On Thursday, the Skagway Assembly gave a favorable update on the Ore Dock project. And once again, voters will help determine the fate of Dahl Memorial Clinic.
At the May 2 Skagway Assembly meeting, legislators celebrated the arrival of the new, and repaired floating dock.
Assembly member Kate Kolodi dubbed the event “Dock Day.”
“Today is Dock Day. It’s so exciting. It’s here,” Kolodi said.
The dock was towed into the port that morning, adorned with a ‘Skagway or bust’ banner. It arrived two months behind schedule after breaking into three pieces during transit.
Mayor Sam Bass is optimistic the infrastructure will be installed in time for May 14, Ore Dock’s first scheduled ship of the year.
“It looks very good that we will meet that target,” Bass said.
Measuring 500 by 50 feet, the floating dock is part of the Ore Dock Redevelopment Project. The current contract price with Pacific Pile and Marine is approximately $43 million.
Assembly member Orion Hanson commended Borough Manager Brad Ryan and municipal staff, noting that Skagway took over its port just one year ago.
“It’s beyond commendable,” Hanson said. “It’s incredible. Something that I’m very excited to see, something that I think very few communities of this size could pull off. And I think it’s testament to previous assembly people, previous board and chair members. And the community at large, embracing, you know, a major municipal investment, the largest municipal investment we’ve ever had, dollar wise. And, you know, I think we’ve set ourselves up in the next generation for success.”
In 2022, Skagway voters approved a $65 million bond to replace the aging Ore Dock. The new dock is designed to accommodate large vessels.
The assembly also discussed the infrastructure of Skagway’s medical care. Dahl Memorial Clinic, which receives around $1 million of federal funding yearly, is out of compliance. This means the grant, and the license that allows the clinic to provide dental, urgent care, and other services, is at risk.
The assembly directed staff to move forward with a short-term model. This changes some code, such as scrapping the resolution that created a hiring committee for the clinic executive director. The committee includes the borough manager, the deputy manager and one clinic board member.
Municipal staff is also tasked with pursuing the transition of the clinic to a 501-C, as a long-term solution.
Clinic Director Albert Wall says Skagway’s clinic is the only federally qualified health center in Alaska that is not a 501-C. He says that makes the clinic less competitive for grants, and its harder to function in the medical community.
“When you have to present to another agency and you’re trying to coordinate care across state boundaries, or even in other places in the same state, there’s a lot of confusion that’s generated when we’re the only person that looks like we do,” Wall said.
Skagway voters will have to approve moving the clinic to a 501-C model. Wall suggested the community start holding town halls soon to discuss the matter.
