Tariff increase to fund landslide mitigation

(Continued from front page) year,” Ryan said. “That’s half of our projected sales tax, or half of our sales tax revenue from 2019. So when you think about that, that’s a significant amount of money, that we’re just throwing at fences and temporary fixes. And we’ll have to do it again next year.”

On May 27, geo-experts Shannon & Wilson sent multiple rocks down the mountain, measuring between one and two feet in diameter to test mitigation. According to the manager’s report, “The majority of the rocks did not make it past the upper drape mesh. Of all the rocks released, only one release resulted in rocks encountering the lower attenuator fence, and none of them reached the dock.”

Mayor Andrew Cremata commented on the vast amount of work done since the mountain above Railroad Dock was deemed unstable following a series of land- to be a town of 1,000 people, but we’re not. We’re actually a mid-sized city that has to accommodate up to 25,000 people a day, for at least half the year. So that’s what we are. Because you can’t be a town of 1,000 in support of 25,000. You can only be a town of 25,000 and support 1,000. So where the money comes from and how it’s paid for is a debate for future meetings.”

Cremata stated Haigh’s fire department audit from December 2022

“could have very well saved the town from the fire we had this past winter. So I do see value in these reports in these studies.” slides starting in June 2022.

Moser reminded the audience that due to Skagway’s geographic location, the police force is uniquely isolated.

“They don’t have the benefit of mutual aid and backup, which would be typical in other areas of our country … they are their fate. Anything they have to deal with, they are facing on their own,” he said.

“It’s a tremendous success story,” he said. “...the dramatic steps we took to spend money we really don’t have to ensure that we would get four ships into this port and then the work that staff did to follow that up. It’s just bordering on miracle territory.”

According to Port Director Cody Jennings, as of May 24, 83 ships and 139,761 passengers have visited Skagway, with liners at 92% occupancy.

She described the first two months as “really positive so far, especially that this is typically our shoulder season.”

To reach the Dahl on-duty provider, contact police dispatch at 907-983-2232

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

Our parents’ business office was in the basement of our home. They worked for record and tape music distributors before and beyond the pipeline years. It’s what brought our family to Alaska in 1965. Dad had a choice to pioneer the distribution music business in Alaska, or lose his job in Washington due to layoffs.

Dad represented several companies. When all three of us kids were finally schoolaged, Mom started working for one of the distributors – basically causing them to become competitors. Dad covered the Alaska Carrs/ Payless chain and more, Mom handled the competition at the Alaska Pay ‘n Save stores. You wouldn’t know they worked for separate companies by watching as they usually helped each other, and that included bringing the family to get the job done.

One night after dinner while my siblings and I were doing our nightly dishes and clean-up chores, Dad checked the evening paper.

“Oh (expletive),” he spat out.

An ad had broken a day early and the product was still in the back rooms of the stores. We all stopped what we were doing, grabbed our jackets and piled into the station wagon. Store employees didn’t rack the records and tapes. Mom and Dad, and in this case, the family did.

Dad called each store from the house/business phone before we headed out. Our parents had well-developed relationships with the department chairs who quickly arranged to have the product waiting for us next to the racks.

We were the crew. In the summer we inventoried. When we drove to Fairbanks every month, we worked the racks. It was a family affair.