Public testimony at more meetings, City Hall move and sale on Assembly’s agenda Monday

Mark Sabbatini
2 hours ago
3 min read

Downsized Huna Totem dock, emergency services at Tlingit and Haida’s new casino also to be considered by Committee of the Whole

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

Public testimony won’t be allowed during the Juneau Assembly’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday night, barring extraordinary circumstances. But it might become a regular part of such meetings as part of a set of proposed rule changes scheduled to be considered.

Testimony opportunities are mandatory at full Assembly meetings, but are not allowed at committee meetings unless its chair decides ahead of time to allow it, according to a memo by City Attorney Emily Wright. She noted Assembly Member Nano Brooks, newly elected last October, requested a review about the possible modification of those rules.

"Committee meetings are seen as purely work sessions for the Assembly and typically no public testimony is taken," Wright wrote. "Under the current rules, public participation occurs once the issue is brought to the full Assembly or a member of the public could provide public testimony prior to that time by testifying regarding non-agenda items. The draft rule change reverses the default for committees – if the change is passed, public testimony will be allowed at all committee meetings unless noticed otherwise by the Chair."

Fifteen other changes in the Assembly Rules of Procedure, mostly minor or technical adjustments, are also on a list for Assembly members to consider. One of them, for instance, modifies language in "an attempt to assist the public in understanding that the Assembly will not respond to questions during public testimony."

Other major agenda items for the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday include:

• An update on relocating City Hall to the first two floors of the Michael J. Burns Building. A memo by City Manager Katie Koester states renovation bids are due July 15 and the Assembly is scheduled to pick a company July 27 to do the work, but "the earliest substantial completion date is May 2027." The total project cost is still listed as $20.5 million.

• Options for the existing City Hall once the move is completed. Koester, in another memo, notes options so far include a sealed-bid auction with a minimum bid of $2.5 million and an offer by Sealaska Heritage Institute to buy the building for $1.5 million. Koester also estimates it will cost $85,000 a year to have a caretaker monitor City Hall after it is vacated or $50,000 for partial shutdown with less monitoring, with both options keeping the public restrooms open. She noted a full mothball with no monitoring could end up costing the city more due to vandalism or hazardous situations such as malfunctions that go undetected for extended periods.

• Modifying an agreement with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to provide emergency services on tribal land, with the tribe paying for those services. "Practically speaking Two Coppers Casino on Fish Creek Road will be the first tribal property formally recognized under this agreement, " according to Koester.

• A presentation of Huna Totem Corp.’s plans to build a significantly smaller private cruise port downtown than originally envisioned, due to escalating costs. The Assembly finalized a tidelands lease for the port earlier this year. • Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.