We believe in Eaglecrest’s empowered board
- Guest contributor
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Contributors to this opinion essay include long-time Eaglecrest Ski Area supporters Deborah Craig, Robert Marshall, Bruce Griggs, Mary Frances Griggs, Katie Bausler, Betsy Fischer, Dave Hanna and Rick Harris.
Eaglecrest is in the news again, with clouds clearing but storm potential. The good news is the Eaglecrest Board of Directors (EBD) recently re-formed under new leadership and new members have extensive Eaglecrest and leadership experience — the “A Team.” Also, Eaglecrest’s General Manager (GM) Craig Cimmons resigned after 14 tumultuous months on the job.
The storm ahead: Mayor Beth Weldon proposed an Ordinance to demote the EBD from "empowered" to "advisory" status to give the City and Borough of Juneau manager’s office control over Eaglecrest. Many in the ski community have already expressed that they overwhelmingly do not support this change and the Assembly has the power to vote no.
During the last two ski seasons, almost everything on the mountain broke despite hiring more people with better pay than ever before. It became evident during several EBD meetings that routine maintenance was not performed and correct procedures per established policy were not followed. The GM’s appointment is a cautionary tale to ensure competence before handing over the keys to the equipment. While Mr. Cimmons publicly laid blame on the last GM, the weather and now the EBD, this was a failure of his leadership.
Eaglecrest’s empowered board provides the general manager policy direction and accountability for use of public funds. The EBD recently began holding the GM accountable which may have resulted in his resignation. A competent, experienced ski area manager earning $133,000 annually should be capable of independent operational and administrative decisions that are publicly defensible without daily handholding from either a board or a municipality.
After his resignation, former GM Cimmons wrote a letter to the Assembly stating what many already suspected. He needed significantly more daily operational supervision than should have been necessary and was uncomfortable defending decisions in public meetings "with reporters present." He acknowledged he took direction from the CBJ manager’s office during his unsuccessful tenure.
The problems with CBJ managing Eaglecrest from a desk downtown are many. Most importantly, the CBJ manager’s office lacks critical ski area operations experience. The CBJ also had floods, avalanches, Telephone Hill, the Burns building remodel and a host of everyday municipal issues to contend with, explaining the lack of the capacity for another major project.
The best arguments for not demoting EBD are in the CBJ manager’s letter to the Assembly outlining how CBJ would manage Eaglecrest. Under the CBJ, Eaglecrest will be more expensive, more risk averse and user fees would increase. The CBJ acknowledges this will not be the “silver bullet” and the ski community concurs.
Eaglecrest is faced with the same issues as other ski areas around the world. With climate change, snowmaking has become the skill du jour to ensure low snow year success. Aging equipment needs replacement and to offset costs, many ski areas developed summer activities to generate income to support mountain operations. Eaglecrest wisely adopted both of these concepts under previous successful management.
Goldbelt enthusiastically embraced summer ops and lent the CBJ $10 million to build a gondola. Were it not for two seasons lost to management inefficiency, we would be well on our way to having a gondola built before tariffs and increased cost hit. Nonetheless, this is still a viable idea that will ultimately fund Eaglecrest winter and summer operations. Conversely, the CBJ’s manager’s office has suggested a gondola “walkaway option” leaving Juneau taxpayers $10 million plus interest in debt and nothing to show for it.
Juneau has significant investment in Eaglecrest’s success. Some suggest Eaglecrest should be self-supporting but no other recreational facility in Juneau must meet this requirement despite millions of public funds spent on aquatics, field house, hockey rink, etc. Notably, Eaglecrest has the best cost recovery rate of all facilities when under good management.
And although not everyone uses all of our recreational facilities, these amenities collectively make Juneau a more livable and attractive place to live for all. Employers frequently highlight Eaglecrest as a recruitment tool to attract a workforce seeking adventure on our trails, our waterways, and in our mountains.
The empowered board model is globally embraced by private and public organizations in recognition that focused skill sets are better able to manage skill-specific businesses than generalists. At the recent Assembly Committee of the Whole work session, Assemblywoman Christine Woll suggested the CBJ step back for a year, let the EBD do its job without interference from CBJ staff. The community concurs.
Immediately after the ordinance was proposed, the CBJ Assembly received 64 communications. Only four supported the ordinance (including two people who’ve lived in Juneau for a few months). A few suggested a measured approach, but the majority of Juneau’s passionate skiers who responded overwhelmingly supported EBD retaining empowered status to salvage this season and get on with hiring a qualified, competent manager to take the helm.
We urge the Assembly to make a decision that 1) is founded in measurable performance outcomes, transparency and facts, 2) empowers the reconstituted, experienced EBD, 3) considers input from your long-time resident voter base and passionate ski area supporters and 4) serves the community and employers by supporting our recreational crown jewel.
Urge our Assembly to vote no on the Eaglecrest ordinance.
