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Assembly, school board candidates get first chance to distinguish themselves at downtown forum
- Mark Sabbatini
- 15 hours ago
- 10 min read
Vacant storefronts, homelessness, working families, cruise passenger fees and future development among issues raised by Downtown Business Association
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
People curious about differences between candidates in the Oct. 6 municipal election learned about many during the first public forum featuring 10 of the 11 contenders seeking Juneau Assembly and school board seats.
Big distinctions in answers and mannerisms were evident in responses to questions from the Downtown Business Association, which hosted the 85-minute event on Thursday. Some candidates spoke confidently to the audience of about 20 people gathering above the Sandpiper Cafe. Others tentatively read written responses to the association's questions provided in advance to participants.
True to the host organization’s name, the topics focused on issues such as future downtown development, tourism management, homelessness and enticing working families. Not mentioned was glacial outburst flooding in the Mendenhall Valley, where a major annual release from Suicide Basin is expected during the coming week.
Other upcoming municipal election forums
Aug. 20: Juneau-Gastineau Rotary Club (TK McGuire's), 7 a.m.
Sept. 2: Rotary Club of Juneau-Glacier Valley (conference room at Juneau International Airport), noon.
Sept. 6: Douglas Island (Douglas Library), 2 p.m.
Sept. 10: Juneau Chamber of Commerce (Moose Lodge), noon
Sept. 16: League of Women Voters/KTOO, 7 p.m.
After opening statements by the 10 candidates, the three candidates seeking two Juneau Board of Education seats each answered the same questions from DBA President Cindee Brown-Mills, the forum’s emcee. That was followed by seven candidates in three Assembly races answering a series of questions that took up most of the final hour of the event.
One candidate seeking an Areawide Assembly seat, Brad Sapp, a Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards manager, did not participate in the forum because he was on work-related travel to Anchorage.
A range of future blueprints among Juneau Assembly candidates
Among the eight people running for Assembly, three are competing for an Areawide seat, four for a District 2 seat representing the Mendenhall Valley and one is unopposed for a District 1 seat representing downtown.
The first question put to forum participants, with the moderator referring to downtown’s empty storefronts during winter was "what role should the city play in encouraging new businesses and helping existing businesses remain successful throughout the year?"
The unopposed candidate seeking to represent downtown, former City Manager Mila Cosgrove, said more housing is a key element, as are changes making year-round businesses more viable to operate downtown and the area itself more attractive for year-round residents.
"I think it's possible to look at removing roadblocks to business creation, maybe incentives," she said. "I'm not sure what that would look like, but I think it's worth exploring. I think it's really important that the city engage in building and maintaining attractive places for people to come to. So the Seawalk's lovely; people can walk around. It should feel like a place that you want to be. It should be clean. And I think partnering with the DBA and (the Juneau Economic Development Council) to talk about strategies where we can have that public-private partnership is really critical."
The most competitive race in District 2 had the widest range of answers.
Incentives to businesses with downtown storefronts were suggested by Joyce Niven, a longtime financial and administrative manager for the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority until she retired last year.
"The city has offered property tax incentives and they could consider incentives for being open for more than eight months a year, utility bonding and offering housing density bonuses," she said, adding streamlining the permitting process helps make businesses more affordable and more parking should be available.
Karla Hart, an activist who for decades has sought to limit large-scale cruise tourism, said "as somebody who doesn't live downtown or work downtown now it's very hard to get motivated to come downtown in the summer because I don't really have much reason to come."
"I think we need some balance in what's done in Juneau," she said, adding she also believes steps should be taken to reduce air pollution from cruise ships. She said she favors a housing solution that allows for some higher-density housing on Telephone Hill while preserving the liveable historical homes already there.
Cruise tourism impacts were also cited as a hindrance to locals coming downtown by Malachi Thorington, a longtime resident who works as a journeyman electrician, commercial fisher and diver. He said it’s difficult for city government to control what type of businesses operate downtown, but other steps can make the area more appealing for locals.
"Cleaning it up, I think — a lot of businesses working with DBA — facilitating cleaning up storefronts, cleaning up streets and in the wintertime being able to make sure that the roads are clear (and) parking is available," he said. "I've personally driven in circles to go downtown, only to go back home because I couldn't find a convenient place to get to where I wanted to go."
David Lee Morris, a longtime swim coach and former board president of the homeless assistance nonprofit Family Promise of Juneau, said city revenue from tourism should be used for safety, maintenance and infrastructure improvements downtown.
"Maintaining our historical and unique qualities downtown, I think, is very important because people enjoy seeing all the history that has been down there," he said.
The two Areawide candidates also differed in their answers.
Paul Kelly, a first-term incumbent, said he saw incentives for businesses mentioned 22 times in a 20-year downtown blueprint plan the Assembly approved last year. But he questions if the city can afford them since there’s already a budget shortfall in the wake of tax cuts passed by voters a year ago.
"Those could be things that I could get behind supporting if the city were in a better financial position," he said. “So hopefully, we can, maybe with the election, make some changes with the upcoming vote in October."
There are two measures to increase taxes to help offset the losses from last year’s cuts on this fall’s ballot.
James McCants, a tour company owner who moved to Juneau in 2023, said the ambiance of downtown needs to be improved, citing problems with "riffraff." He suggested infrastructure upgrades such as covering the downtown boardwalk.
The second question to Assembly candidates asked, "How would you balance compassion for vulnerable residents with the need for safety and welcoming public areas?"
"We’ve got to look at costs and where we can make that happen, and we might have to be looking at outside and helping those folks in other places if we can," McCants said.
His opponent, Kelly, said while existing laws on illegal camping need to be enforced, "I believe that compassion means that we put more effort into sending professionals into the field who connect people with social services instead of arresting them, confronting them, and adding them to their record."
The District 2 candidates overlapped by stating a combination of actions are needed to address the issue.
"I understand that much of the homeless problem is due to mental illnesses, and we need to meet the people where they're at and help them from that standpoint," Morris said. However, he said action also needs to be taken for people experiencing homelessness who refuse assistance and "we also need housing for people so they can step up."
Thorington said more space for Juneau’s unhoused population is necessary "so that when an official asks somebody to move or sleep somewhere else they have a place that they can go in that moment, and not just go around the corner and get in somebody else's doorway."
Hart said she agrees a mix of approaches are needed for people seeking help and those who refuse it, acknowledging "I don't have all the answers on this one. I think if anybody did we wouldn't have the same issue" as a persisting one in the community.
A founder and board member of the Juneau Housing First Collaborative, Niven said, "The city has created many housing options to get people off the streets, and has more in progress."
She said her experience also means she won’t have to "start from scratch" as an Assembly member considering the issue.
Cosgrove said while the city and assistance agencies are working well together, police should ensure a presence downtown also includes familiarity with de-escalation tactics. Also, she said, "I think housing and residents full-time just lifts everything up in the environment, and we should continue to focus on that as well."
The final two questions involved "bigger picture" views about the 20-year Blueprint Downtown passed by the Assembly and Juneau’s accreditation in the Main Street America program, the latter of which "is maintained through the DBA’s efforts to maintain nationally recognized standards around economic vitality, infrastructure/design, collaborative relationships, and family-friendly activities designed to benefit residents and visitors alike in Alaska’s beautiful Capital City."
There was considerable overlap among candidates about improving housing availability, parking, downtown public spaces such as the subport and tourism management. But there also were distinct ideas in many of the answers.
Hart, citing concerns about Goldbelt Inc.’s proposed private West Douglas cruise port, said she is calling for a "moratorium on new cruise ship docks until we actually understand and have the capacity to manage the cruise ship industry."
Morris said he’s concerned about tracts being purchased by the Southeast Alaska Land Trust for conservation, "so the city's going to have to open up some land for local contractors to be able to build stuff."
Administrative measures for the blueprint were suggested by Cosgrove, who said a tracking process for its objectives still isn’t activated, and Niven, who said "there needs to be a person appointed to manage the plan to make it be successful."
The Main Street program was generally endorsed by the candidates, although some said its provisions are vague.
Thorington said, "It seems to be the theme that everything that we want to see in our community is something that they put as a priority, be it livability, walkability, accessibility and character across the board."
McCants said it may help with some of the artistic character he wants to see furthered downtown. Kelly said it can help build on some traditions that currently exist downtown such as First Fridays and other community activities.
Juneau Board of Education contenders confront a time of transition
Three contenders — incumbents Britteny Cioni-Haywood and David Noon, and challenger Christine Johnson — are seeking two seats. They are listed as a single group on the ballot. Voters are allowed to select two and the two candidates with the most votes will win the seats.
Cioni-Haywood and Noon, both elected to their first terms in 2023, cited achievements during a turbulent three-year period that included a major financial crisis, consolidation of schools and prolonged contract negotiations with union employees that were resolved earlier this year.
"I do feel like we're at this kind of transition point," Cioni-Haywood told the forum audience, noting she hesitated before deciding to run again. "I have a lot of hope looking forward with some of the changes in administration, bringing on some really great new talent. It feels like a fresh start and I'd really like to be there to help kind of see that transition through."
Noon said he also struggled with the decision to run again, but believes the board needs members familiar with the problems the district has faced and is still facing.
"There are going to be more painful decisions potentially down the line if the (state’s per-student funding) does not increase," he said. "The demographics of Juneau's population aging, our student population declining, means that we are probably going to have to have a conversation if things don't change in the next couple years, about possibly closing an elementary school, further consolidation may happen."
Johnson, who filed a complaint when her 4-year-old autistic son went missing from a playground last December, said the resulting faults found by the state in the district’s special needs programs were a key motivator in her candidacy.
"I think ultimately trust is the overall most important thing," she said. "And I'm running as a parent who's celebrated incredible milestones and sat through really difficult meetings. I've asked hard questions, and worked alongside teachers, paraeducators and principals who care deeply about their students. And those experiences show me both what's working really great in our schools, as well as maybe areas that we can look to improve."
School board members in Juneau and elsewhere in Alaska frequently say more support — generally meaning money — is needed from the state to solve key problems. But at Thursday’s forum, they were asked about seeking opportunities from sources closer to the community.
"How could the school district invite business owners into the classroom and create meaningful partnerships that better prepare students for the workforce?" Brown-Mills asked.
Cioni-Haywood said some courses already exist and more may be worth adding, but noted "the board doesn't really get to set the curriculum decisions."
Noon noted an expansion of those programs has occurred recently with groups such as the Southeast Alaska Regional Career and Technical Education Consortium. Johnson also said she saw promise in such programs due to "a student I know (who) discovered an interest in mechanics through a shop class."
"She worked a summer job with a local tour company and expressed that interest," Johnson said. "And then she was brought on as an intern over the winter to learn about airplane engines. And now not only have we kept her skills in Juneau, but she's helping support the local economy and other businesses."
All three candidates noted such programs require additional teacher time and resources at a time when funding is an ongoing issue. The Juneau School District is facing hiring challenges ahead of this school year’s start.
"We've had some very generous outside support from the mining industry, from these CTE programs," Noon said. "I think that in addition to that there's a lot of free resources that we can make available to teachers to promote personal finance instruction in the classroom."
The second question asked of the school board candidates: "What would you do to help create a school system that families see as a compelling reason to move to and remain in Juneau?"
The three candidates suggested measures that, to varying extents, aren’t directly under the board’s control.
Cioni-Haywood said continuing to seek increases in per-student funding from state lawmakers is essential for a healthy school system.
Noon said better teacher pay and benefits are key steps, and may be a difficult challenge without more state funding. Both sides in the contract standoff between the district’s administrative leaders and union representatives cited a shortage of support from state lawmakers in funding and pension reform as a complicating factor.
Johnson said, "I've spoken with special education families who've left Juneau or homeschooled because they couldn't access the services their child needed."
School district leaders struggling with budget and personnel shortfalls in recent years have cited special needs programs among their areas of particular concern.
(Disclosure: Joyce Niven is the Juneau Independent’s business manager. She is a part-time contractor responsible for accounting and other financial responsibilities, with no involvement in newsroom operations.)
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
