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Phase 1 HESCO Reconstruction and Fortification Work Moves Forward

Photo provided by CBJ following the installation of the HESCO barrier project
Photo provided by CBJ following the installation of the HESCO barrier project

CBJ- As the snow melts, City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) crews and contractors are now moving quickly to repair, raise and reconstruct the Phase 1 HESCO barrier project ahead of a 2026 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) event.

CBJ’s Engineering and Public Works department has spent months documenting damage, analyzing impacts and vulnerabilities, and utilizing the latest available hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to develop plans for the reconstruction of existing Phase 1 HESCO barriers. The CBJ Assembly has identified GLOF response, mitigation & preparedness as a top priority. The goal of this ongoing work, done in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is to ensure that these flood fighting projects provide as much protection as practicable until a longer-term solution is in place.

The project includes additional bank armoring and raising HESCO barriers to protect Mendenhall Valley residents from future floods up to 90,000 cubic feet per second or approximately a 20-foot lake stage flood. A map showing planned reinforcements and raising of Phase 1 is available at juneau.org.

“The HESCO barriers proved their value in 2025, but we had some close calls, we’ve learned a lot, and we aren’t taking any chances in 2026,” explains CBJ City Manager, Katie Koester. “By doing this major reconstruction work in 2026, we can have confidence in the protection of the HESCO barriers against larger flood events, with less future disruption to residents and lower annual maintenance costs to the community.”  

The 90,000 CFS flow rate represents a 50-year GLOF event and is the number the USACE is using in their evaluation of mid-term flood fighting solutions for Juneau. Constructing to the 50-year event now, instead of annual incremental increases, will reduce future annual costs and minimize annual disruption to property owners. The “50-year event” is a probability-based number that represents the comparatively higher likelihood that a flood of 90,000 CFS may occur. Based on projections, it is possible that the Mendenhall River could experience a 90,000 CFS (20 ft) event within the operational life of the HESCO barriers.
The 2026 Phase 1 reconstruction and fortification will not impact the Local Improvement District (LID) assessments for the original Phase 1 construction. This year’s project is a separate scope that is fully funded by CBJ funding and Alaska Department of Conservation State Revolving Loan funds. CBJ and agency partners are also actively seeking grant funding to support this project.

CBJ project managers have and will continue to coordinate directly with property owners and impacted residents along the Phase 1 and Phase 2 project areas. More information about flood fighting, flood emergency preparedness and the pursuit of an enduring solution is available at bit.ly/CBJGLOF.
In addition to barrier reinforcement and fortification, CBJ is making improvements to drainage and stormwater management in the area. CBJ is coordinating with USACE to acquire over 40 industrial-grade pumps to deploy to strategic staging locations based on  anticipated  water intrusion risks. These pumps will be deployed to serve the community as a whole rather than individual properties. Importantly, they can operate for up to 24 hours do not require refueling during an event, allowing both staff and residents to safely evacuate inundation areas.

Phase 2 HESCO Barriers
USACE – Alaska District, in partnership with CBJ, began the first phases of the Phase 2 HESCO barrier project installation along the Mendenhall River last month. USACE contractor Sealaska Constructors is leading the work. The Advance Measures scope includes riverbank armoring and installation of temporary (HESCO) flood barriers to construct a fortified, complete temporary flood barrier along the unprotected, populated riverbank areas of the Mendenhall River – referred to as Phase 2 – prior to July 15, 2026. For questions about the Phase 2 HESCO Barrier Project, please contact public.affairs3@usace.army.mil.

Safety
CBJ and USACE are on a tight timeline to complete construction before the next GLOF. We ask that the public avoid the construction area for your safety and the safety of workers, residents and property owners, and to allow for efficient and expedient operations.

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Dividing Telephone Hill into three lots rejected in 5–4 assembly vote

Juneau's Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. The neighborhood, owned by the state of Alaska, is being transferred to the City and Borough of Juneau. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Juneau’s Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

NOTN- Juneau’s Assembly narrowly rejected a plan during last night’s Committee of the Whole work session, to carve up the city-owned Telephone Hill property and sell most of it “as is,” choosing instead to stay the course for the time being.

“So spending time with all of you, a lot lately with the budget, and spending a lot of time in the office with budget stuff and the flood coming upon us, and an election coming upon us, I think it’s nice to get Telephone Hill off our plate.” Mayor Beth Weldon said, “However, my main reason for doing this is just the public outcry not to spend any more money on Telephone Hill.”

On a 5–4 vote last night, members voted down Weldon’s proposal to divide Telephone Hill into three lots, reserve one for potential Coast Guard or workforce housing, and sell the other two with existing homes still standing.

The draft plan envisioned minimum bids of about $1 million and $2 million for the properties.

Members argued the change would undercut years of planning for higher-density housing in the downtown core at a time when the city faces a severe housing shortage and an influx of Coast Guard families. Several members said splitting up the property now could limit the city’s ability to pursue a cohesive, larger-scale project.

“I object to this. It’s funny, I object to this on so many levels that it’s hard to know where to start.” Said Assembly member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs,”I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but my read on the motion that passed at the last meeting was to bring this back and talk about, where are we going? Do we still feel good? How are we going to get there? And then we have this from the mayor, I will say crazy idea with love, I wouldn’t say that to anyone else. I don’t understand at the heart of this, the sponsor statement is that this is about not spending any more funding on this project, this seems to try to care for other issues, which is to leave some of that land back to where it might not turn into what our current plans are for it. It does preserve a small amount for our housing goals, but even that, I don’t see how that coincides with the goal of not spending any more money. I don’t see this, if that is indeed your intended goal, as the best way to move forward with that.”

In a separate 5–4 vote, the Assembly agreed not to award a roughly $2.3 million demolition contract until after it sees responses to a Request for Qualifications from potential developers, expected later this year.

“I understand and see where the mayor is trying to go.” Said Deputy Mayor Greg Smith, “This has been a challenge for us. I have an idea, I would move, or someone else could move, to not award the bill to demolish until after the results of the RFQ have been returned, to see what people think and hear and, you know, get real proposals on how to develop this, see what can be done. There is uncertainty now that will provide more, getting the RFQ back, because this could be a transformative project for downtown and for our housing crisis.”

The city is also defending a lawsuit filed by several Assembly members seeking to halt demolition; a jury trial is set for August, though no court order currently blocks the work.

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 Assembly to revisit Telephone Hill redevelopment

Juneau's Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. The neighborhood, owned by the state of Alaska, is being transferred to the City and Borough of Juneau. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Juneau’s Telephone Hill neighborhood is seen at center right, beneath the State Office Building. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

NOTN- The future of Juneau’s Telephone Hill redevelopment will get another look after the Assembly voted late last night to add the topic to an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.

Last night’s meeting was full of passionate testimony from Social Service providers, businesses and residents, and among that testimony were more calls to halt demolition of the historic neighbourhood.

“Juneau’s Historic Resources Advisory Committee members who you appoint because of their expertise have told you multiple times that the homes on Telephone Hill are a direct tangible connection to our history and should be preserved.” Said Larry Talley, “Please consider taking the advice of those you have selected for their expertise, even if you believe a housing project is worth more than the historic district, don’t demolish this historic district until you know that you can afford to put housing where your market analysis says is a very expensive place to develop.”

Assembly member Nano Brooks moved to place on the next Committee of the Whole agenda a discussion of “actions that could affect Telephone Hill development or the timeline,” including options for pausing the current demolition request for proposals until responses to a separate qualifications process are in hand, and exploring partial or full land disposal strategies.

Assembly members say this is a way to reassess timing and structure rather than to kill the project outright.

“My concerns is, since we last touched on it, there’s even been more public outcry.” Said Assembly Member Maureen Hall, “Could we modify the bid for partial demolition? This is really hard, but I don’t know that we’re ready to go full steam ahead.”

“we know the strain on the Treasury, we know the costs after getting the gondola cost. My risk tolerance and concern for moving forward without having better senses on the price has gone down.” Said Deputy Mayor Greg Smith, “That being said, there’s five votes to have this discussion.
It’s a challenge, and I think staff has done a good job trying to make it as smooth as possible. But you know, all changes will have impacts to possible development, but I’ll support at least having the discussion.”

Some members pushed back, saying the body has already debated the issue repeatedly and that no new information had emerged.

“I do feel that we have voted on this and very similar issues many times at this point.” Said Assembly member Ella Adkison, “At this point, no new information has come forward that would change my calculations and I know that the COW (Committee of the Whole) has quite a bit on its plate, and I don’t really want to rehash old ground when we have other things we need to deal with.”

Mayor Beth Weldon however, agreed to put the item on a future agenda.

“While it kills me to do this, I would support the motion, because I have an idea that I need to run by everybody, so I’ll be bringing an idea.” She said.

The motion passed 6–2, set for more discussion at a Committee of the Whole session currently scheduled for April 13.

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Assembly OKs year-round Warming Shelter, plans tougher camping enforcement

The Warming Shelter on a foggy night, courtesy of the Warming Shelter

NOTN- The Juneau Assembly has approved an ordinance to extend funding for the Warming Shelter to stay open year round, as well as pledging tougher enforcement of public camping.

The measure, adopted Monday night without objection, The Warming Shelter operated by St. Vincent de Paul open through the year and directs staff to step up enforcement in high-impact areas such as Teal Street and near the Rock Dump.

City officials said they will move more quickly on camping in public rights-of-way and will prioritize sites that generate significant public health concerns and a high volume of complaints.

“This ordinance is only half of the piece, providing people a safe place to go, to really increase our enforcement actions in those highly visible areas where we have received a lot of complaints. So we are a complaint driven organization, so the number and the diversity of complaints for any dispersed camping would influence how quickly and aggressively we would respond to that dispersed camping. We also would look at the public impact, not just who’s complaining, but what that impact is to your to public health. And we would prioritize enforcement when those two things are high.” Said City Manager Katie Koester.

Service providers urged the Assembly to support keeping the Warming Shelter open, arguing that shelter beds give people a chance to stabilize instead of cycling between the hospital, sobering center and police contacts.

“Last winter, someone came into the Warming Shelter after days of sleeping outside, cold, exhausted and struggling. Before that, they cycled between Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau sobering center and calls to Juneau Police Department. Each system did its job, but no one could offer what they truly needed, a safe, consistent place to be. Without that option, people often create encampments in areas of concern without sanitation or basic services, impacting both their health and the surrounding community. At the shelter, something simple changed. They got warm, they slept, they stabilized, and they had a starting point. That’s what the warming shelter provides.” Said Deputy Director of St. Vincent de Paul Mollie Carr, “We know we can’t fix every situation, but offering a year round place for people to go is a practical, common sense step that reduces crisis and stabilizes our community. When the shelter closes, the need doesn’t disappear. It shifts to a higher cost, and systems like the ER, law enforcement and emergency services. It costs far less to provide a shelter than repeated response to crisis. Year round funding is not just compassionate, it’s responsible, efficient and necessary.”

Neighbors and business owners described escalating problems they linked to dispersed camping, including theft, vandalism, public defecation and employees who said they felt unsafe walking to and from work. Some, including business owners along Teal Street and across from the shelter, said they reluctantly backed the ordinance as long as it came with stronger police presence, clear no-camping zones near workplaces and consistent enforcement of existing code.

“‘I’m here to support the Warming Shelter, combined with not allowing the chaotic Teal street camping to go on again this summer. Last summer, I personally cleaned up thousands of pounds of trash. I tried to help people camping in terrible conditions. I tried to support my co-workers and partner agency employees who are afraid to be at work or to walk to their cars because of the chaos. Just because people are poor and homeless or work in social services does not mean that they do not deserve a safe place to live and work.” Said Logan, member of the Glory Hall team, “The warming shelter extension is not perfect, but it is the only doable thing we came up with. Not allowing dozens of tents on Teal Street is not a violation of people’s rights. It is bringing order and safety to people’s lives. It is doing what a city is supposed to do. I am now a productive and essential member of the Glory Hall team. I am a hard worker. I think on my feet, I am great in a crisis. I am a single parent of an amazing daughter. I also used to live outside on South Franklin Street, struggling. This was a long time ago. I got help along the way because of Tlingit and Haida regional housing authority. I’m about to become a homeowner. Because of the Glory Hall, I have a job and training, and I was able to get basic food, shelter and help with transportation and other needs while I figured out my life because of the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, I was able to eat at Glory Hall because of Nami Juneau, I got certified as a peer support specialist, If you’re willing to do the work for lives to stabilize. It is critical.”

Assembly members said the ordinance is not a permanent solution to homelessness in Juneau but called it a necessary step while longer-term housing, shelter capacity and camping policies continue to be debated.

“I would like to say this isn’t perfect by any means. The need is greater than what anyone can serve.” Said Assembly member Maureen Hall, “Everyone in this room should continue to look for solutions and work with partner agencies to help this happen.”

“I appreciate that everything is imperfect, and so I’m okay with this, as long as we are continuously checking, I think there were some real emergent problems that we heard from residents and neighborhoods on different kinds of camping, car camping on the street, camping in the woods, camping creates different kinds of problems, and I think those call for different kinds of enforcement.” Said assembly member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, “I think this is a really good step, when you have a consistent, year round place, and you can really say, nope, this is our hard line. I want us to be really careful, that we’re both balancing the needs of the members of the community, that things don’t get out of hand, and that we’re fulfilling our obligation to those unhoused members of our community, who we are equally accountable to, and who are much less able at this point, in their lives, to come.”

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Juneau seeks public input on $24.5M cruise passenger fee spending plan

NOTN- Juneau officials are asking residents to weigh in on how millions of dollars collected from cruise ship passengers should be spent in the coming year.

The City and Borough of Juneau has released draft recommendations for allocating Marine Passenger Fee revenue and is accepting public comments through May 3.

Each cruise visitor to Juneau pays $13 in fees, which must be used for projects that support the tourism industry or address its impacts on the community.

“Really what people need to know is we get $13 per passenger, and that these funds are restricted on how they can be used.” Said Tourism Manager Alex Pierce, “Every year I get messages that are like, ‘how come we can’t spend this money on my street in the valley, busses drive on it, and it needs to be repaved, and I want to spend passenger fees there.’ The funds are actually restricted by the US Constitution. So under the US Constitution, the fees have to serve the vessel itself. That gets a little bit complicated when you get into human cargo. So we’ve always kind of had a push pull with where and how we can spend this money.”

City officials say the current proposal would allocate about $24.5 million across operating, grant and capital projects.

Recommended spending includes funding to offset increased demand on city services such as police, fire and emergency response, along with street maintenance, parks and expanded bus service during the busy cruise season.

Other proposed projects focus on infrastructure improvements in downtown Juneau, including upgrades to the water system, expansion of public Wi-Fi, maintenance and extension of the seawalk, and additional public restrooms.

All comments received by the May 3 deadline will be reviewed alongside the draft recommendations before being sent to the Assembly Finance Committee on May 6. The plan will then move to the full Assembly for consideration as part of the city’s upcoming budget process.

Residents can submit comments by email or mail to the city manager’s office.

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Gondola reversal puts Eaglecrest, Juneau budget under strain

NOTN- The City and Borough of Juneau is scrapping its participation in the long-planned gondola project at Eaglecrest ski area after costs ballooned from single-digit millions to an estimated $37 million, leaving the city on the hook to repay Goldbelt during an already tight budget season.

Finance Committee Chair Christine Woll said the Juneau Assembly voted Wednesday night to move forward with pulling out of its agreement with Goldbelt, which had helped finance the project. The city expects to repay about $12 million that Goldbelt invested, roughly $9 million of which has already been spent.

“We knew that increases at Eaglecrest were going to be significant over time, just because of aging infrastructure, and we knew that the public tax dollars probably couldn’t sustain paying for those increases at Eaglecrest.” Woll said, “So the vision was that by installing a gondola that could help take advantage of summer revenue from our visitor industry, we could
provide a more reliable, non-taxpayer dollar-funded income stream at Eaglecrest, but for a price tag that big, it no longer becomes something that the city has funds to invest in.”

The gondola was originally projected to cost about $7 million, later revised to around $9 million when the city and Goldbelt signed their deal, Woll said. The latest estimate, about $37 million to install, pushed the project far beyond affordability for the City.

“It’s just terrible, what a waste of money, but we’re gonna have to figure out how to pay it back.” Woll said.

The decision to cancel the project now leaves Eaglecrest in a precarious financial position. Its future budgets had assumed new income from gondola operations during the summer months.

Woll said the Assembly has directed Eaglecrest to return with a much-reduced operating budget that fits within the traditional taxpayer subsidy the ski area receives.

The gondola reversal comes as Juneau is just beginning to create it’s annual budget for FY 27.

“Ultimately, the assembly is going to have to make some hard decisions about service reductions. We’re aiming to make about $2 million more in cuts before June, when we have to pass the budget.” Said Woll.

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Juneau Leaders, Army Corps committed to trio of Short-, Medium- and Long‑Term GLOF solutions

Tuesday morning press briefing with City Officials and the Army Corp of Engineers.

NOTN- Juneau is hosting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week as the community presses for answers on long-term protections against glacial lake outburst flooding.

Mayor Beth Weldon said the Corps arrived in Juneau Monday afternoon, taking a helicopter tour to inspect the basin area and visiting the city’s HESCO barrier installations before holding formal meetings today.

At a Committee of the Whole meeting in February, City and Borough of Juneau leaders detailed new modeling that shows a worst-case glacial lake outburst flood could send an estimated 118,000 cubic feet per second of water down the Mendenhall River, far beyond anything the city has experienced.

Maps presented at the meeting showed that a maximum event could push water beyond the Central valley, crossing Riverside Drive and Mendenhall Loop Road, affecting neighborhoods on both sides of the river.

Scientists from the University of Alaska Southeast, the National Weather Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Tribal representatives from Tlingit and Haida identified a “lake tap” of Suicide Basin as the preferred enduring solution.

During a press conference this morning, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaders outlined plans to expand and reinforce temporary flood barriers along the Mendenhall River while continuing to study more permanent solutions to GLOFs.

“We’re here today because we wanted to make sure that we are in tight, close communication with the local government here, ahead of the 2026 glacial outburst flood that we expect.” Said Assistant Secretary of the Army Office for Civil Works, “This is something that when I was a nominee for this position and going through Senate confirmation, Senator Sullivan called me into his office, and he very effectively impressed upon me the criticality of this issue to this community. Every time I’ve spoken about this publicly, including in a public hearing in September, and most recently in a public hearing last month, I’ve said we have to look at this short term, medium term and long term. And I’ve consistently conveyed that from the very first time I’ve ever spoken about this issue until now, short term, medium and long term. And we’ve had an outstanding discussion this morning with our Senate offices, local community leaders, and then all four levels of our Corps of Engineers organization to make sure that we’re all on the same page in terms of what we’re doing to address this challenge. And so we’ll get into some of that as the questions come but that’s really the reason we’re here.”

Officials said immediate work for 2026 includes raising existing HESCO barriers by 1 to 2 feet and extending the system by roughly 4 to 4.5 miles along both sides of the river, officials also the Corp is adding more armoring along the riverbanks and deploying pumps and technical experts to manage any water that gets behind the barriers.

Telle also mentioned a ‘Medium’ term solution, and here is what he said when asked the clarify.

“In the medium term, we’re looking at more permanent and more survivable barriers that can be implemented, as well as continuing to look at potential channel modifications. Those are all on the turn on the table for the short, medium term, we’re obviously continuing to look at long term options that will require significant technical analysis and engineering. We’re getting down that path every single day.” He said, “In my view, we can’t wait a decade to deliver, or six years, or 15 years, we can’t wait that long to deliver results for the citizens in this community, and so we’re tackling short medium with the same aggression that we’re tackling
long.”

Those potential channel modifications could look like dredging or reshaping.

“There’s been conversation within the community for years about straightening the channel. This can be done relatively quickly and for low cost. The question is, does that straightening actually just move the risk to a different part of the community? And so we want to be very careful about that. We’ve got extensive modeling underway right now.” Telle said.

The long-term solution remains under study.

“This is, I’ll just say, glacial outburst flooding is a unique challenge here in Juneau. This phenomenon that we have here is unique to the Corps of Engineers entire portfolio. I think with that uniqueness comes a lot of uncertainty from an engineering and technical perspective, and we’re trying to really reduce that uncertainty as fast as we can.” Telle said.

Telle said that among the “big universe of options” for a long-term solution, a tunnel or lake tap “at this moment appears to be the most viable technically” Still, he emphasized that no option has been taken off the table and that significant technical and cost uncertainties remain.

When asked by The Juneau Independent’s Mark Sabbatini what had changed since last month’s announcement suggesting the Army Corps had “pulled back” from the lake tap solution, officials said their position had remained consistent, saying “nothing has changed other than the reporting.”

“That’s one of the reasons we appreciate the Secretary and the Generals and the Colonel for coming here face to face.” Said Mayor Beth Weldon, “There’s not going to be a miscommunication problem at all. We appreciate their enthusiasm and dedication to a short, medium and long term solution.”

“You know, the HESCO barriers are exactly what needed to happen. They showed they were, but they also showed they were just a triage method.” Said President Richard J. Peterson of Tlingit and Haida, “We’re trying to make sure we come together. We had a charrette last year, we came together all unanimously on an enduring solution, but in the meantime, they have to do their job and look at all solutions. And I think that might have been where the miscommunication came in. It wasn’t pivoting away from this, but the messaging was, ‘we’re doing our due diligence to look at everything’. We have to turn to them. And this meeting was that opportunity for us to understand where we’re at.”

Authorities say they are mindful of the clock the community is under, and said coordination between federal agencies, the City and Borough of Juneau and tribal partners will continue as preparations accelerate in the months ahead.

And for those wondering, despite our recent poor weather, work on flood-protection infrastructure has continued.

Brotherhood Bridge has officially closed starting today for installation of Phase 2 HESCO barriers.

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Survey and workshops highlight resident priorities for Juneau’s future and they’re exactly what you think

NOTN-The results are in, residents in Juneau have been helping shape the capital city’s long-term future at “Juneau Futures” workshops and with a community survey.

“Juneau’s had Comprehensive Plans on the books for decades, since the 1900s, so it’s basically a big picture guide that helps us decide where and how to develop, usually, over the next 20 to 30 years.” Said Senior Planner Minta Montalbo, “I think it’s important to keep in mind that the Comprehensive Plan reflects community priorities, and it connects our values and goals with CBJ decision makers, with policies and actions. It’s like a reference point for decisions on how to best use our land and where to focus our resources.”

The effort is part of the “Our Juneau, Our Future” comprehensive plan update, which gathered input through 14 in-person workshops and an online survey aimed at guiding development in Juneau over the next 20 years.

The workshops asked residents 3 major questions, Where should Juneau grow? What does Juneau need to do to prepare for the future? And how should Juneau grow?

According to findings released by CBJ, participants outlined several approaches for where that growth should happen. Many supported investing in central areas like downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek.

Quotes in italics will be pulled directly from CBJ’s results.

Downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek were popular development areas with many participants expressing interest in building activity in and around central Juneau.

Others prioritized established neighborhoods such as the Mendenhall Valley, emphasizing investment near current residents.

Investments should focus on infill and areas with existing infrastructure.

Additional support emerged for developing multiple hubs, including Auke Bay, seen by some as an alternative community center, others pointed to North Douglas as a next step for expansion due to its available land.

North Douglas is the next logical step for development in the next 20 years, and then we can focus on West Douglas.

Across all responses, one issue stood out: housing.

Participants consistently identified it as the community’s top priority, even noting that “everything connects to housing.”

Housing was the most important issue for many participants. While
approaches differed, it is clear that Juneau needs more housing solutions.

Respondents also stressed the importance of protecting neighborhoods from natural hazards like flooding and avalanches, and called for diversifying Juneau’s economy beyond tourism.

“Folks are focused mainly on flooding and protecting the homes in the valley, but we’re also hearing renewed discussion about landslide dangers and avalanches, so we’re going to want to be looking at that in the new comp plan.” Montalbo said, “Not surprisingly, housing for all definitely remains a huge priority, and when we’re talking about housing, housing options that suit a variety of needs. And then I think the third biggest category is economic diversification. Again, not a new topic, but we’re hearing a lot of concern about trying to strengthen year round industries, and find a balanced approach to tourism. We want to recognize the economic contribution, but people are also asking that we care for Juneau’s unique small town characteristics at the same time.”

Once participants had decided how Juneau should grow, they were asked to see how their scenario would hold up against future conditions, such as potential increase or decrease in tourism, funding, and natural hazards.

Participants said they expect tourism to increase, while state and federal funding may decline and natural hazards may become more severe.

In workshop scenarios, residents adjusted their priorities accordingly, shifting resources toward housing, hazard mitigation, and economic resilience when faced with those challenges, notably when faced with a decrease in federal funds, participants primarily divested from Remote Area Infrastructure and Waterfront Development, viewing them as
non-essential “luxuries” without federal support.

According to the findings particpants felt, “no matter the strategy, growth should consider existing investment, current residents, housing needs, and hazard risk.”

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Juneau leaders weigh future of old City Hall; Sends plans to full Assembly

NOTN- The Assembly debated the future of 155 Heritage Way, the city’s current City Hall, and voted last night to send the ordinance to the full Assembly for public hearing and back to committee for further refinement.

City staff recommended selling the building by sealed bid with a $2.5 million minimum.

“The intent of bringing the disposal of City Hall to you well in advance of moving into the (new) municipal building or the Burns building, is we acknowledge that this conversation could take some time and even a sealed bid process, which is relatively straightforward, will take about nine months.” Said City Manager Katie Koester.

Members were split over whether to require an appraisal before sale, with some arguing an appraisal would provide necessary valuation confidence.

“To me, we have a duty. This project to move City Hall has been very expensive, more expensive than we would have ever wanted, and the public is not happy about it.” Said Christine Woll, “I do feel like we have a responsibility to get at least fair market value for this property. That being said, I don’t think we need to get the highest amount that we could get out of this, because I think that will come at an expense to our other goals. This is our downtown core and our waterfront, and we hear all the time from people who want to make sure this space stays year round in nature. So I think if we don’t design a process that allows us some control, not all the control in the world, but a bit more control to make sure that it goes somewhere that supports other community goals and is more year round in orientation.”

Others said it would add cost and delay.

“I would disagree with getting an appraiser, I think that’s spending money we don’t have to. If Huna Totem dock goes in, this is going to be a really valuable piece of property, and I think 2.5 will be nothing to what we can get for it.” Said Mayor Beth Weldon, “I probably have a couple minor little conditions to put on it, but not major ones. And my minor would be, just to give people food for thought, no jewelry stores, and a portion of the building would have to be year round. But everybody has to keep in mind that we can sell it like this, and then that person who bought it could turn around and sell it and have no conditions on it. So we just want to be careful. And I, like Ms. Woll, would like to get as much money as we can from the building.”

Several members urged sale conditions to protect downtown character, which is most commonly a requirement for year‑round occupancy of some portion of the site.

“Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also would resonate that I’m not particularly interested in doing the assessment, but it’s for a different reason.” said Nano Brooks, “Just a few years ago, we spent a lot of taxpayer money doing a campaign on why we need the new building, and plenty of data and figures came out from that campaign that this building was worth around $3 to $5 million and needed 14 million in deferred maintenance, therefore rendering it worthless. We all know that the land is extremely valuable, extremely desirable, but to say we’re selling a building I think, isn’t the most transparent and upfront, and we already did spend a lot of money figuring that information out that we put out there to the public. We need to find money where it can be found. But doing what’s right by the public takes the precedence too. So as far as the stipulations or requirements, I think, like the others were saying, having a preference for someone interested in year round operations, and then, if possible, having preference for a local purchase or two.”

Staff told the committee the $2.5 million minimum was set after consulting the assessor, and estimated a commercial appraisal would cost roughly $15,000–$20,000 if the Assembly opted for one.

Officials said the city will return with options on sale method, minimums and possible conditions at the next assembly meeting where the issue of City Hall will be brought to the public.

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City Assembly meeting packed with tense testimony on Budget, Flooding and Telephone Hill

Monday night’s assembly meeting, as seen on CBJ’s livestream

NOTN- Packed public testimony at a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday showcased public tensions over the city’s budget, flooding, and looming cuts.

The public comment period stretched nearly 2 hours before the assembly could continue its regular agenda.

While much of the evenings testimony focused on budget pressures and big upcoming projects, one resident voiced their gratitude to the assembly for holding public comment saying, “I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to the assembly and to say that, you look at any scale of global events, down to national events, down to local events, there’s a lot to be fearful of and a lot to be anxious about. That being said, it’s too easy to displace that on, what you can yell at your local assembly.” Testifiers said social media can further exacerbate tensions, “Huge thanks to you guys, I know you have tons of stuff on your plate, and I know that it seems like you can’t catch a break, because I feel like, if it’s not one thing, it’s another.”

Multiple residents demanded the city halt or delay demolition of historic homes on city owned Telephone Hill, which the city hopes to redevelop for potentially, over 150 housing units.

“The CBJ is facing a $10 to $12 million budget shortfall. This will affect everyone in Juneau. It doesn’t make sense to spend $5.5 million on the discretionary demolition of Telephone Hill when there are so many pressing municipal needs.” Said Maureen Conerton, “Many Juneau residents have valid concerns and have testified against this project. including a former administrator, judge, an architect, a retired project manager, in addition to the more than 1000 Juneau residents who signed the Stop the Bulldozers Petition that was presented to you last fall.”

Juneau currently has a housing shortage. In an assembly meeting at the end of February, Finance Chair Christine Woll noted that demand is sure to rise with the arrival of Coast Guard personnel in the coming years.

Some speakers said they support building more housing in Juneau, especially downtown, but oppose the current Telephone Hill plan.

Others voiced concern for escalating cost estimates for the gondola project at Eaglecrest Ski Area, saying the price has ballooned far beyond early figures.

“I disagree with what’s been said about social media, I mean, that is the way a lot of people on short notice communicate.” Said Shannan Greene, she mentioned comments in articles by KTOO and the Juneau Independent and encouraged the Assembly to view them as public testimony as well, “This is an example of informal but honest public testimony from your everyday citizens. These are the people who are growing increasingly frustrated with your decisions.”

Residents spoke on flooding in the Mendenhall Valley and said the city has been too slow to address recurring flooding and erosion.

“Residents in the valley are left dealing with flooding, higher costs and the feeling that our concerns are always pushed down the list.” Said Amy Miller, “It isn’t frustrating, it’s driving people away. I’ll be honest with you, myself and many of my friends and neighbors are actively planning to leave Juneau as soon as we can, not because we don’t love this community we do, but because we no longer feel like the city is working for the people who live here, if the city continues to treat the valley’s flooding as a problem to study instead of a problem to solve.”

The Army Corps of Engineers recently, and without explicit reason, pulled back from pursuing the Lake Tap enduring solution, which had its own federal timeline.

The project was endorsed by Tlingit and Haida, the USDA Forest Service and Alaska’s Delegation, city leaders have been ‘Deeply concerned’ about the Army Corp’s shift in priorities.

City Manager Katie Koester said new federal discussions later this month could reshape the city’s strategy.

“We are very much committed to an enduring solution and committed to working on developing and furthering the lake tap.” She said, “We have received great news that Secretary Adam Telle and a large delegation of his high up staff will be traveling to Juneau at the end of this month, and as part of that, we anticipate new information and new strategy.”

Assembly Member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs said because Assembly rules limit speakers to two minutes and do not allow any back-and-forth, some of the most productive conversations happen informally. “You pour out your heart for two minutes, which is a very short time, or you’re trying to identify to someone you’re upset. When we’re in that process, we can ask clarifying questions, but we don’t engage. So the best follow up steps are the conversations that happen in the room, in between, on the breaks, things like that. So I was able to get some contact information and follow up with some folks and I think that happens pretty commonly, that it’s those one on one interactions.”

Concern also came from social service providers, who said potential cuts of up to 30% to city‑supported grants would shrink or shutter essential programs.

Leaders from the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, school counseling programs, the Glory Hall shelter and housing project, youth and senior services, mental health organizations and Alaska Legal Services all reported record demand and rising costs.

“I want to first off, take this opportunity to thank the assembly for the investment that they have made in our organization over the last couple of years. But with that in mind, I want remind you all that we work as social service organizations, many of which are present in the room tonight in partnership with the city. And we’re concerned to hear that the assembly is considering a reduction of investment in the social services block grant, what that would amount to is a reduction in services.” Said Dan Parks, speaking for the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, “I can only speak for our organization, but demand is at record highs. A couple of years ago, when I started with the food bank, we were serving about 300 individuals a week. Now we’re serving about 500 through our public pantry. We’re seeing more and more people slip from what used to be called the middle class into poverty. We also know that hunger doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s an indicator, a canary in the coal mine, if you will, of other social ills.”

They told the Assembly that fewer local dollars would mean fewer meals, beds, and legal and mental health services, pushing more people toward homelessness, emergency rooms and law enforcement.

Hughes-Skandijs said the Assembly welcomes the surge in civic participation, even when emotions run high.

“We welcome, public engagement. We always want more of that.” She said, “We want people to come and talk to their local officials, and we want to know how people are feeling. A room charged with emotion is sometimes going to be because there’s just so much happening. If someone’s brave enough, and we want them to be brave enough,this is where they should be. It’s their local government. And so we want them to get involved.”

This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Shannan Greene’s name and to adjust misleading language on Social Media in early testimony.

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