Despite a delay due to a downtown power outage on Monday night, the Juneau Assembly met for a regular meeting to consider key topics for this fall’s local election, leasing city land for affordable housing and hear public testimony.
Here are some highlights from the meeting:
• The Juneau Assembly voted against putting two bond debt proposals worth $25 million on this fall’s local election ballot.
The bonds would have helped fund critical repairs and upgrades to Juneau’s schools and the city’s water and sewer systems, which officials say are sorely needed. Assembly members against putting the bonds on the ballot argued it was not a good time to do so as the city faces looming financial issues, among other concerns.
Last year, the Assembly similarly voted against putting nearly identical bond questions on the 2025 ballot.
• The Assembly unanimously approved asking voters this election about whether to renew a 3% temporary sales tax currently in place.
Juneau charges a 5% local sales tax, made up of both permanent and temporary taxes. Three percent of that is a voter-approved temporary tax, which Juneau has had in place for decades.
The funds collected from it go toward several city services, like police and fire, street maintenance and snow removal, and general government operations. The vote in this election would renew it for another five years.
• The Assembly approved a motion of support for the city to lease nearly eight acres of land near Home Depot to the Juneau Housing First Collaborative. The collaborative says it intends to build low-income and supportive apartments at the site.
And…
• Several residents testified on non-agenda topics, including objections to the city’s Telephone Hill redevelopment project, and the increase of bear activity downtown due to negligent trash disposal.
Residents, including members of the advocacy group Veterans for Peace, also testified about what they say was an infringement of their freedom of speech, after one man was asked not to carry an anti-war sign he made during Juneau’s Fourth of July parade. Testifiers asked the Assembly to regulate the parade policies.
Check back in to KTOO.org to see more in-depth coverage of Assembly issues.
