The Juneau Assembly is asking state and federal legislators for help funding a range of local projects this year.
Assembly members discussed a draft list of legislative priorities at a committee meeting last Thursday. That list will go to the full assembly Monday and then on to state and federal representatives.
Housing development in Pederson Hill tops the proposed list this year. The Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority and a private developer have applied to build housing in the area.
Several projects have carried over from last year, including a multiuse path in Lemon Creek, a new City Hall and a second crossing between Juneau and Douglas Island. Some projects on the proposed list have already received some federal funding, including the second crossing and a new municipal composting facility.
Bartlett Regional Hospital recently requested $4 million in state funding for its new Aurora Behavioral Health Center.
“It makes a lot of sense to request state funding to support this facility, because we support not just Juneau but Southeast Alaska and other communities up north,” assembly member Michelle Hale said.
Mayor Beth Weldon and some assembly members questioned why the hospital board didn’t make its request in October, when city officials asked for input. But city manager Rorie Watt said it’s still worth supporting.
“I think they understand that they should have participated earlier,” he said. “I think that doesn’t diminish the fact that they have a good project and a need.”
The committee added the project to the bottom of the list, bringing the total number of items to 23. Other new priorities this year include HVAC and security upgrades in the Juneau School District.
