The vote to determine whether to sell Skagway’s community-run medical clinic to the Southeast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium might not happen, Princess Cruise Lines attempts to implement its Medallion Pay program in Skagway, and a new, permanent location for a community garden is chosen. KHNS’ Mike Swasey spoke with Mayor Andrew Cremata about the developments from the latest borough assembly meeting.
Swasey – Thank you for joining us, Mr. Mayor. The latest assembly meeting went nearly four hours, a lot happened, from Public Works resources getting moved to the Klondike Highway location, the municipality buying a new trash compactor, 952 service calls answered by the cop shop last month. But those aren’t the big stories coming out of the latest assembly meeting.
Number one, SEARHC sent a letter to the assembly saying that they didn’t want to pay the $9.5 million, which is the fair appraisal price, for the clinic building and land. They want to pay 60% less than that. What was the assembly’s reaction?
Cremata – Well, so the assembly’s reaction, I think, is the smart reaction. And it’s really the only logical reaction. They have legitimate concerns about it. Because, you know, the pact that the assembly has made with the voters for the special election is they’re going to be voting on whether or not to sell the clinic for the appraisal price.
So the letter from SEARHC seems to indicate they’re not willing to spend that amount, they’re going to spend 66% less. So the assembly has scheduled a special meeting for early next week. And at the special meeting, it’s going to be determined whether or not to basically eliminate the special vote.
So this will be an opportunity for the community to come out and kind of share their opinions. And from the comments at the assembly table last night it looks like that’s the direction we’re headed where the vote would be pulled because we can no longer legitimately ask the question on the ballot that we intended to ask.
Swasey – Moving on, Princess Cruise Lines has instituted a Medallion Pay program. Tell us what that is and what the community reaction is to it?
Cremata – Well, the Medallion Pay program is basically people wear a medallion around their neck and it gives them a form of payment so they don’t have to carry their cash and their credit cards. Businesses that opt-in have to pay 18% of the sale, and 6% of the tips. And that money goes to Princess and then they give a 7% discount on onboard purchases to the cruise passengers.
So, obviously, that’s problematic for a lot of reasons. We had a letter signed by 67 people, business owners. Billi Clem shared some really good information from some of the people who’ve come off the cruise ship that she’s talked to about the Medallion Program. One person said they’d been told by the person marketing it on the cruise ship to “Don’t bring your credit cards or money in Skagway because it’s a dangerous place.” So obviously, we hear about things like that and that becomes problematic. The whole Medallion Pay program may be great in other places. But it’s not right for Skagway and we’re adamantly opposed to it.
I’ve already fired off a letter to Princess Cruise Lines, sharing our contempt for the idea and asking that it be completely removed from Skagway. And in the future, if they ever intend to try and reintroduce it here, they thoroughly vet it with our community.
Skagway Community Garden sign. (Mike Swasey photo)
Swasey – And finally, the community garden took up the most time, and had the most correspondence. It looks like the municipality is going to have a new spot for a community garden and a permanent community garden. Tell us about that.
Cremata – There was one common theme, every single person that wrote a letter, (and) every single person that commented, said they wanted a community garden out there. And five members of the assembly, and me, agreed with that. We had one member of the assembly that didn’t. But the intent of the community is to create this really wonderful space for a community garden, a place where people can get away, where they can grow food. That’s the direction that we’re going in.
So now the details have to be worked out about management. But thankfully, this is moving forward, and it’s going to be something really wonderful for this community.
Swasey – And the area that will be used for the community garden is out at Seven Pastures on the north side of the north ball field in an area that Jewell Gardens used to have a lease on, (but) no longer has that lease, that lease expired a little over a year ago.
Mayor Andrew Cremata, thank you so much for joining us I appreciate the recap.
Cremata – Yeah, thank you have a great day.
More information and a recording of the meeting can be found at skagway.org.
