Ketchikan Gateway Borough photo

Ketchikan voters may weigh in on financing upgrades and reconfiguration of some of Ketchikan’s public ball fields. That’s if the Borough Assembly approves putting a $6.7 million bond measure before voters this fall.

At its June 21st meeting, the Assembly narrowly approved moving forward on with a bond proposition.

For Norman Walker Field near Schoenbar Middle School, expansion is proposed to meet American Legion and high school requirements with fixed fencing and artificial turf. New grandstands and a wheelchair-accessible route from the grandstands, restroom and concession are also planned.

Upgrades to Drency Dudley Field near Ketchikan High School include expanding the upper field to make it a softball compliant field with fixed fencing and an artificial turf surface. The lower field would get a new scoreboard and covered spectator seating area along with concession upgrades.

Improvements for the field at Houghtaling Elementary School include construction of an accessible route throughout the field, including the construction of a parking area north of the field, and installation of a sidewalk along the north perimeter.

If the Assembly votes to introduce the bond ordinance on Monday, it would come back for a public hearing on August 16. If approved in second reading, the bond would come before borough voters at the October 5th municipal election.

In other business, the Assembly is scheduled to hold a work session to discuss the Borough Compensation Study.  Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. was contracted to conduct the study in 2019. It was presented to the Assembly in January 2020, but further action was not taken due to the pandemic.

Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in assembly chambers in the White Cliff Building. The meeting will be televised on the KPU local channel, but because equipment problems, it will not be live streamed on the borough’s website. Video will be uploaded to the Borough website after the meeting. Public comment will be heard at the beginning of the meeting.