Transportation

Most of Southeast Alaska is being drenched in rain today, and another large, warm and wet weather system sits just offshore waiting to plow into the region.

It’s expected to bring heavy rain and high winds through the rest of the week. Due to the already above average temperatures and rainfall so far this winter, Joel Curtis with the National Weather Service in Juneau says this latest system will increase chances for landslides and mudslides in Southeast.

“We’ve had a moist flow aimed at us for most of the winter so far and then this thing is just putting more rain on top of that. We just have a real ‘watch out’ condition,” Curtis says.

Curtis issued a landslide warning Monday night. He’s forecasting most areas of Southeast will get up to an inch and half of rain Tuesday, followed by up to two inches overnight and more on Wednesday. The system also will bring high winds, expected to reach 40 to 50 miles per hour in many areas.

Curtis says those conditions are ripe for landslides.

“If you combine a lot of precipitation with wind, your (tree) trunks are moving, therefore your root systems are moving and it’s much easier to get a blow down in these extremely moist conditions like we have right now,” he says. “So, when you start moving those root systems around and then you put some good gusts of wind on it, that’s one of the ways we try to look out for landslides and mudslides.”

He warns that with such a large system, it’s difficult to be precise about what areas are most susceptible to landslides.

“We don’t have the detailed knowledge of saying ‘OK, it’s going to happen along a certain road or certain clear-cut.’ We don’t have that knowledge,” he says. “So we have to be very, very general when we put that in our special weather statement.”

Curtis says the alerts will be updated as the impending weather system moves over the panhandle. He says the only community in Southeast not included in the landslide warning at this time is the Yakutak area.

Could the firing of three top state transportation officials put the Alaska Marine Highway at risk? That’s what some ferry supporters are asking. But state officials say there’s not much to worry about.

When Gov. Bill Walker removed Department of Transportation Commissioner Pat Kemp, he also got rid of two other top officials. One was Al Clough, director of the region including Southeast and coastal Southcentral Alaska. The other was Reuben Yost, the deputy commissioner whose duties included overseeing the Alaska Marine Highway System.

“I think to take those three extremely experienced transportation people out of our DOT system is not good,” says Cathie Roemmich, a member of the state’s Marine Transportation Advisory Board and a former director of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking as an individual, not for either group, she says Walker’s move could hurt the region’s economy. That includes the ferry system as well as the Juneau Access road, which the governor put on hold.

“I think transportation infrastructure (and) our ferry system … are crucial to Southeast Alaska. And if everything comes to a standstill, it’ll be devastating,” she says.

Kemp, Yost and Clough were told to resign because of a memo the governor saw as challenging his decision to freeze the Juneau road and some other transportation projects. Kemp says it was just an informational update.

Walker then named Transportation Department Deputy Commissioner John Binder to head the agency on an interim basis.

Binder says the marine highway’s longtime general manager is taking on some additional responsibilities.

“Currently, Capt. John Falvey has stepped in and is handling the matters associated with the ferry system,” he says.

One of the deputy commissioner’s jobs is to advocate for marine highways during legislative hearings, including those involving its budget.

Binder says he understands that’s important.

“Certainly our desire will be to find somebody appropriate for a leadership position on the ferry side. But that’s still all in the works,” he says.

Binder’s focus as a deputy commissioner is aviation, though he worked on other projects. The third deputy commissioner, Kim Rice, is mostly focused on highways.

Binder says the administration tasked him with beginning the process of finding a new ferry-focused deputy commissioner.

“They did ask that we gather some names and provide them some recommendations on who would be appropriate for those positions. And certainly in this time of fiscal challenge, we’re going to make sure we do everything we need to make sure every transportation mode is effectively represented. And that’s the process we’re currently undergoing,” he says.

Gov. Walker has said the commissioner’s job will be filled soon.

Meanwhile, some ferry supporters are happy with the management change. One is Skagway’s Mike Korsmo, who used to chair the Marine Transportation Advisory Board.

“My dealings with the former commissioner and deputy commissioner, they were so focused on Juneau Access to the point where I think they neglected the inroads made in the ferry system several years before,” he says.

Korsmo notes the past administration changed deputy commissioners and altered plans for two new Alaska Class Ferries without consulting the board.

“I would hope the current administration goes back to using the Marine Transportation Advisory Board the way it was … intended to be set up. And that they do ask for input, at least, from MTAB as to who is to be in that position,” he says.

Six of the 12 board members represent different regions served by the marine highway system. Others include a travel agent, a marine engineer, a union official and someone who does not live in a ferry community.

Alaska Transportation and Public Facilities Department Commissioner Pat Kemp has resigned at the request of Gov. Bill Walker.

It happened after Kemp disagreed with Walker about his recent freeze of large state transportation projects, including the Juneau Access Road.

Department spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says Kemp resigned Monday. Deputy commissioner for aviation John Binder was named acting commissioner.

Walker spokeswoman Grace Jang says the governor insists on having commissioners aligned with his policies.

The Juneau road and the Knik Arm crossing were among six mega-projects Walker halted after taking office. He said declining oil revenues meant the state could not afford them, at least for now.

Kemp, in a recent letter to Walker’s budget office, stated continued support for the Juneau road. His department also said the federal government could ask for $100 million in grant reimbursements if the projects didn’t proceed.

Southeast critics of the transportation projects were encouraged by Kemp’s departure.

One is Emily Ferry of SEACC, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.

“Commissioner Kemp pursued the Juneau road extension with a single-minded focus at the expense of existing roads and the existing ferry system. And he continued to pursue the Juneau Road Extension even when DOT’s own studies showed it didn’t pencil out,” she said.

The former commissioner was praised by road supporters, including Juneau’s Rich Poor, a founder of the group Citizens Pro-Road.

He’s disappointed with Kemp’s departure and Walker’s project freeze. But he understands low oil revenues mean some things will have to wait.

“I know the governor is not playing any kind of favorites because I know they also talked about closing down the project up there, the Knick Arm Crossing,” he said.

Poor said the 50-mile road north to a new ferry terminal closer to the mainland road system is needed to increase access to the capital city.

Like most Alaska lawmakers, Juneau Rep Sam Kito III is worried about the impacts of shrinking state budgets. He’s especially concerned about funding for schools, police and basic services.

Kito is entering his first full legislative session, after filling in for most of last year. He was appointed last February to fill the House District 32 seat vacated by Rep. Beth Kerttula, who left for an academic position.

He represents downtown Juneau, Douglas Island, Haines, Skagway, Gustavus, and Excursion Inlet in northern Southeast. That’s a change from last year, when the district included Petersburg, but not some of its current communities.

The Democrat is one of the newer, though not the newest, members of the House minority caucus. That limits his impact on legislation and budgets. But he still has plenty of plans for this year’s session.

“My goals are to make sure that we prioritize education, public safety, health care, that we take care of our essential infrastructure, that we make sure we are able to maintain the infrastructure we have before we build new infrastructure,” he says.

Kito’s background as a civil engineer has him focused in part on state construction projects. He’s worried a drastic reduction in capital project spending will hurt Alaska’s next big revenue generator.

“I’d like to see the ability to sustain a construction industry to a point where when we have a very large project, the natural gas pipeline project, come in, that we are able to employ a lot of people who are living here in Alaska and not have to import people from the Lower 48,” he says.

That said, he supports the governor’s freeze on Southeast’s biggest project, a road north from Juneau to a ferry terminal closer to Haines. He also worries about other big projects that involve new construction.

Instead, he wants available state funds spent on maintaining and improving basic services for communities, including those in his district.

“Gustavus is looking for some broadband support. Skagway and Juneau are looking for water and sewer support.  Haines is looking for solid-waste support,” he says. “So, basic infrastructure that really helps our lives be healthy and safe.”

Many of Kito’s constituents work for the state or government-funded programs. He says too many cuts could contribute to a crash.

“If we only balance the budget or significantly decrease the budget based on cuts to state employee programs or state employees, we’re going to see a lot of people out of work. Those people (then) are not contributing to the economy and we could end up in an economy tailspin,” he says.

Kito is introducing or co-sponsoring several pieces of legislation this year.

One, co-sponsored by fellow Juneau Rep. Cathy Muñoz, would designate the capital city’s Wickersham House as the lieutenant governor’s residence.

“It’s really a matter of trying to bring a highlight to a historic building in Juneau and the lieutenant governor can host events at the facility and it helps preserve the history of the facility for the community,” he says.

The house was once home to James Wickersham, a federal judge, member of Congress, attorney and explorer. The same bill passed last year, but was part of a package that was vetoed.

Kito’s also introduced legislation that would increase the requirements for some government contracts including architectural, engineering and land surveying services.

“My belief really is that if you select design professionals based on qualifications, you get efficiencies in design and you can actually save costs on projects,” he says.

He says the legislation was proposed by professional organizations.

Kito is also among six sponsors of a bill to encourage pre-kindergarten programs in public elementary schools.

*Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story said Tenakee Springs was in Rep. Kito’s district. It’s actually in Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins’ district.

Juneau and Haines have lost a ferry sailing for the second time in three days. Skagway also lost one sailing.

High winds, heavy seas and freezing spray sent the Aurora back to the capital city’s Auke Bay ferry terminal this morning. The weather also kept the ferry in port on Sunday.

Alaska Marine Highway spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says gale-force winds and low temperatures meant saltwater spray froze on the ship’s lifesaving equipment.

“(That’s) why it has to turn around. In case there was an emergency on board they wouldn’t be able to deploy their lifeboats,” he says.

The ferry was able to sail Monday because the destination was Gustavus. Woodrow says that route had calmer weather.

Northern Lynn Canal has other marine highway service this week. The larger ferry Malaspina called in Haines and Skagway on Monday. The Taku is on the same route Thursday.

The 300-passenger Aurora is filling in for its sister ferry on northern Southeast routes this winter.

“The LeConte is in Ketchikan, going through an overhaul. So the Aurora is in northern Southeast right now and it’s the replacement for the time being,” Woodrow says.

That vessel is scheduled to return to service May 1.

Work continues on the Juneau Access Project, despite Gov. Bill Walker’s spending freeze. But it doesn’t involve moving dirt or pouring concrete.

The Juneau Access Road is one of six projects Walker put on hold during his first month in office. It would extend the capital city’s highway system about 50 miles north to a new ferry terminal on Lynn Canal. From there, shuttle ships would complete the link to Haines and Skagway.

In his announcement, Walker told state agencies they could complete what’s already paid or contracted for. But he said no additional money could be committed or spent.

Juneau Access Project Manager Gary Hogins says the Department of Transportation’s current work is preparing a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which is needed for federal funding and approval.

“We just finished going through the public involvement process and what we do next is review the comments, respond to comments and evaluate and select a final alternative,” he says.

Hogins says that will take about a year and $600,000.

He says no other work is planned – for now.

“We would have expected to go into design and construction, but that’s been put on hold,” he says.

“Gov. Walker has made a very smart decision to put the brakes on the Juneau Road extension,” says Emily Ferry of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.

SEACC says the Alaska Marine Highway System offers a safer, more environmentally friendly alternative.

“DOT’s own study shows the extraordinary cost of constructing and maintaining the road far exceeds the minimal benefits of making weekend getaways a little bit cheaper for Juneauites,” she says.

The agency says the road would do a lot more than that. It also says the project would ultimately save money by shortening ferry routes.

Road supporters, who share those views, say they’re not giving up.

“I’m disappointed in it. I don’t know that that’s the end of the project. I think it’s a bump, probably for all those other projects too. I think they’ll probably all come back at some point in time,” says Wayne Jensen, who chairs the Alaska Committee’s board of directors.

He supports building the road to increase access to the capital city, and he remains optimistic.

“The stuff that’s committed is continuing and I think that’s a good sign. They’ve got contracts committed and processes in play. And I expect those will continue until some point in time when either there’s a further delay or the projects are reinstated,” he says.

The Transportation Department recently increased road funding in its long-term project list, called the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

The proposed $152 million brings the total to be spent to $520 million.

Road projects of a similar value in Anchorage, Wasilla, Cordova and the eastern Interior were removed from the list.

SEACC’s Ferry says that’s wrong.

“If DOT is allowed to proceed with the Juneau Road extension, other transportation projects across the state will have to be sacrificed over the next decade,” she says.

It’s not clear when the governor will decide what to do with the Juneau Access project.

DOT’s Hogins says he’s assembling the data.

“He’s asked for information as far as what would be the downside or the risk of delay or termination. And we are responding to that,” he says.

Walker said low oil prices mean the state cannot afford the road — and the other five projects — right now. The state faces an approximately $3 billion budget gap for the current fiscal year and the same for the next one.

Other projects put on hold are the Ambler Road, the Susitna-Watana Dam, the Kodiak Launch Complex, the Knik Arm Crossing and the Alaska Standalone Pipeline Project.