Assembly Diary

Hope everyone is having a great summer—(even if it isn't officially summer yet.)

A number of miscellaneous items and updates for you to glance through.

First of all, tomorrow (Tuesday 6/15) the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) will hold a hearing on the AEL&P proposed rate increases at 6pm Centennial Hall. AEL&P is proposing a 22% increase. If you have something to say, now is the time.
Tips for participating in rate hearings.

The oil salvage from the Princess Kathleen which sank off Lena Point the year I was born (1952) has been completed – or at least as much as they are going to do. Read about it HERE and read the final report HERE

CBJ is gearing up to try and sell the last 11 lots on Lena peninsula. The formal announcement will come this Wednesday 6/16.

Bartlett Hospital has retained the Foraker Group to help them deal with their employee relations issues. I have been watching this closely and have attended several Hospital Board meetings. I know the Board is taking this seriously, but it remains to be seen what kind of action will be taken. Bartlett has been very successful in a number of ways, but managing any large organization is challenging. It takes a lot of ongoing work. I see many parallels between the problems at Bartlett and the problems at UAS.

Sunday June 20 is the next CBJ Household Hazardous Waste event. Check HERE for more info.

CBJ is selling off surplus “stuff” and Friday June 18 is the deadline for submitting sealed bids. See the items listed HERE.

CBJ has come to an agreement with the owners of the downtown “Pit” to have them fill and landscape it in the next month. The owners (presumably Tom Huntington and Hugh Grant) are still negotiating with Sealaska about a sale. HERE is what the Assessor’s database says. So they presumably pay almost $10,000 in property taxes a year. You would think they would want to sell or build.

In the very near future the Assembly will have to decide what measures to put on the October election ballot. There are several tentative bond issues simmering. The school district has already said they want to put two schools – Auke Bay and Marie Drake up for multi million dollar renovations. I have heard that Docks and Harbors may ask for a bond issue to pay for disposing of mercury laden dredge materials from Douglas Harbor. There may be a proposal to use local dollars for a North Douglas Crossing. There could be a proposal to amend the charter to establish a new empowered board to manage the borough pools. And all that is in addition to the “every ten years” required proposition on whether to totally re-do the city charter. Juneau has normally been very supportive of borrowing money to maintain our schools. They have been less enthusiastic about other bonds (depending on the issue). What we have to remember is that each bond we approve will raise our property tax. That’s OK if we are willing to pay.