Sitka Assembly Meeting: Strategic Plan, Bus Debate, Feb 13, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Sitka City and Borough Assembly Regular Meeting - February 13, 2024
The Sitka City and Borough Assembly convened on February 13, 2024, with Mayor Eisenbeisz and members Christianson, Mosher, Ystad, and Saline present (Pike and Carlson absent). The meeting included routine approvals, adoption of an updated strategic plan, and a controversial first reading of a commercial bus permit ordinance that ultimately failed after extensive public testimony and assembly opposition.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval (24-018): Approved 5–0 for the January 9 and January 23 assembly meetings.
Public Comments & Testimony
First Session (Off-Agenda Items):
- Richard Wein commented on economic forecasting and inflation risks.
- Tyler Green raised concerns about limited pool hours and the Katlian Street sidewalk closure.
- Leah Mason announced Transition Sitka’s goal for Earth Day 2030 (2,258 days away) and urged climate action.
- Assemblymember Mosher, as Sustainability Commission liaison, encouraged residents to complete the Sitka Community Renewable Energy Strategy survey.
Public Hearing on Ordinance 24-05 (Commercial Bus Permits):
- In support: Leah Mason, Barbara Bingham, Larry Edwards, and Martina Kruzer argued the ordinance was a necessary first step to manage cruise impacts, improve air quality, and protect infrastructure. Barbara Bingham noted that tourism best management practices (TBMP) will require ordinance backing to be effective. Larry Edwards cited a 20% increase in Alaska cruise bookings for 2024, urging quick action.
- In opposition: Trudy Prewitt (Sitka Tours/Island Bus), Robert Emley, Chuck Trierschield, Cynthia Gibson (Alaska Storytellers), Ryan Harris (Sitka Bike & Hike), Bethany Lowrance, Sara Hadad-Dembs, Chris McGraw (Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal), Michelle Barker (Sitka Bike & Hike), Jamey Cagle (Allen Marine), Andy Nye, and Alexa Blickenstaff (Alaska Coach Tours) opposed. They argued the ordinance would devastate local businesses, cause job losses, increase traffic (by forcing more smaller buses), undermine the Tourism Task Force, and create legal risks. Several called for voluntary TBMP or incentive-based approaches. Richard Wein suggested more data collection on road capacity and emissions.
Discussion Items
ORD 24-01A (All-Purpose Vehicles): Amended Title 11 to update ATV regulations. Approved 5–0 on second reading with minimal debate.
ORD 24-03 (Mid-Year Supplemental Appropriations): Provided ~$750,000 in FY2024 supplemental appropriations. Approved 5–0 on second reading.
ORD 24-04 (Thomsen Harbor Lift Station Replacement): Funded the lift station replacement; the project experienced a $1.7 million cost increase due to inflation since 2022. Approved 5–0 on second reading.
RES 24-06 (Airport Runway Seawall Support): Supported DOT&PF's project for LED lighting and seawall improvements at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport. Approved 5–0.
RES 24-07 (2022–2027 Strategic Plan Updates): Consultant Sarah Singer Wilson presented revised actions and success indicators for five goal areas, based on community surveys and an assembly workshop. The plan now includes measurable KPIs. Approved 5–0. Assembly members thanked Wilson for her work.
ORD 24-05 (Commercial Bus Permits – 1st reading): Proposed by Assemblymember Christianson to limit commercial buses (over 40 passengers) to 10 permits, require annual emissions checks, and aim to reduce congestion, emissions, and road wear. Public testimony was heavily opposed, citing economic harm, insufficient infrastructure for electric buses, and circumvention of the Tourism Task Force. Assembly debate featured majority opposition; Deputy Mayor Mosher and others criticized the rushed process, legal risks, and potential to increase traffic through replacement with smaller buses. Christianson defended it as a necessary guardrail. The ordinance failed 1–4 (only Christianson in favor).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Minutes, committee reappointments (Annette Evans, Margie Esquiro), ORD 24-01A, ORD 24-03, ORD 24-04, RES 24-06, RES 24-07.
- Failed: ORD 24-05 (Commercial Bus Permits) on first reading, vote 1–4.
- Next Steps: The strategic plan prioritization survey will be circulated to the assembly. The Tourism Task Force continues to develop tourism best management practices; several speakers noted ordinances may be needed to enforce them. The mayor reported that Norwegian Cruise Lines declined to adjust early/late-season calls for 2024 but offered offset programs.
- Reports: Mayor and Administrator reported on the Pacific Northwest Cruise Symposium and Southeast Conference; the city clerk noted upcoming meetings on February 27 (regular) and February 29 (budget).
Meeting Transcript
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The Assembly of the City and Borough of Sitka would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional first people of Sheetka. With gratitude, we proceed on Clinket Ani. Sarah Roll Call, please. Mayor Eisenbaith. Here. Mr. Mosier? Here. Mr. Yestad. Here. Mr. Christianson. Here. Mr. Selene. Here. And members Mosier and Carlson are no excuse me. Members Pike and Carlson are absent this evening. Thank you. Uh Kevin, it sounds like you're excused. You can go ahead and go home then. Any correspondence or agenda changes this evening? Seeing none, that'll bring us to special reports. Is anyone here for government to government? Municipal boards, commissions, committees. Municipal departments. School district. And students and guests for special reports. Seeing none, that'll bring us to our first persons to be heard this evening. This is public participation for any item off of tonight's agenda, not to exceed three minutes for any individual. And my God, we live in a beautiful world. And I was also very happy that uh Taytay and Travis uh for them that they that the Chiefs won. Uh and meaning the Super Bowl. And um what would make me even happier would be for me to see Tay Tay with a baby bump. So Travis, you know what to do. Today is February 13th, and it is Fat Tuesday. And I said, Oh, it must be an assembly day. Because they're probably going to have lots of supplemental appropriations. Fat Tuesday. But the important thing here is that Fat Tuesday is also the day of Mardi Gras. Because that's what it means in French. And what's important is that Mardi Gras is the first day is the day before Ash Wednesday. And that is a time of moderation, of fasting, of something where uh people uh begin to appreciate I'll say suffering in a very real way. And one of the things, the lessons I think of the beginning of Lent should be uh not to just get off of chocolate, which uh tomorrow is the 14th, so don't get rid of chocolate so quickly, but that the assembly needs to focus on uh forecasting and economic realities because I'm sure everybody here knows sitting at the table that the market closed down at 525 points. And why did the market close down? Well, I hope you also know about the uh government pronouncements on CPI, um consumer price index, and other governmental indexes, where inflation is continuing to raise its uh ugly head. But we know that people here in Sitka, we shouldn't worry because sitkins are immune from outside external economic forces, and the way I can tell that is because of the way I see the economic spending within this city, and part of the problem is if people do forecasting, you can't run things on grants and wishes.
openpublica.com