KRBD - Ketchikan

A steering committee is pursuing legislation to transition the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system to a public corporation.  At last week’s Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Robert Venables , executive director of Southeast Conference, discussed a multi-stage project to reform the AMHS.

Over the past five years, there has been a $35 million decline in state funding for the Alaska Marine Highway.  Venables says because of budget cuts, an aging fleet and a misalignment between labor and management, ferry service has declined.  He says Southeast Conference and the State of Alaska are partnering to reform and revive the system.
“We were approached two years ago by Lt. Governor (Byron) Mallott and he used the words, ‘the system is in crisis.’”

Venables says decreased funding and scheduling uncertainties have resulted in decreased revenue.  He says the plan is to institute reform measures to add viability and sustainability to the system.

Venables says the first stage of the project was to identify the mission and goals.  That was done in 2017.  He says the recommendation at the end of phase one was to explore forming a public corporation.  Venables says the focus of phase two was to develop a long-term operation and business strategy based on the public corporation model.

Throughout his presentation, Venables emphasized that there is no plan to privatize AMHS.

“And we’ve been saying this for two years. There’s not an effort to try to privatize the Alaska Marine Highway System. It has a public service mission that is always going to be key underlying to the function of the Marine Highway System. It’s always going to have the public participation fiscally to make it work.”

Venables says there are opportunities to partner with municipalities, tribes and private businesses that could add to the revenue stream.

“But, it will always be assets owned by the state with a mission for the public. So I want make sure that people understand that that’s the underlying premise of this entire effort.”

Venables says the committee studied possible new revenue sources, ways existing revenue sources might be strengthened, how to model the fleet, and the public-corporate structure. He says the AMHS is a complex system.

“We’ve got nine different vessels out there trying to call on 33 different ports with a very aging fleet, and a lot of different things going on.  And underlying all of that is a system that just costs a lot to operate.”

Venables says the committee wants to make sure state and federal funding could still flow to a public corporation.

“…and yes they can. And we want to make sure it’s well understood that the system, very much, has a public purpose. Did I mention that it has a public service mission and that we’re not trying to privatize it?”

Venables says the next phase is to introduce legislation and build public support.  He says House Bill 412 was introduced this past session.  Though not what the AMHS reform committee recommended, he says it’s a start and will undergo changes.  In addition to reviewing the bill and speaking to legislators, Venables says individuals and corporations can provide financial support to the reform effort. An audience member asked how donors would benefit from this.

“The primary thing that they’re getting is hope for tomorrow for the Marine Highway System because this is funding an effort that is focused on making the Marine Highway System viable and have a future for the next generation.”

Venables says it will likely take two to four years to establish a public corporation.

Southeast Conference is a regional, non-profit corporation that promotes economic development and healthy communities. It was formed in 1958 to advocate for the establishment of a transportation system for Southeast Alaska, which eventually became the Alaska Marine Highway.

In a split vote, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly voted a second and final time on Monday to give the Ketchikan School District more money than the school board asked for.

The assembly was distinctly divided over the issue, with three members adamantly opposed. One of those is Sue Pickrell.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate. I really don’t,” she said. “They said, ‘Here’s what we need,’ and I believe we should have said, ‘Yes, this is exactly right.’ It’s not our job to determine what you spend your money on.”

During the assembly’s previous meeting, when the school district’s budget was in first reading, it was amended to add about $360,000. That brought the local contribution up to a level determined through a formula that the assembly and school board came up with a few years ago.

Assembly Member Stephen Bradford proposed that change, and defended it on Monday. He said the borough’s property tax bill specifically states that the tax is for local schools.

“It does not say ‘Property tax for schools if the assembly feels like it.’ It doesn’t say, ‘Property tax for schools someday, if the assembly agrees.’ It said ‘Property tax for schools,’” he said. “I think we should live up to the obligation of what we are telling the taxpayers when they are so graciously writing that check to us for their taxes.”

The school board would not have to spend the money, he said. But it would be there if needed.

Bradford didn’t sway Pickrell, though, who proposed amending the motion back to the school board’s original requested amount.

Assembly members Rodney Dial and Alan Bailey also wanted to return to the lower amount for schools. Dial argued that giving more than requested would undermine the school board during contract negotiations with teachers; and Bailey said if the board didn’t request it, the assembly shouldn’t second-guess its members.

They were in the minority, though. Bradford, Judith McQuerry, Felix Wong and AJ Pierce voted against Pickrell’s amendment. It failed 3-4, so the higher amount remained.

The main motion then passed 4-3. Pickrell, Dial and Bailey voted no.

The assembly was more agreeable about the borough’s budget, which passed unanimously and with little discussion. During its last meeting, the assembly increased grant awards to some local nonprofit organizations. Those increases were not changed.

Also on Monday, the assembly agreed to cancel its regular July 2 meeting in consideration of the July 4 holiday.

The next assembly meeting is June 4.

The Alaska Marine Highway System’s new ferry Tazlina tasted water for the first time Wednesday afternoon. Vigor Alaska workers floated the nearly completed vessel at the shipyard’s drydock, and tested for water-tightness in anticipation of upcoming sea trials.

Floating a new ferry for the first time is a painstakingly long process that involves bursts of activity followed by a lot of waiting around and listening to the hum of machinery.

Lucky for everyone, it was a sunny day.

Sierra Callis is the shipyard’s workforce development specialist. She used to work on the shipyard floor, and helped build the Tazlina.

“I started construction on the Tazlina — in my career – I was in a bulbous bow on Jan. 20 of 2015,” she said.

The bulbous bow is the bulb-shaped hunk of metal that sticks out the front of large vessels.

Talking in a shipyard conference room while crews were still preparing for the big, slow event, Callis said the day went smoothly.

“Today is the big, exciting day in the shipyard that we’ve been waiting for for the last couple of years,” she said.

It all started early in the morning. The Tazlina was disconnected from all power sources, then rolled onto the drydock. By mid-afternoon, she said, they were ready to start lowering the ship.

“You have wingwalls in both walls of the drydock,” Callis explained. “It’s equipped with pumps and valves. Upon the dock operator’s call, the valves are opened. Both sides, port and starboard, start to fill up with water, sinks the entire structure to the bottom. That’s when we figure out if the Tazlina will float. Which it will.”

And it did. But it took a long time to get the Tazlina in the water. It was around 3 p.m. when the drydock started to almost imperceptibly descend, and around two hours later, she was floating.

Callis said that’s when they do thorough water-tight tests to make sure all the welds are good. Then, they have some finishing touches before sea trials.

“We have hydraulics put in already. The bow needs to have some painting completed,” she said. “Just the minor little things that really finish a product up. Cosmetics, mostly.”

Southeast Conference Executive Director Robert Venables was in Ketchikan for another event, and stopped by the shipyard to see the Tazlina on the water.

“This is exciting on a number of different levels. Number one, of course, for the Marine Highway System to have the newest addition of the fleet,” he said. “But on another level, it’s really exciting to see how Ketchikan as a community has come together – a transformation of industry to see that we can actually construct these vessels right here in Alaska is just a great day for everybody.”

Venables said he hopes the Tazlina will be able to start some kind of service this winter.

The Tazlina is one of two ferries Vigor is building for the state. The Hubbard is the second, and is still under construction. According to the original contract, both ferries were due for delivery this fall. The Hubbard will be late.

The two day-use ferries will be virtually identical, and will serve the Lynn Canal area. The vessels have no staterooms or crew quarters. They will have a passenger capacity of 300, and will be able to take up to 53 standard vehicles.

There are plans in the works for a big christening ceremony on July 14. Venables also is a member of the state’s Marine Transportation Advisory Board. He said the MTAB plans to have its regular meeting in Ketchikan the day before the christening, so members can stay to attend the ceremony.

The grassroots group Let’s Sign Ketchikan, which promotes American Sign Language education and understanding of the deaf community, has received grant funding to place placards in businesses where communication by American Sign Language, or ASL, is available.

Margaret Cloud said she got the idea after hearing that Holland America-Princess Tours was accepting grant applications.

“The signage program is to help both visitors and locals know about businesses who have an employee, on duty, who can do ASL,” she said. “It will just make it easier for people going into those businesses to conduct their business.”

Because Let’s Sign Ketchikan is not a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the project is under the umbrella of Grow Ketchikan.

Cloud said the $750 grant will be used to purchase 20 signs and ASL dictionaries to be distributed to participating businesses.

“And the signs are going to be in two different colors, a light blue and a red, so businesses can choose which one they want in the window,” she said. “Across the top of the sign it’ll be finger spelling A-S-L. Underneath, in large letters, is the word ‘available.’”

Cloud said the placards will let non-verbal people know they have another option when conducting business.

Several businesses have employees that can sign. A Ketchikan Public Utilities employee learned specific signs to help people pay bills.

“She reported this really wonderful encounter with somebody who happens to be deaf who came in and has always felt a bit frustrated, apparently,” Cloud said. “When this man realized she could sign some –just a huge smile on his face. So it made paying of his bill a little less painful.”

Cloud said businesses don’t have to have fluent ASL signers to receive a placard.

“You just have to feel like you can handle it,” she said. “If a person can finger spell and they want a sign in their window and they can finger spell — super. There is no minimum requirement. This is a community program. We are not training people to be ASL interpreters, we’re just bringing ASL to the community.”

Business owners interested in acquiring an “ASL Available” sign can contact Cloud at 617-9806.  More information on the signage program and ASL classes are on the Facebook group. “Let’s Sign Ketchikan.”

Authorities are looking for a 24-year-old Ketchikan man who skipped a court appearance.

Jeremy E. Ellis failed to appear for a hearing on May 1, and a warrant was issued at that time, according to an Alaska State Troopers online dispatch Wednesday.

Ellis faces felony drugs, theft and weapons misconduct charges.

According to the Troopers report, Ellis is believed to be on Prince of Wales Island or in the Ketchikan area.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Alaska State Troopers at 225-5118, the Ketchikan Police Department at 225-6631, or call emergency services at 911.

Troopers warn that Ellis is believed to be armed and dangerous. Individuals should not try contacting him on their own.

A 43-year-old Ketchikan man faces 10 counts of possessing child pornography following a months-long investigation by the Ketchikan Police Department.

The investigation started in July of last year, according to the complaint Police Detective Ryan Pritz filed Monday.

Police received cyber-tips through the Anchorage Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children division.

The cyber-tips showed graphic images of young girls. The images had allegedly been uploaded to a computer and email account linked to Dale Robert Willis.

According to the complaint, when police contacted Willis on Sunday, he allegedly admitted to uploading the pornography, and allegedly told officers there would be more images on his computer. Police seized the computer for a full forensic analysis.

Each of the 10 counts is a class C felony charge.