A reminder that Lincoln Street becomes pedestrian-only from 10am to 4pm on days with 5,000 or more cruise ship capacity. Parking is unavailable in closure area beginning at 9am.
The City and Borough of Sitka Assembly is currently seeking seven volunteers to serve on the Tourism Commission. This newly established commission is tasked with advising the Assembly on strategies to enhance the social, economic, and environmental well-being of Sitka’s residents in relation to tourism. Members will be appointed at the October 22 Assembly meeting.
Applications are available online HERE or at the Municipal Clerk’s office in City Hall, 100 Lincoln Street. Applications must be submitted to the Municipal Clerk’s office no later than noon on Tuesday, October 15. Call 907.747.1826 or email clerk@cityofsitka.org for more information.
The regular election of the City and Borough of Sitka is October 1, 2024. Eligible voters may choose to vote using one of these options:
• Absentee voting by mail: Voters may apply to receive a ballot by mail. Completed applications must be received no later than September 24, 2024. Ballots will be mailed early September. The voted absentee by mail ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day, October 1, and received by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than October 4, or, be delivered to the Municipal Clerk’s Office or an election official before polls close on Election Day, October 1. Ballot envelopes received after that time shall not be opened but shall be marked “invalid” with the date of receipt noted thereon and shall be preserved with other ballots of the election.
• Absentee voting by fax or electronic transmission: Voters may apply for an absentee ballot to be sent by fax or electronic transmission. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. (AKST) on October 1. Voted ballots by electronic transmission must be submitted according to the Municipal Clerk’s instructions and received no later than 8:00 p.m. (AKST) on Election Day, October 1.
• Absentee voting by personal representative: Voters who are unable to go to a polling place due to age, illness, or disability may have a personal representative pick up a ballot beginning September 16. Contact the Municipal Clerk’s Office for more information.
• Early voting in-person: Voters may vote an early in-person ballot September 16 – 30 at Harrigan Centennial Hall weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon.
• Election Day In-Person: Voters may vote in-person on Election Day at their respective precinct in Harrigan Centennial Hall. Polls will be open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
A wheelchair accessible booth and an ADA compliant voting apparatus are available during early voting and at each precinct on Election Day.
For candidate information, a sample ballot, absentee ballot request, and other election resources, click HERE or contact the Municipal Clerk’s Office at 907.747.1826 or 907.747.1811.
Regular Assembly Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in Harrigan Centennial Hall. Agendas and supporting documentation are available at https://sitka.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx or by contacting the Municipal Clerk's Office at City Hall.
Public comment on agenda items and “Persons to be heard” is encouraged and welcomed. Guidelines for citizen participation at Assembly meetings, including public comment, can be found here.
Citizens may provide comment by email, in-person, or by phone.
Email testimony:
To comment by email to the Mayor and Assembly Members on an agenda item, use assembly@cityofsitka.org.
In-person testimony:
There is no sign-up list for in-person testimony. Arrive at the Assembly Chambers at Harrigan Centennial Hall (330 Harbor Drive) before the item you wish to testify on is brought up. At the appropriate time for public participation on each agenda item, the Mayor will invite the public to speak on a first come basis. Please state your full name for the record. You will have 3 minutes to provide testimony. To learn more, read SGC 2.04.130 Public Participation.
Phone testimony:
The deadline to sign up to provide testimony by phone during an Assembly meeting is 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. To sign up, call the Municipal Clerk’s Office at 907-747-1826 or email clerk@cityofsitka.org. Be prepared to provide your name, phone number, and indicate which agenda item(s) you wish to provide comment on. For discussion / direction / decision items, citizens are encouraged to sign up for telephonic testimony to have the opportunity to comment if a formal motion is made. When the Assembly reaches your agenda item, the Municipal Clerk will phone you at the number provided. You will have 3 minutes to provide testimony. If you are not available, the Municipal Clerk will move to the next person on the call list. To learn more, read SGC 2.04.186 Telephonic Participation by the Public.
To make your telephonic testimony more effective, please consider the following:
• Mute your radio, television, or the livestream if you are following along. There is a delay, and it may echo, thereby complicating your testimony.
• Do not have your phone on speaker. Speaker phones introduce a myriad of extraneous noise into your testimony.
• Make sure there is limited ambient noise from your location and if on a cell phone make sure you are in a location with good cell service.
• If you have a headset, please use it. Headsets will give a more consistent signal and reduce room noise.
Regular and special Assembly meetings are livestreamed through the City's website and YouTube channel. In addition, regular meetings are aired live on KCAW FM 104.7. To receive Assembly agenda notifications, sign up with GovDelivery on the City website.
For more information, contact the Municipal Clerk's Office at 747-1826 or 747-1811.
Utility Cost Subsidization Program Opportunity
The City and Borough of Sitka will accept applications for the Utility Cost Subsidization Program through October 31. Applicants meeting certain criteria may be eligible for a subsidization of their municipal utility costs. The subsidization period shall be for one year, beginning January 2025. An appointment with the Finance Department may be required. Click HERE to access an application and instructions, or you can pick up an application at the Utility Office on the 1st floor of City Hall, 100 Lincoln Street. For more information, contact the Finance Department at 907.747.1859 or utilities@cityofsitka.org.
Click to get the latest information on the following projects:
Lake-Hirst and Monastery-Kinkead Project
SIT Airport Terminal Improvement Project
Thomsen Harbor Lift Station (updated 04/03/2024)
Municipal Administrator John Leach gave his presentation to the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce of the State of the City on January 24, 2024. The annual report comprised of milestones of our Strategic Plan, statistics, and outlined future commitments. 2023 CBS Annual Report
Past Annual Reports:
Report presented to the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce on January 23, 2023: FY2022 Annual Report
Report presented to the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce on January 26, 2022 by John Leach, Municipal Administrator. Annual Report. Talking points that accompany Annual Report Presentation. Talking Points
Click here to visit the Gary Paxton Industrial Park Haul Out and Ship Yard Project page
At the Assembly meeting on July 25 at 6:00 p.m. in Harrigan Centennial Hall, the Assembly approved Concept Design #4. Agenda and packet materials.
A June 2023 presentation on the project can be found by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjPVCVTy5Lo
For more information on the project, ways to comment, and supporting documents visit: https://www.cityofsitka.com/departments/PublicWorks/GPIPHaulOut
The City and Borough of Sitka’s Electric Department partnered with the Department of Energy's Energy Transition Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) to perform a grid analysis and assess Sitka’s renewable energy resources and their potential for increasing generation capacity. The results show that Sitka has the opportunity to grow its capacity and continue to decarbonize the grid without impacting ratepayers through thoughtful energy planning and state and federal decarbonization support.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjlriSUJPE
Check out the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sitkaalaska/community
