Wrangell
Wrangell, AK · Municipal
ktoo.org
Juneau Assembly officially backs out of Eaglecrest Ski Area’s gondola project
The Juneau Assembly voted on Monday night to divest from Eaglecrest Ski Area’s gondola project and pay back a $10 million investment from Goldbelt Incorporated. The vote marks a reversal of the Assembly’s controversial 2022 decision to purchase the gondola for the city-owned ski area. It comes after the Assembly learned the project’s price tag would be nearly four times more than expected due to additional parts, high construction costs and tariffs on imports.
alaskalandmine.com
The “Sunday” Minefield – May 18, 2026 (Do it live edition!)
Yes, I know it’s Monday. The last three days in Juneau have been extremely hectic. I was way too tired last night to write the column. I am writing this from the public lounge in the Capitol – my former office before I got an office in Juneau! There is an attempt to get a gasline bill passed in exchange for Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) not vetoing the pension bill. He must act today or it becomes law. There is also the conference committee report for the operating budget sitting on members’ desks. And the Senate needs to concur with the capital budget. The session ends on Wednesday at midnight unless the adjourn before that or extend 10 days, which is unlikely, or Dunleavy calls a special session.
ktoo.org
Juneau Assembly highlights: gondola divestment, View Drive buyout, childcare
The Juneau Assembly met for a regular meeting on Monday night to vote on whether to divest from the ski area’s gondola project, approve funding toward a potential federal buyout program of flood-prone homes and approve a grant for summer childcare programs in Juneau. Here are some of the...
ktoo.org
Local pools and field house safe for now as Juneau Assembly eyes other cuts amid budget deficit
Juneau’s pools, Dimond Park Field House and reductions to social service grants are off the Juneau Assembly’s chopping block — for now. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Mount Jumbo Gym and Douglas Fire Station are still in limbo. The Assembly spent five hours Wednesday night honing in on...
ktoo.org
Juneau Assembly to vote on finalizing Eaglecrest gondola divestment on Monday
The Juneau Assembly will vote Monday night on whether to finalize its plan to divest from Eaglecrest Ski Area’s controversial gondola project. It would mean paying back a $10 million investment from Goldbelt Incorporated. The decision comes after the Assembly voted in committee last month to go in this...
ktoo.org
AEL&P to raise Juneau electricity rates due to inflation, capital improvements
Juneau residents will see higher electricity bills starting next month. Alaska Electric Light & Power, the city’s only electric utility, filed a rate increase case on Monday with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to recover costs from infrastructure projects and inflation. The power company expects the average Juneau household,...
ktoo.org
Juneau School Board to consider adding language arts curriculum, technology equipment to this year’s budget
The Juneau School Board will consider what to add back to its budget for this fiscal year during a regular meeting Tuesday night. The district has more unspent funds than what it’s allowed under state law to carry over into the next fiscal year that begins July 1. The...
ktoo.org
Juneau middle school students learn traditional Lingít carving ahead of Celebration
More than 100 middle school students in Juneau are getting hands-on experience to learn about traditional Lingít carving by crafting their own canoe paddles in the classroom. The sounds of sanding, filing and chipping, and the aroma of spruce filled a classroom in Thunder Mountain Middle School first thing on Monday morning.
ktoo.org
Now Juneau’s flood wall is being rebuilt to withstand a glacial outburst flood 30% larger than last year, instead of twice the size
City and federal contractors originally planned to build the flood wall along the Mendenhall River much higher this summer, after it just barely protected hundreds of homes from Juneau’s largest glacial outburst flood last August. But after the project cost ballooned, leaders decided to scale it back. Until Monday,...
ktoo.org
Bill aimed at stabilizing school district budgeting process proceeds through Legislature
Calculating school funding is complicated. It’s currently based on enrollment projections, which can create uncertainty in a school district’s budgeting process. House Bill 261 would allow districts to use known numbers instead of projections to build budgets. In the bill, districts could use enrollment numbers from the previous...
ktoo.org
Juneau Assembly moves forward with plan to sell gondola parts at financial loss
As the Juneau Assembly moves forward with ending the city’s involvement in Eaglecrest Ski Area’s controversial gondola project, they’re now trying to figure out what to do with the parts. At an Assembly committee of the whole meeting Monday night, the Assembly asked city staff to pursue...
ktoo.org
Student delegates from across the state gather in Juneau to learn about leadership
Decisions about Alaskan schools are almost always made by administrators, school board members and lawmakers. But students also play a role. Twice a year, student leaders from across the state gather at the Alaska Association of Student Government conference to decide on goals to improve their schools. AASG delegates gathered...
ktoo.org
Q&A: Juneau’s new director of Community Development shares his visions and goals
Public service is nothing out of the ordinary for Scott Ciambor, a longtime employee of the City and Borough of Juneau. He’s worn different hats within CBJ, from chief housing officer to planning manager to his newest role as director of the Community Development Department. KTOO’s Mike Lane sat...
ktoo.org
Residents decry proposed city service reductions and facility closures at Juneau Assembly meeting
A lot of people – from toddlers to teens to retirees – had a lot to say to the Juneau Assembly at a special meeting Wednesday night. It was the first chance for residents to testify about a list of possible city service cuts and facility closures the Assembly is considering as the city grapples with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.