A unanimous Juneau Planning Commission approved the first phase of the Pederson Hill subdivision, clearing a major hurdle for the city’s housing initiative. Now it will be up to the Juneau Assembly to decide how it will offload the 86 lots.
Local Government
Committee weighs cutting school debt payments
Alaskans would pay more in property taxes if the state government cuts the amount it pays to offset the debt to build schools.
Snow advisory stalls downtown Juneau street work
Crews are working on the first phase of improvements to sidewalks, lighting and the pavement along South Franklin Street. The $1.2 million phase of the project is being funded through marine passenger vessel fees, sales tax and water utility funds. The target date for completion is June 1.
New taxi business would provide wheelchair cabs in Ketchikan
A proposed new taxi company has applied for a certificate from the City of Ketchikan to operate up to six cabs, with at least half the fleet wheelchair accessible.
Developers wary of city-planned Pederson Hill subdivision
Boosters of Pederson Hill see scores of moderately priced homes for middle class families. Private developers fear competition from the city. Balancing free market principles against the barrier to home ownership experienced by middle class families is something the Assembly will have to grapple with.
Mike Miller’s life, career centered on social justice, faith
Former Juneau representative to Alaska House of Representatives helped block capital move efforts, and worked on legislation creating the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge and allowing for public employee collective bargaining.
Ask the Energy Desk: Are plastic bag bans better for the environment?
Bans on plastic grocery bags have been cropping up across Alaska’s remote communities. Cordova’s ban went into effect last year. But so far, the larger cities in the state have yet to adopt one.
Alaska State Troopers plan to move Haines position to Bethel
Things are not looking good for Haines’ Alaska State Trooper post. Trooper Director Col. James Cockrell intends to reassign Haines’ one trooper position to Bethel. The decision isn’t final yet, but the community conversation about how to handle the loss continued at a Public Safety Commission meeting this week.
Are more teeth decaying since fluoridation in Juneau ended? Dentists seem to think so.
Juneau grappled with the water fluoridation debate a decade ago and ultimately decided to scrap fluoride. Dentists say cavities in youngsters appear to be rising though there’s been no hard data to confirm this trend.
Bethel city manager plans crack down on city truck drivers
The Bethel City Manager decided to change the accident policy to give city truck drivers who are found to be negligent tickets and drug tests.