Skagway City Hall (Greta Mart)
The Skagway Borough Assembly this week will consider what to do about the possibility of losing ferry service for three months.
The Alaska Department of Transportation wants to refurbish the town’s ferry dock this winter, but that could knock out service for two to three months. If the assembly asks for the project to be delayed to next winter, Skagway might be able to retain some ferry service during the refurbishment.
The assembly will also discuss a meeting Mayor Mark Schaefer had with Department of Environmental Conservation officials, and what to do next in talks with White Pass. Schaefer wants direction from the assembly about whether to convene a meeting of the port commission and borough staff to discuss options related to White Pass, AIDEA and the mission to clean up contamination in the ore basin.
A few resolutions are on the agenda for the assembly’s consideration. One would boost the pay for the borough permitting official job. Current permitting official David Van Horn recently turned in his resignation. A memo from the borough manager says the upgrade will account for increased duties and responsibility. It would raise the official’s annual starting salary from about $48,000 to $55,700, not including benefits.
The other resolution would label an unnamed creek north of the Gold Rush Cemetery ‘Three-and-a-Half-Mile Creek.’ The naming would assist agencies studying the creek for ways to enhance coho salmon spawning habitat.
There is also an executive session planned for negotiation of Borough Manager Scott Hahn’s contract.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. in assembly chambers. The full agenda can be found at Skagway.org.
