Juneau

Bethel city employees could soon be protected from sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

In its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, Bethel City Council voted to draft language to include sexual orientation and gender identity under the city’s protected classes.

If the changes take effect, it would be illegal for a city employee or someone applying for a job with the city to be treated differently by another city employee because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Bethel council member Chuck Herman suggested the changes after reviewing a draft of the City Employee Handbook and finding the protected classes lacking. He says the changes would make the city a more attractive employer and would also send a message to city workers.

“We are signaling to our future employees and our current employees,” Herman said, “that we do not discriminate on that basis, and what we care about is results and hard work, and being a competent and caring employee.”

The Bethel City Administrator and City Attorney are drafting consistent language for the city’s Municipal Code, Union Agreement and Employee Handbook, making sure all three documents’ protected classes match.

The changes are expected to be presented to the council in late November.

Local governments have taken similar actions elsewhere in the state. The Anchorage Assembly is amending an ordinance that would outlaw sexual orientation and gender expression discrimination in the workplace, public facilities and in housing.

Likewise, in Juneau, assemblyman Jesse Kiehl is drafting a city ordinance that would prohibit the same class discrimination in the workplace, public facilities and in housing. The City and Borough of Juneau already has a personnel rule banning discrimination against city employees “for a reason not related to merit.”

The proposed changes in Bethel would apply only to city employees, and would not extend to the private sector.

 

The Alaska Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging a downtown Juneau cruise ship dock project.

Organizers of the Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial have long objected to the City and Borough of Juneau’s cruise ship berth project because they believe it could disrupt the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony held every May.

Lawyers for the memorial argued that a proposed transfer of submerged lands from the state to the city violated state law and deviated from previous city plans for waterfront development. They tried unsuccessfully to stop the project with appeals before the Juneau Planning Commission and Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

They went to court, alleging the city could not legally construct the dock because it didn’t possess the submerged lands. While design, planning and soliciting bids for the project was underway, construction would not actually start until the lands were transferred.

Justices determined that attorneys for the Fishermen’s Memorial failed to prove an actual controversy that would justify any intervention by Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez. There was no proof that the city intended to build the dock before receiving the land, and judges cannot issue a judgement for declaratory relief based on a hypothetical situation.

Juneau Assembly candidates offered differing approaches on city budget matters and the bundling of capital projects at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce’s forum Thursday.

Incumbent Mayor Merrill Sanford said he’s not opposed to looking at sales and property taxes.

“But I’m very proud of the fact that we haven’t raised property tax in over 10 years. So we, the assembly, has not raised those property taxes, millage rates, in 10 years,” he said.

Mayoral candidate Greg Fisk said he wants to institutionalize an attitude that’s been building in city government,

“To constantly look at incremental efficiencies. I don’t think there’s any big, low-hanging fruit that we can cut at this point in time,” he said.

He said he’d prefer focusing on building the economy to expand the tax base.

Incumbent Assemblyman Jerry Nankervis says he’s unsuccessfully suggested cutting staff in the manager’s office and shutting down a city copy shop that competes with the private sector.

“I’m just one of nine. So I can offer some proposals, but they have to be acceptable to at least four other people on the assembly to do that,” he said.

Dixie Hood, who’s running against Nankervis, said she thinks enough cuts have been made. She said she wants to focus on finding grant money but is willing to consider taxes.

“Exploring tax options is really necessary. Nobody is happy about taxes, but I think that is what needs to be looked at, and not an increase in the sales tax,” she said.

An audience member asked if the candidates would support measures to prevent the bundling of capital projects in ballot questions. The city often bundles many separate capital projects under a single yes/no question that asks voters to approve major debt and extend temporary municipal sales taxes to repay it.

Nankervis said bundling has led to the approval of projects with less than majority support.

“A project should be voted up or down on its merits, not bundled,” he said.

But, he had reservations about how unbundling could complicate debt and debt repayment.

Hood said she definitely supports a charter amendment that would enable single issue voting on these matters.

“I was really bummed out by the bundling that happened. And things that I absolutely was not supportive of, just getting swept along. I think it’s an important thing to pursue,” she said.

Sanford agreed with Nankervis. He said a charter amendment is unnecessary since the assembly has oversight of those ballot questions.

“It’s a little bit of responsibility on you as a voter to get the right person in that will adjust to your thinking a little bit,” he said.

Fisk didn’t line up with the other candidates. He said bundling is often necessary for the greater good.

“Bundling may not always be comfortable, but it’s part of the political process that we go through in the community to reach a consensus on how to move things forward in a broader sense. So, I mean, it sounds good at first blush to just say, ‘Oh, well, we’ll have everything voted up simply on its own merits,’ but it’s part of the political process to balance these things out,” he said.

Candidates Loren Jones and Jason Puckett were out of town and could not attend. The candidates have another debate scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at UAS. Election day is Oct. 6.

 

One of  Juneau’s restaurant empires is continuing to expand, now with another downtown location, a Lemon Creek seafood processor and even a possible foray into marijuana.

When the Goldbelt Hotel was sold, the new owners didn’t want to take over the restaurant. So they approached seasoned restaurateurs Tracy LaBarge and David McGivney.

The interior of Coho’s Bar and Grill has been completely gutted, and along with the changes, a fresh identity: McGivney’s.

“It’s the name nobody can pronounce,” Tracy LaBarge says with a laugh. “It’s Dave’s last name.”

If it sounds familiar, it’s because there’s already a McGivney’s in the valley. That location will remain open and the downtown branch will boast more of what those customers love: sports memorabilia and TVs to watch the game.

“The good part for the downtown location is its bigger space,” said Dave McGivney. “One of the things we tend to hear continuously since we opened the valley location is there’s just not enough room, space-wise. So it’s actually triple the size.”

Back when Floyd Mayweather boxed Manny Pacquiao in the fight of the century, the valley McGivney’s screened the match for 50 bucks a head and sold out. With a bigger location, the pub can host more events and it might fill a gap. Major League Soccer used to be shown at Silverbow but the bakery recently sold and it’s unclear if it’ll continue with the tradition. McGivney’s, however, has plans to screen the sport.

“I played soccer for 10 years when I was younger,”McGivney said. “Our slogan is ‘Every game. Every day.’ And I try to hold true to that and if anybody ever comes in our location, McGivney’s Sports Bar and Grill, that game will be on.”

The business partners say the food will feature an embellished McGivney’s menu with staples, like poutine and short ribs.

“Shepherd’s pie is going to be there. Some of the old traditions. Burgers. Our gyros. But there will be more.” he said.

They’re tight-lipped about what else they’ll be serving. The menu is being finalized and they might have increased ingredient options.

The pair recently purchased a fish processor, Horst Seafood. Plans are in the works to supply their other restaurant, Salt, with hard-to-find items.

“We will look into more exotic seafood, like sea cucumbers, geoduck and herring roe,” he said. “Different things that our chef Lionel likes to experiment with. Plus, we have some other products we want to try.”

Between their string of restaurants, McGivney and LaBarge will employ about 160 people. They credit their success to taking calculated risks, a skill they’re interested in adapting for another growing industry in Alaska: marijuana.

“You know at the end of the day, business is business. In regards to what product you’re selling, it doesn’t really matter,” he said.

For now, that product is a sports pub.

LaBarge and McGivney acknowledge other Juneau restaurant owners are doing the same: opening multiple locations and building their own empires.

“I mean, there’s always a friendly competition, I think, but that’s never been what we’re about,” LaBarge said. “I think there’s room for everyone. I think there’s a lot in this community to offer and I’d like to see more businesses come out. Not just restaurants but other types of business because I think it brings more people out in the end.”

McGivney’s Sports Bar and Grill is expected to open in the Goldbelt Hotel sometime in November.

Update | 7:46 p.m. 

House Speaker Mike Chenault says he’s shocked by the governor’s inclusion of a new natural gas tax on the docket for the October special session.

In a press release, Chenault, a Nikiski Republican said he met with the governor on Monday and the tax wasn’t mentioned. He called the natural gas reserves tax “unusual and confrontational,” likening it to taking “a shot at our partners.”

At a nearly 2-1 ratio, state voters shot down a tax of this kind in 2006. The ballot measure proposed levying a tax on state leaseholders of 3 cents a year per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas in the ground. The tax would be repealed on completion of a natural gas pipeline.

Original post | 4:37 p.m.

 

Gov. Bill Walker on Thursday formally called the Alaska Legislature back to Juneau for a third special session this year.

His proclamation calls for consideration of two topics: a tax targeting undeveloped natural gas still in the ground, and buying out Canadian pipeline builder TransCanada’s ownership stake in a proposed natural gas pipeline.

In a press release, Walker likened the state’s natural gas reserves to milk with no expiration date. He says taxing it serves as an insurance policy against the “significant risk of never monetizing” the gas.

The TransCanada pipeline ownership buyout is an option the state must exercise by the end of the year, if at all. The buyout would give the state more negotiating power with the other pipeline partners, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP.

In a press release, the governor said the gasline project has gone from “a wish list item to a must-have” because of the state’s $3.5. billion budget deficit.

Sen. Dennis Egan, a Juneau Democrat, said he’s pleased the governor wants the session in Juneau.

“You know, the Capitol is ready for business,” Egan said. “And we just learned … the House chambers will be available as well. So Senate and House chambers will be available. There’ll be a few offices not ready yet, until mid-November, but we can accommodate everyone. And more than enough to accommodate a heckuva lot more than were accommodated in Anchorage.”

The governor is holding a press conference Friday morning in Anchorage on the special session.

The Juneau League of Women Voters hosted a municipal candidate forum Wednesday.

Listen to the Juneau Assembly portion of the forum here:

Voters can cast ballots in all three assembly races.

• Greg Fisk is challenging incumbent Mayor Merrill Sanford.
• In District 1, Loren Jones is uncontested in his reelection campaign. District 1 covers Douglas and downtown Juneau.
• In Distirct 2 incumbent Jerry Nankervis is facing Jason Puckett and Dixie Hood. District 2 covers the Mendenhall Valley and out the road.

Listen to the Juneau School Board portion of the forum here:

Five candidates are vying for three at-large seats on the Juneau School Board. Voters can pick up to three candidates at the ballot box.

• Jason Hart
• Josh Keaton
• Emil Mackey
• Jeff Redmond
• Andi Story

Election day is Oct. 6.