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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Sitka Assembly Meeting: Seaplane Base, Grant Reform, Sales Tax Free Days (Sept 9, 2025)

City and Borough Assembly — Tuesday, September 9, 2025

BodySitka, Alaska

SessionCity and Borough Assembly

DateTuesday, September 9, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:43:25

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0:00

All right, welcome everybody.

0:02

Let me get my paperwork in order here.

0:04

Um welcome to the regular regularly scheduled meeting of Tuesday, September 9th, 2025.

0:11

Please join me for a flag salute.

0:16

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.

0:32

The Assembly of the City and Borough of Sitka would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional first people of Sheetka.

0:38

With gratitude, we proceed on Clinkitani.

0:42

Sarah Roll Call, please.

0:45

Mayor Eisenbais.

0:46

Present.

0:47

Mr.

0:47

Pike.

0:48

Here.

0:48

Ms.

0:48

Carlson.

0:49

Here.

0:50

Mr.

0:50

Mosher.

0:51

Here.

0:51

Mr.

0:52

Celine.

0:52

Here.

0:53

Mr.

0:53

Yestan.

0:54

Here.

0:54

And Mr.

0:55

Christianson.

0:58

Thank you.

0:59

Any correspondence or agenda changes this evening.

1:04

Seeing none.

1:05

That will bring us to our special reports.

1:09

Several scheduled special reports this evening.

1:12

We will start tonight with uh public works and a sitka seaplane update.

1:18

The seaplane base update.

1:20

Uh Joe.

1:39

Uh good evening.

1:40

Joseph Bea, Airport Terminal Manager for the City and Borough of Sitka.

1:44

I'm here to provide a brief update on the seaplane base.

1:48

Uh tonight we're going to be looking at our notice availability for the supplemental environmental assessment.

1:54

We are currently in a public comment period that opened up today and will go until October 10th.

2:00

Included in this draft supplemental environmental assessment is our memorandum of agreement between the FAA, the Sitka tribe of Alaska, the City and Borough of Sitca, and the U.S.

2:11

Army Corps of Engineers.

2:13

The FAA Public Open House will be on October 9th in room 3 here in Centennial Hall at 5 p.m.

2:20

And our pilot stakeholder meetings for our float plane pilots will be to next week, Tuesday, September 16th in room 5 here at Centennial Hall at 6 p.m.

2:34

All right, so we got um our supplemental environmental assessment is available.

2:40

If you go to the city's website, um if you go to the city's website and punch in the sighting um the sighting studies or punch in seaplane base, it'll bring up this page.

2:52

This document here at the top in 2025 is our draft supplemental environmental assessment, and this is a comprehensive um uh documentation of all the efforts the city has done over the um many years to bring us to this point where we are putting out our um environmental assessment, and this is gonna what this is gonna be required to unlock from 65 to 100% design and start construction.

3:23

We also have uh for your reference uh timeline here at the top.

3:29

So we're currently lined out for completing this environmental assessment end of this year, and we're gonna be continuing environmental permitting through the beginning of next year, reach final design uh towards the end of next year, and then beginning construction 2027 through 2028.

3:49

And um, this is everything that we've done to date.

3:53

It's gonna have a comprehensive list of the sighting studies, um, our memorandum of agreement is included in this supplemental environmental assessment, um, species consults, uh section 106 for historical properties, section 4F, uh noise analysis, a climate change, and our government-to-government um communications.

4:30

And that memorandum of agreement, that is an agreement between the FAA, the SICA tribe of Alaska, the city, and the uh Army Corps of Engineers.

4:39

The point of this MOA is to eliminate adverse effects that our project's gonna have.

4:45

Um, if you have something that you want to protect, you're gonna want to make a comment to Sitka SPB, Sierra Papa Bravo at Dow.com.

4:56

You could submit your comments via email, or you can attend the public open house.

5:02

The public open house will be next month on the 9th here at Centennial Hall in room three at 5 p.m.

5:08

And it will be hosted by the FAA.

5:14

And lastly, uh we have a pilot stakeholder meeting for our float plane pilots.

5:19

Uh that will be next week, so a little bit sooner.

5:22

Uh that'll be here at Centennial Hall in room five at 6 p.m.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement███████████████████████████████████████39%

Legal Department███████████11%

Procedural██████████10%

Airport Operations███████7%

Technology and Innovation█████5%

Community Engagement█████5%

Budget Equity Analysis████4%

Public Safety████4%

Economic Development███3%

Summary of Proceedings

City and Borough Assembly Regular Meeting – September 9, 2025

The Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Assembly Chambers. All seven members were present. The meeting included updates on the Sitka Seaplane Base, a code recodification project, departmental quarterly reports, public comments, approval of consent agenda and a board reappointment, a decision to contract nonprofit grant administration to the Sitka Legacy Foundation, and approval of sales tax free days after Thanksgiving. The meeting adjourned at 7:49 PM.

Consent Calendar

Approved minutes of the March 11, 12, 18, 25, and August 26 Assembly meetings.
Passed on first reading Ordinance 2025-23 (supplemental appropriations for FY2025-2026 – reappropriations) and Ordinance 2025-24 (supplemental appropriations for FY2026 – Library Books Unbanned Programming Grant). Second readings set for September 23, 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

Off-agenda comments: Karen Lucas, a Historic Preservation Commission member, asked the Assembly to postpone further action on the Seaplane Base and involve the Historic Preservation Commission, noting she was not informed of the Section 106 process. Richard Wein spoke against Proposition 2 (initiative process barrier) and Proposition 1 (future fund allocation). Sean Cavlan opposed Proposition 1, citing poor road conditions.
On item E (Nonprofit Grant Program): Richard Wein spoke in opposition, arguing the $2,500 administrative fee could be used for a grant. Ben Hughey spoke in support, noting the cumbersome application process and the need for professional grant administration.
On item F (Sales Tax Free Days): No public comment.

Discussion Items

Sitka Seaplane Base Update: Airport Terminal Manager Joseph Bea reported the draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment is in a public comment period through October 10. An FAA public open house will be held on October 9 at 5 PM, and a pilot stakeholder meeting on September 16 at 6 PM. Assembly members discussed wave attenuators and economic impact concerns.
Code Recodification Project: Attorney Rachel Jones and General Code representative Emily Wood presented a two-year project to correct errors, resolve conflicts, and modernize the municipal code. The project is already budgeted and will not require a supplemental appropriation.
Quarterly Department Reports: IT Director Grant Turner reported a 76% first-contact help desk closure rate and ongoing projects. Clerk Sara Peterson reported staff transitions, election preparations, 60 public records requests, and congratulated Holly on earning Certified Municipal Clerk designation. The HR report was postponed.
Annual General Fund Grants for Non-Profit Organizations Program (Item E): Sponsors Mosher and Ystad proposed delegating administration to the Sitka Legacy Foundation for a two-year trial at a 5% administrative fee. The Foundation’s board chair Chris Kowalczewski explained their experience and processes. The Assembly directed staff to negotiate a two-year contract with a withdrawal clause, preserving Assembly control over annual budget amounts.
Sales Tax Free Days (Item F): The Assembly discussed and authorized November 28–29, 2025, as sales tax free days, excluding fuel, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and marijuana. The estimated revenue loss is $35,000. Mayor Eisenbeisz recused himself due to a financial interest.

Key Outcomes

Consent agenda approved (7-0).
Tyler Green reappointed to Port and Harbors Commission (7-0).
Motion to direct staff to negotiate a two-year contract with Sitka Legacy Foundation for nonprofit grant administration passed (7-0).
Sales tax free days on November 28–29, 2025, authorized (6-0; mayor recused).
Ordinances 25-23 and 25-24 will have second readings on September 23, 2025.
Board vacancies announced for multiple commissions; early voting starts September 22 for the October 7 municipal election.

Meeting Transcript

All right, welcome everybody. Let me get my paperwork in order here. Um welcome to the regular regularly scheduled meeting of Tuesday, September 9th, 2025. Please join me for a flag salute. 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 Clinkitani. Sarah Roll Call, please. Mayor Eisenbais. Present. Mr. Pike. Here. Ms. Carlson. Here. Mr. Mosher. Here. Mr. Celine. Here. Mr. Yestan. Here. And Mr. Christianson. Thank you. Any correspondence or agenda changes this evening. Seeing none. That will bring us to our special reports. Several scheduled special reports this evening. We will start tonight with uh public works and a sitka seaplane update. The seaplane base update. Uh Joe. Uh good evening. Joseph Bea, Airport Terminal Manager for the City and Borough of Sitka. I'm here to provide a brief update on the seaplane base. Uh tonight we're going to be looking at our notice availability for the supplemental environmental assessment. We are currently in a public comment period that opened up today and will go until October 10th. Included in this draft supplemental environmental assessment is our memorandum of agreement between the FAA, the Sitka tribe of Alaska, the City and Borough of Sitca, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The FAA Public Open House will be on October 9th in room 3 here in Centennial Hall at 5 p.m. And our pilot stakeholder meetings for our float plane pilots will be to next week, Tuesday, September 16th in room 5 here at Centennial Hall at 6 p.m. All right, so we got um our supplemental environmental assessment is available. If you go to the city's website, um if you go to the city's website and punch in the sighting um the sighting studies or punch in seaplane base, it'll bring up this page. This document here at the top in 2025 is our draft supplemental environmental assessment, and this is a comprehensive um uh documentation of all the efforts the city has done over the um many years to bring us to this point where we are putting out our um environmental assessment, and this is gonna what this is gonna be required to unlock from 65 to 100% design and start construction. We also have uh for your reference uh timeline here at the top. So we're currently lined out for completing this environmental assessment end of this year, and we're gonna be continuing environmental permitting through the beginning of next year, reach final design uh towards the end of next year, and then beginning construction 2027 through 2028. And um, this is everything that we've done to date.

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