The Ketchikan City Council voted to support two proposed timber harvests on borough-owned land at the council’s Thursday night meeting. The council also discussed applicants for a vacant city and utility manager position, and approved two budget transfers and a collective bargaining agreement.
The proposed timber sales from Ketchikan-based Alcan Timber Incorporated would, if approved by the borough, allow the company to harvest 100 acres of timber north of the airport on Gravina Island. If approved, the company would also make selective cuts and small clearcuts north of Brown Deer Road in Ketchikan, and build a logging thoroughfare from Fairy Chasm Road. The new road won’t be used for transporting timber – all harvested timber will be hauled out from Copper Ridge Lane.
The city council postponed submitting comments on the proposals at a meeting on Nov. 6 so that city staff could revise a letter of support. The letter says that the city council is excited to work with the borough on moving the project forward, but they have concerns they hope can be addressed.
Jack Finnegan was one of two councilmembers who voted against submitting the comments, saying the council needs to more thoroughly consider how a project like this could impact city and borough residents. The comment period closes on Nov. 30.
“I think the pendulum in our correction has swung a little bit too far in the direction, and I find the language in the letter as its currently presented, to be almost too inviting,” Finnegan said. “It’s almost like we’ve gone from too aggressive a stance to too soft a stance.”
The city support of the proposed timber sales was approved in a 5-2 vote.
The council also held an executive session for about an hour to discuss applicants for a combined city and Ketchikan Public Utilities manager vacancy.
Over 40 people applied for the position. In October, the council selected about a dozen applicants to proceed to the interview round. The council selected and later approved in a 6-1 vote three candidates who will go on to the next round of the hiring process.
“I believe the ones that we’ve selected will do right by the community, will do right by our staff, and that to me is very important,” said Vice Mayor Judy Zenge, who voted ‘yes’ on the three candidates selected. “Someone that’s going to help rise up our community and get rid of this, I feel like there’s divisiveness all the time, so I’d like to see someone who’s going to bring us all together.”
One of those candidates is a city manager in Illinois. The second has a background in economic development in Utah, and the other works in utilities in Oregon.
Jai Mahtani was the only councilmember who voted ‘no’ on the three candidates for the position, saying that he didn’t like any of them. Councilmember Riley Gass proposed an amendment, which was supported by Mahtani and later failed, to include a Ketchikan-based applicant in the next round of the hiring process.
The city council also approved a collective bargaining agreement between the city and the Public Safety Employee Association, which represents Alaska’s law enforcement personnel. Negotiations for that contract began in April. The three-year, $1.2 million agreement includes a 10% pay increase to employees represented by the association through the summer of 2028.
Among other items, the city council approved $650,000 in budget transfers for city capital improvement projects, and a second reading to amend three proposed ordinances to the city’s municipal code. Those proposed ordinances were approved by city voters in the Oct. 7 city election, and are now in effect.
The city council’s next meeting will be on Nov. 25 to review the city’s lease with PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, following recent community concern.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
