Housing For SEARHC and Affordable Juneau Coalition

News of the North

Three proposed ballot measures backed by the Affordable Juneau Coalition face a signature deadline today.

Supporters must deliver signatures to the city clerk’s office by the close of business to get the initiatives on the ballot.

Citizens can sign any or all of the three petition booklets.

In Sitka, a measure to limit cruise ship traffic has failed at the ballot box.
Unofficial results from Wednesday’s special election show Proposition 1 losing by nearly a 3-to-1 margin.

The citizen-led initiative, supported by Small Town Soul, sought to cap daily visitors at 4,500, limit the season to 300,000 passengers, and require one ship-free day per week.

Absentee ballots will be counted June 2. Final certification is set for June 10.

The City and Borough of Juneau and Tlingit & Haida will host three flood preparedness events at Dimond Park on the next three Saturdays: May 31, June 7, and June 14.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., residents can pick up free sandbags at the Thunder Mountain Middle School parking lot and get info on flood insurance and property protection.

Alaska’s budget is now on Governor Mike Dunleavy’s desk. He has until June 19 to sign or veto the three bills—covering operating, capital, and mental health spending.

SEARHC is considering building rental housing for employees in Wrangell.

According to the Wrangell Sentinel, plans include developing SEARHC-owned land on Zimovia Highway. Preliminary layouts were presented to the local planning commission earlier this month.

The Wrangell school board has unanimously voted to offer the superintendent job to Joshua Garrett, currently working in Kazakhstan as director of an international school.

A federal judge has upheld Alaska’s restrictions on intoxicating hemp products, ruling they do not violate the U.S. Constitution.

The 2023 regulations, challenged by the Alaska Industrial Hemp Association and ban sales of intoxicating hemp outside licensed marijuana retailers.