Skagway’s Assembly is set to meet on Thursday night and is bringing to the table a loaded agenda. Quarantine restrictions, mask mandates, a cabin controversy, a helicopter company agreement, and an economic stimulus program are all on the docket.
Let’s start with the travel mandate.
The city council will consider rescinding the current travel mandate that requires multiple negative covid tests and/or strict social distancing upon arrival in Skagway. The resolution before the assembly would end the travel mandate on April 16th.
The council will also decide whether to require wearing a face-covering in all public spaces both indoors and outdoors which could be enforced by a $10 fine. That mandate would be effective as long as the local declaration of emergency is in place. The city’s Health Education and Welfare board see this measure as a way to tell potential visitors that the city is working to ensure their health. Local resident and business owner Rocky Outcalt worries about the impacts this could have on local businesses.
“Requirements when you’re indoors, how are you supposed to go to the BrewCo and have dinner? It basically shuts Mike’s business down again. It makes no sense to me at all.”
The assembly will also discuss a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU with Temsco helicopters. Recently, dozens of employees and residents raised concerns about the possibility of moving the company’s helicopter base from its current location when the municipality’s waterfront lease with White Pass ends in 2023. The proposed MOU would initiate an agreement for the city to discuss future lease opportunities with the helicopter company. Mayor Andrew Cremata explains.
“Basically, it’s saying that the intent is for the municipality and Temsco to sit down and see if a lease agreement on the waterfront is possible, and then what it’s going to cost, and kind of go through that process.”
The economic stimulus plan to be considered would create four full-time year-round municipal jobs with benefits and an additional 12 seasonal full-time jobs without benefits. There would also be funding for the local food bank, a positive graffiti mural project, and several projects for local contractors.
The highly controversial Dyea municipal campground dry cabin will be discussed as well. The cabin was originally constructed as housing for a seasonal campground host. But With Covid-19 travel restrictions in place and the border between Skagway and Canada closed, The Parks and Rec board along with the city manager felt the cabin could be better utilized by residents of Skagway.
So they opened it up for rentals.
This sparked a backlash from local business owners and residents who say the municipality should not be competing with private companies that offer full-service rental cabins. Other residents like Nicole Kovacs don’t see a conflict between the dry cabin and what local lodges offer.
“They’re totally different, the cabin is bare-bones, you bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping pad, whereas the accommodations you’re more so being taken care of. You go because there’s a nice bed, a meal, some towels, a shower. Whereas when you’re out in the rustic cabins you’re more so looking for the experience of being out in these wild places with all the dirt and bugs and all of that too,” said Kovacs.
The municipal cabin is not currently available to rent due to pending legal action, but the Parks and Recreation board has proposed a compromise of sorts. They want to make the cabin only accessible to local residents when there is no campground host present. The assembly will discuss this plan on Thursday.
