CBJ Assembly Meetings

The Gastineau Apartments building has been appraised at $50,000; it could be worth significantly less if hazardous materials such as asbestos or urea-formaldehyde foam insulation are found in the building. If cleared, the lot is valued at $810,200. Juneau’s tax rolls had listed the property’s value as $1.2 million.

The building has been uninhabitable since November 2012 when an accidental fire destroyed most of the front part of the structure. Since then, the city has made numerous attempts to have the owners either clean up the property or at least install a temporary roof to prevent further damage. The appraisal — dated Oct. 31 —comes as the Juneau Assembly considers purchasing the property.

The appraisal includes estimates for three options the city could choose from to make the property ready for redevelopment; costs to fully rehabilitate the property and make it habitable are not included.

Demolishing the buildings and clearing the property would cost about $160,000 more than the vacant lot’s estimated value. However, with the lot cleared a developer could construct a more efficient and valuable building.

Another option would have the city spend $750,000 to make structural repairs to the building facing Franklin Street. “Building A” is the original part of the Gastineau Apartments building; it was built in 1915 and it suffered the most damage in the fire. It would cost an additional $1 million to clean up and selectively demolish Buildings B and C, the structures in the back of the property. This option would put the city in the red by about $310,000.

The city could come out ahead by about $66,000 if it chose to completely demolish the hundred-year-old portion of the building. The two back buildings would be “selectively demolished.”

The current owners of the building — James and Kathleen Barrett — provided the appraiser with a summary of expenses and income generated during its last four years. Based on that information, the appraiser calculated that the property generated about $140,000 per year after expenses.

Individual Assembly members have reviewed the appraisal, but they’ve not discussed it as a group. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Dec. 1.

Recorded live.

Recorded live.

Live from the CBJ Assembly Chambers.

The Juneau Assembly has upheld a dangerous animal designation for a dog that killed another during an attack last Thanksgiving.

Douglas residents Joyce and Jody Vick appealed the label for their pit bull-mastiff mix, Sushi. The Vicks argued that the Animal Control Board did not have sufficient evidence to support the designation. Jody Vick also testified at an appeal hearing last month that he saw the other dog bite Sushi on the nose prior to the attack.

The other dog was a Shiz Tsu mix named Sophie, owned by the Vicks’ neighbor. Three witnesses testified that Sophie was not a nipper or a biter. A city attorney representing the Animal Control Board also presented evidence to the assembly that Sushi grabbed Sophie by her neck and shook her, and that Sushi had to be restrained after he tried to attack Sophie a second time.

The Vicks also argued their due process was violated by the delay in scheduling the appeal hearing.

The assembly voted unanimously Monday to uphold the Animal Control Board’s ruling. The written decision says the Vicks failed to produce enough evidence on either of their claims seeking to overturn the board’s action. Assembly members Jerry Nankervis and Mary Becker did not vote on the decision, because they were not at the hearing.

The Vicks have now lost in two separate venues where they’ve tried to defend themselves and Sushi. Last month, Jody Vick was found guilty in Juneau District Court of failure to acquire a special collar and tags for the dog, failure to maintain dangerous animal liability insurance, and objectionable menacing for the attack that killed the other dog.

Ice arena task force created

The Juneau Assembly has created a task force to study whether the Eaglecrest Ski Area Board should manage Treadwell Ice Arena.

Both facilities are owned and operated by the city. The Eaglecrest board is empowered by the assembly to set operating policy and hire a manager for the ski area. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department runs the ice arena.

The task force will consider whether the ski area board would be able to reduce operating costs for the rink. It also will study alternate management structures for Treadwell, including an independent empowered board

In October, Juneau voters will be asked whether to allow the assembly to establish an empowered board to run both city-owned swimming pools, Augustus Brown Swimming Pool and the Dimond Park Aquatic Center.

Recorded Live.