus of us lately, but that's all I got.

Well, thank you for that, and thank you for attending those education meetings, Ms.

Adkisson.

Uh I'm gonna pass tonight.

Thank you, I'm mayor.

Mr.

Steininger.

Um, let's see here.

I do actually have a committee announcement.

Um the joint CBJ JSD facilities committee.

We have a date set for our meeting.

It will be on the 31st at I don't know what time of day.

Um I think it's at noon.

I think noon.

Um it's on the calendar.

Uh and we'll be discussing how the school district pays for maintenance, what their buckets of money are, and then looking at renewed bond lists for consideration by this body um and the finance committee at a later date.

Um, so that'll happen on the 31st.

Uh, systemic racism review committee had its normal meeting going over, you know, what we saw on our agenda packet tonight.

Um, they've also been discussing a list of recommendations and a document of best practice for general board recruitment.

Um both from just the like getting people into seats and from that like representation perspective um that they're charged with looking at.

Um, so I expect eventually that might make its way to the HRC as a recommendation from SRC.

Um Eagle Crest, you guys have all been in a lot of Eagle Crest related meetings lately.

Um they did have a board meeting the other night um and made a couple of things that are kind of outside of what we've been discussing with them.

Um I had a motion to uh start selling spring season passes, so passes that are effectively seasoned pass just through the rest of the spring for I think it was 275.

Um, so pretty significant reduction from the 802 dollars.

I think that a season pass otherwise would cost you.

Um trying to get you know more revenue by attracting people in with lower price.

And they also adopted a list of kind of board policies and procedures around board member behavior, I guess would be the way to phrase it.

Um basically kind of laying out uh expectations for board members.

Um they have pretty young board, not young in age, but like young and in lengths of service, um, and some that haven't served on a lot of boards before.

And so that, you know, kind of laying out kind of ground rules for what is expected of a board member.

Um, so they've been having a lot of those kind of discussions about board behavior.

Um and yeah, I think that's it.

Ms.

Hall, do you have anything?

Yeah, thank you.

Um Dox and Harbor met on Thursday this past week, and in our consent agenda, we covered three items um from that body.

Uh upcoming joint assembly docks and harbor meeting on the 18th, where they will present their budget.

Um Harbor Master Crest will provide the presentation as the port director will be in DC and will attend virtually.

Um projects of note, the uh fishing vessel Julianne from Aurora Harbor, which sank during the big storm is being removed.

Um I think that bid was out.

Uh Aurora Harbor Improvements, Taku Harbor Improvements, Satter uh phase 3D, downtown, new bathroom, North Douglas launch ramp and echo cove.

Um so lots of lots of things happening there.

And then today, JEDC met we covered um, you know, kind of reviewed what's been going on lately.

The innovation summit wrapped up was uh quite well attended this year.

Um Director Holes provided an update on the summer um career technical education program that will be happening.

Um also update on the applications for the rural health transformation funding.

Um they're working on I can't believe of us four or five um projects that will be submitted this week, I believe is the deadline.

Also the use summer camps, um, which uh I'd like to remember this body that that is child care for our um uh yeah, for kids around the the STEAM activities.

Um, and also the uh director had two letters of notice of interest, one to the regional forester um uh comments regarding the Tongas National Forest Management Plan to be included in that, and also to um DNR director of mining land and water, and that was in uh supporter approval for a private non-exclusive exclusive easement for road and staging areas for the um portage project.

And um with that's what I've been on.

All right, Mr.

Kelly.

Thank you.

Um if C SWA is still having meetings, I'm not on their mailing list anymore.

So um, no news from C Swall.

I um regretfully lost track of time at Southeast Conference, and so I missed the meeting of the downtown business association.

And I'm I was just checking my outlook calendar, and it seems that they might have rescheduled their March meeting for today instead of its usual time on the second Tuesday of the month.

Um, I will be double checking to make sure that's not a not an outlet mistake, though.

So hopefully I didn't miss two meetings.

Um I did attend the meeting of the Juno Commission on Aging on February 17th, where uh city staffed uh we're having a lively discussion with them.

There's lots of questions asked um about um about housing and affordable housing.

And yeah, I think that's that's all the news I I have there.

I think I will make one comment on Mr Um D.

Bortolo's uh suggest suggestions on on amending our election code.

There's lots of questions asked um about um about housing and affordable housing and yeah I think that's that's all the news I I have there I think I will make one comment on Mr D Bortolo's uh suggest suggestions on on amending our election code I I would be hesitant to do that unilaterally as a body I think if we do proceed along that route we should find some way such as perhaps an advisory vote to get um uh an opinion from our constituents thank you uh thank you mr smith do you have anything yeah thanks man very briefly um out on some personal family things for the last couple of weeks so appreciate the condolences and the keeping to keeping the water carried and uh the people's business moving along while I was otherwise focused um I do want to flag we have a Title 49 advisory ad hoc committee next week Tuesday it's March 17th um staff is looking for some um opinions and things from the committee on parking drive throughs outdoor lighting outdoor storage home occupation which is home based businesses as well as preview of concepts for um the reorganization of the table of permeable permeus permissible uses so next week tuesday thanks madam mayor uh thank you um the gentleman in the back that we've all been looking at all night is our new fire chief chief hatley um i forgot to do that um and then the other thing i've attended now two of our public work sessions on the budget so if you get a chance to hit the remaining one it's well worth your time to listen to everybody's comments um with that uh does the staff have anything before we go into executive session because we're getting closer on our time very briefly I'd just like to uh thank Chief Hatley for coming we did request him to come so we could introduce him to the assembly and then got totally tied up in everything.

So now it's like this is like a uh um not a hazing but you know you just have to so uh so please uh you know take a moment to welcome Chief Hatley and thank you Mayor Weldon for recognizing him you can come shake our hands um all I have to say from being there is good luck um with that um mr smith do you want to bring us into executive session yes madam mayor I moved that the assembly entered into executive session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations the media knowledge of which would adversely affect the finances of the municipality and I ask for unanimous consent is there any member of the public that opposes us going into executive session is there any member of the assembly opposes to going executive session we are gor we will be in executive session in five minutes five and we are not returning for the public listening we will not re turning to regular session