Petersburg’s Borough Assembly has a heavy agenda ahead of its meeting on September 18th at 6 p.m., which includes several reports on Borough activities.
One of those reports will come from the Borough’s insurer. In early June, the Assembly asked Alaska Public Entity Insurance, or APEI, to review the Borough’s HR and safety practices; and then to prepare a report describing their observations. Three APEI members visited Petersburg in August, and their report says they took anonymous comments from about 40 community stakeholders and Borough employees.
Barbara Thurston is the executive director of APEI — she’ll report on APEI’s review.
Then Borough Administration and Human Resources staff will share their plans to implement APEI’s recommendations. They hope to appoint a safety officer and establish a safety committee to determine the best way forward.
In its only item of unfinished business, the assembly will take its third and final vote on an ordinance to adjust the fiscal year 2024 budget. The changes would accept a couple grants totaling almost $100,000, as well as dedicate funds to remedy several different structural issues around town. The update also covers the higher wages the Assembly approved this summer in its contract negotiations with PMEA, the union representing Petersburg’s municipal employees.
In new business, the Borough will consider approving the sale of Borough property at 10 North 12th Street to the Petersburg Indian Association. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht and Tribal Administrator Chad Wright have arrived at a price of $45,000 for the lot, and they need the assembly’s approval to proceed with the sale.
And, with the municipal election in two weeks, Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson is requesting the assembly’s approval of a list of fifteen Election Officials. They’ll help oversee proper and orderly voting at Petersburg’s regular election on Tuesday, October 3rd.
Assembly members Dave Kensinger and Jeff Meucci’s terms are running out this month, and they’re planning on addressing the assembly on several topics.
Meucci is requesting a discussion about about the Property Development Fund code, expanding the Borough’s platting authority outside of Service Area 1, and a potential Borough-sponsored trade school scholarship program.
He also wants to share information from the Southeast Alaska Sea Otter Stakeholder Group about changes in the regional sea otter population.
Dave Kensinger is requesting a discussion about the Borough’s Housing Task Force.
Meucci is running for re-election for his assembly seat. Kensinger is not.
The Assembly will meet on September 18th at 6 p.m. in the assembly chambers. KFSK will broadcast this meeting live and post the recordings in our Borough Assembly Archive. Anyone from the community can join the meeting in person, by phone, or on Zoom. There’s more information on KFSK’s community calendar.
