Juneau

Juneau residents will have a chance to weigh in on what they’d like the city to prioritize during its upcoming budget process as it faces a multimillion-dollar budget hole. 

The city will host the first of three public workshops on the topic on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Filipino Community Hall downtown. The workshop is filled up – the city capped participation at 25 people – but people can join a waitlist. 

During last fall’s municipal election, Juneau voters approved municipal tax cuts that will lower the city’s revenue by an estimated $10 to 12 million. At the upcoming workshops, city officials will break down what services are at stake. Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts and work through different scenarios to balance the budget. Those could include cuts to city services or increases in local sales taxes.

The upcoming workshops come after a city survey that asked residents to pick what city programs and services are most important to fund and to pick what services to reduce funding for. The list includes programs like libraries and museums, trails and parks, and homelessness services. 

The survey also asked what residents want the Assembly to prioritize, like whether to keep taxes low, continue to support local businesses year-round, or fund affordable housing projects. The survey closed earlier this week and the results have yet to be shared with the public. 

City officials say the survey and the public workshops will help inform the Assembly in the coming months as it decides how to move forward with the budget. 

Two other workshops are slated in the coming weeks at the Mendenhall Valley Library on Feb.  24 and Douglas Library on March 3. Both are also full, but people can join a waitlist for potential future workshops. The Assembly will also host a listening session for the public to weigh in on the process on April 15.

Federal officers detained three Juneau men for immigration enforcement and removed them from the community last year.

The Juneau Police Department says its knowledge of these incidents and its involvement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Juneau is very limited. 

Listen:

Alaska Department of Corrections spokesperson Betsy Holley confirmed that three men were held at Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau under federal charges for immigration detention purposes in 2025, and were then released to federal custody. They are no longer in Alaska’s correctional system.

Last May, one of the men was charged with driving without a license or insurance, according to Alaska court documents.

Juneau Police Deputy Chief Krag Campbell said his files say ICE officers detained the man. This happened in October without JPD knowledge or involvement. 

“During an unrelated investigation, JPD learned that one of the individuals had been deported by ICE,” Campbell said in an interview. 

Juneau police arrested one of the other men for driving under the influence in November. According to DOC, this man then went into federal custody, though Campbell said there is no record of immigration enforcement in JPD files.

Juneau police officers arrested the third man in December for a DUI. When officers later went to his residence and tried to serve a warrant, people there said he had been deported.

This is the first time police have confirmed immigration enforcement activity in Alaska’s capital city during the Trump Administration’s nationwide crackdown. As recently as Monday, Chief Derek Bos said he was not aware of any federal immigration activity in the area.

Holley said once the three men were in federal hands, DOC didn’t track what happened to them next. JPD doesn’t know where they are either. ICE has not responded to requests for more information. 

At Monday’s Juneau Assembly human resources committee meeting, Bos said federal agents are not required to notify local police of their activities.  

“In essence, they do not have to tell us if they’re doing anything in Juneau or not,” Bos said. “We have a great relationship with our federal partners, and so most of the time we do know if they’re coming or whatnot.”

He said the people he knew of that had been detained for immigration reasons had criminal records.

“By and large, all of those that I’m aware of, not to say there aren’t others, but that I’m aware of, who have been deported from our community have been convicted of crimes, and that has been the basis of why they’re leaving,” he said. “There may be exceptions, but I don’t know of those.” 

Nationwide, thousands of ICE officers have entered cities, going door to door to detain and deport people – some children, some with legal residency status. Protests have erupted, and last month, federal officers shot and killed two people in Minneapolis. 

Assembly member Maureen Hall said at the meeting that she has heard from residents about possible ICE activity in Juneau and that immigrants in the community are afraid. 

“Just from awareness of what’s happening all over the country, they are pretty terrified, so (they’re) reluctant to report minor fender benders or engage in any way,” she told Bos. “So if you have any suggestions on how we can help reassure them that Juneau Police Department is not ICE.”

Bos said Juneau residents can trust police to protect them.

“If you’re the victim of a crime, you have a lot of protections, and our job is to enforce those protections,” he said. “So especially as victims, we encourage people to still come to us and talk to us. We don’t have to report that you’re a victim to a crime and you’re illegal in the country. We don’t have to report that to ICE.”

That is, unless that person has a criminal detainer order, which is like a warrant from the federal government, Bos said.

“We do have certain requirements where we have to notify, you know, if there’s a person that we contact who’s on a criminal detainer, we have to notify them, and we do,” he said. “That’s federal law, so we follow that.” 

Campbell said there is no indication in police files that JPD alerted ICE about any of the three men who were detained. The files don’t mention immigration status, he said. 

He said people do have to comply with any orders from federal officers.

“Anytime you have law enforcement coming into town, whether they’re local, state or federal, they have a mandate,” he said. “You have to comply with it. Especially if they have things like warrants.”

KTOO requested records related to the three men from JPD, but has not yet received them.

Even though Juneau has not seen immigration enforcement like larger cities in the Lower 48 have, Assembly member Hall said in an interview that residents still need to be informed about what’s happening here.

“It gives the opportunity for those in the community that are involved in this to review our readiness to deal with potential full scale ICE activity,” she said.

The Alaska Fellows Program cultivates Alaska’s next generation of leaders. It places young professionals in communities across the state, where they work alongside nonprofit and public sector organizations while receiving mentorship, housing and a modest living stipend.

In Juneau, Akanksha Basil is tasked with improving the community’s disaster response.

KTOO’s Mike Lane sat down with Basil to learn about her efforts to strengthen and streamline disaster response coordination in Juneau.

Listen:

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Mike Lane: You’re here in Juneau, working with United Way to establish a VOAD. So what is a VOAD? And why does it matter in Alaska?

Akanksha Basil: Yeah, so VOAD, “Volunteer Organizations Assisting or Active in Disaster,” is a group of community organizations from around a particular place that mobilizes in cases or events of disaster to coordinate resources where they need to be going, depending on the type of disaster and the people affected. So you know, who’s going to come in for feeding, and who’s going to come in for shelter. Who’s taking care of, you know, debris removal and construction, and who’s also looking at kind of a long term recovery part of this. 

Mike Lane: How would a coordinated VOAD change the way Juneau responds to disasters compared to how things have been working up until this point?

Akanksha Basil: Sure, so a coordinated VOAD would streamline the process a little bit more. So currently, what’s really great about Juneau an Southeast is that we already have an established network of people that communicate and coordinate when disasters strike, but it’s more on an informal basis. But we’d like to make this process a little bit more structured and coordinated, so that we know exactly who to call in case of emergency, no matter what the prior existing connection would be, especially because organizations are changing and there’s turnover and disasters involve different different responses and different needs. So I think that having a coordinated VOAD in Juneau would make the process a lot more streamlined, stress free and fungible and adaptable, in case that was needed.

Mike Lane: And so far, what kind of organizations are currently involved or being recruited?

Akanksha Basil: So we have organizations from all kind of sectors and who take care of all different things, anyone from Juneau Animal Rescue to the food bank and Salvation Army and the Red Cross, various churches around town that already have really wonderful established feeding programs and and mutual aid networks. And I think that this is, this is a process that we’re really trying to make as public as possible. So we are really encouraging public participation, public leadership. We want to get the word out so that people know where to find us, and they know how to get involved. So any organization, anyone’s welcome, because this is a public — it’s a public process.

Mike Lane: So are there resources or support that are still needed to fully launch this particular VOAD?

Akanksha Basil: Yes, for sure. So, right now, we are a small but mighty network. We still have quite a few organizations that we need to get in touch with, reach out to, and we’re trying to get collaboration from a broader, a broader set of the population. So that’s been a major next step to look at. 

Mike Lane: From the ground up, how long does it take to build a functioning VOAD?

Akanksha Basil: Oh, that’s a good question. I would say, quite some time, right? It’s definitely a process that we’re learning about every day. It’s changing every day. We’re still really in the initial processes of figuring out how to do this. A lot of my first couple months was researching the community, getting to know people here, making connections, figuring out what past disaster responses have looked like, and we’re just just about, kind of starting to structure structured committees, create internal policy. And you know, actually wanted to mention that we’ve also held a couple meetings so far that have been really productive have spurred some really great conversations. So we’re really happy about that, too. 

Mike Lane: And how can people get involved? 

Akanksha Basil: Yes, please. I would love for people to reach out to United Way. I’ve got an email address: voad@unitedwayseak.org … I welcome anyone, anyone to reach out and share your thoughts, share your opinions, inquire more about the process. Because we’d love people, more people to be involved in this process.

Mike Lane: Akanksha Basil, thank you for joining us.

Akanksha Basil: Thank you so much. Appreciate you.

A Juneau representative’s proposal to ban law enforcement officers from wearing face masks on duty got a chilly reception from some state lawmakers during its first hearing on Tuesday.

Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, prefiled House Bill 250 in early January ahead of the legislative session. In a presentation to the House State Affairs Committee, Hannan called her bill “pro-law enforcement.” She said it’s aimed at increasing police transparency and communication in Alaska. 

“Masked law enforcement is wrong on many levels,” she said. “When officers conceal their faces, they compromise transparency, communication and the public’s perception of accountability.”

Hannan’s bill comes in the wake of public outrage across the nation after a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minnesota woman on camera. Another man was killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis just weeks later. 

The deaths drew heavy criticism. Minnesota and Congressional leaders pressed the Trump Administration over the facts and legality of actions by federal officers. That’s as protests over immigration enforcement have ramped up across the country. Rep. Andi Story, also D-Juneau, spoke about the unrest in Minnesota, which is her home state. 

“I think about the harm that’s happening, what we’re hearing about on the federal level now, when people are coming into communities,” she said. “It’s significant psychological harm that I have been hearing and reading about, and I think that’s what you’re trying to prevent in this bill for that happening here.”

Other states across the U.S. have sought to impose similar bans. On Monday, a federal court blocked enforcement of a law in California that sought to bar federal and local officers from wearing masks. The judge ruled it violated a federal doctrine that prohibits state laws from discriminating against the federal government — in this case, federal agents. 

However, Hannan’s bill, as drafted, would ban anyone acting as a law enforcement officer in Alaska from wearing a mask while on duty — including federal, state and local agents. The ban exempts medical masks, transparent safety shields, cold-weather masks or masks worn by undercover officers. 

An officer who violates the ban would be charged with a Class B misdemeanor per violation, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. 

At Tuesday’s hearing, some lawmakers were skeptical.

“I’m seriously concerned about this bill,” said Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake.

He argued that masks are a tool that can prevent attacks and doxxing of officers. He questioned whether the bill was necessary in Alaska. 

“I have never seen a masked officer that wasn’t on a snowmobile actually in Alaska,” McCabe said. “So I’m not sure that this is actually a problem, but I do think it is a tool.”

Hannan said ahead of this year’s legislative session that she saw the bill as a way to start a conversation about the issue. It’s unclear if it will have enough support to advance in the Legislature.

The Juneau School District is returning $1.05 million earmarked for child care back to the city.

The school board unanimously approved returning the funds following multiple delays since November as board members mulled over the future of after-school child care in the district. The decision was made during a regular board meeting Tuesday night. 

Board member Melissa Cullum said she supports returning the money and hopes to work with the city when the district has a clear plan for after-school child care.

“As much as I would like to hold on to that in hopes that we have a plan, I don’t feel comfortable continuing to table it or hold on to it, hoping that we have a plan for after-school care,” she said. “And I would rather give it back and then preserve that relationship.”

The district ended its program, RALLY, last summer, citing staffing challenges. Private provider Auke Lake Preschool stepped in this school year to offer after-school child care at three schools. As of Wednesday, the provider is still in the process of getting licensed through the state, according to Derik Swanson, one of the owners.

Board member Jenny Thomas said families have reached out to her with concerns about the current RALLY program run by Auke Lake Preschool. She said the board should step in to provide support.

“Whether we give the money back or not, we need to put our foot in the door to try to help make the program a little smoother,” she said.

During a phone call Wednesday, Thomas declined to elaborate on what those concerns are.

The decision comes as YMCA Alaska is looking into the feasibility of running programs in the district. Nate Root, the organization’s president and CEO, said in an interview Wednesday they are working with local organizations in Juneau to survey parents. He said YMCA Alaska wants to see if it’s sustainable to offer after-school child care in Juneau.

“We understand the need for it right now, but for us to be able to expand our services to Juneau – which we’re very interested in doing and helping the community – we need to know that there’s a long term stability to that initial investment,” he said.

Root said if they decide to run a program, they will also need to look for staff and opportunities to raise startup funds.

The Juneau Assembly approved more than $2 million in city funding to support four proposed affordable housing projects on Monday.

The money comes from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. The fund was created five years ago to help combat the city’s housing shortage. It offers grants or loans to projects that aim to build more low- and middle-income housing.

The projects approved Monday are expected to create more than 40 housing units, including both single-family homes and apartment complexes located throughout the borough.

Dave D’Amato is a developer attempting to renovate the shuttered Bergmann Hotel in downtown Juneau into an apartment complex. In an interview on Tuesday, he said it hasn’t been easy.

“There’s quite a few elements that are outside the city’s control that are conspiring to make building very challenging and very costly,” he said. 

Last night, he got some help with those costs. The Assembly approved a $900,000 loan for his project that would turn the historic 46-room hotel into an 18-unit apartment complex. The loan is close to one-third of the total projected cost of $3.1 million. 

D’Amato said he hopes to have the units ready for renters within two years. He’s been working on redeveloping the building since 2017.

“I was really pleased that the Assembly decided to preserve the Bergmann and to simultaneously add 18 housing units to its affordable housing profile moving forward,” he said. 

The Assembly also approved two grants to Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority. One grant is for $800,000 to help fund the construction of 16 single-family homes in the Pederson Hill subdivision, some of which are currently being built. The other grant is for $250,000 to help pay for building five single-family homes on North Douglas.

Southeast Endeavors, LLC was approved for a $200,000 loan to construct a fourplex on Lee Street in Auke Bay. The Assembly did not vote on a fifth project that was up for a $150,000 grant to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul because of a clerical error. That vote was pushed to a later meeting.

At the meeting, the Assembly also approved zoning changes at two locations in Lemon Creek to allow for more housing developments in the future.