Skagway’s longest-serving current Assemblyperson has resigned months before the end of his term, a long-time local transit company has proposed a working contract for the rest of the summer, and this coming Saturday the streets of Skagway will run yellow… with lemonade. Here’s a preview of Thursday’s Assembly meeting.
For nearly nine years, Steve Burnham Jr has served on the Skagway Borough Assembly; he’s been finance chair since 2016 and almost two years ago he was named Vice Mayor. But in recent weeks his absence from multiple Assembly meetings has not gone unnoticed. Late last week, he sent the municipal clerk a brief, but quirky resignation letter.
Written in backward Yoda-like grammar, it reads: “All, At an end, my time on Assembly is, and not short enough was it. Effective upon acceptance by Assembly.“
Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata said he expects the Assembly to accept Burnham Jr’s resignation at Thursday’s meeting.
“He is a dedicated assemblyperson who was always very detail-oriented, which something I appreciate. So very sorry to see him go especially so close to the end of his term, but the pandemic has been extremely stressful on everyone. And sometimes I think it’s maybe been a little extra difficult for people who sit in those assembly chairs. So I appreciate all of his hard work his community over the years and wish him the best,” said Cremata.
As of Wednesday, at least two Skagwegians had put their names forward to fill the vacant seat: Christy Murphy and Deb Potter. Cremata said he expects the assembly to move quickly.
“We need that seat filled yesterday, I hope that the seat is filled by July 1, I hope the assembly can reach a consensus as to a person who would come in for what I think is five or six meetings, is what they’d be coming into. But we can’t go without an assembly member right now with difficult decisions being made,” said Cremata.
Skagway has been without a public transportation contract since October of 2019. On Thursday night the Assembly will consider an agreement with local transit company Leo’s Shuttle Company, also known as SMARTbus, to transport tourists during the pandemic-shortened summer season.
In previous years, SMARTbus would pay the municipality $20,000 to provide low-cost bus service for the summer season. The company would then keep the remaining proceeds from passenger fares. But not this year.
“I think this was a proposal that the owner of SMARTbus brought forward so they are going to just collect the money. And that’s going to be how the payment works, which is great for the municipality,” said Cremata.
And finally, on the agenda, the Mayor will designate Saturday, June 19 as Lemonade Day. Cremata explains his reasoning:
“Well you know, when life and pandemics give you lemons, that’s when you should make lemonade. So the mayoral proclamation for Lemonade Day is so that we can encourage young entrepreneurs to explore the world of business by starting their own lemonade stand,” said the Mayor.
Look for lemonade stands set up around town on Saturday in a program backed by the Skagway Development Corporation to teach local kids the basics of business.
