Juneau’s Centennial Hall renovation budget is more than half a million dollars richer, now that the CBJ Assembly has shifted funds to the project.
The Assembly Monday night approved the transfer of nearly $1,395,542 from projects that are now complete to ten ongoing projects. They range from $4,694 to the Manager’s Energy Efficiency Fund to $550,756 for Centennial Hall work.
The Assembly also protested the liquor license for Sprazzo’s Restaurant in downtown Juneau.
Both the CBJ Finance Department and Fire Marshal recommended the Assembly protest that renewal. A building inspection report documenting a sprinkler system is nearly a year overdue, according to Fire Marshal Dan Jager.
The Finance Department says Sprazzo owner Haydar Suyun also owes the city more than $4,951.60 in CBJ sales taxes.
Sprazzo’s liquor license is up for renewal by the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board. Alaska law provides local governments the chance to protest liquor licenses.
The proposed Mendenhall Valley library has its first funding toward planning, permitting and design.
The Friends of Juneau Public Libraries have raised a million dollars toward construction of the new library. The Assembly Monday night approved the initial $225,000 installment.
The Friends group operates the Amazing Bookstore in the Airport Shopping Center and uses proceeds from book sales to enhance library programs and services.
Paul Berans is president of the Friends of the Library Board of Directors.
“How many books does it take to make a million dollars when you sell them at 10 cents a book? Or, with inflation now, 25 cents a book,” he said.
In an executive proclamation, Mayor Merrill Sanford recognized the Friends of Public Libraries for exceptional volunteer effort and dedication. Berans says about 50 volunteers a week work at the Friends’ bookstore, for anywhere between two and a half hours to 20 hours a week.
Former CBJ Deputy Manager Donna Pierce has been hired to manage the new library project, to be built at Dimond Park next year.
Juneau voters in October approved the use of sales tax revenue for library construction. The total cost of the project is estimated at $14 million and includes state funds.
Tourists walk around downtown this past summer. (Photo by Heather Bryant/KTOO)
It will soon be illegal to hawk goods, services, tours, or food and beverages in Juneau’s historic district.
The Juneau Assembly has approved an ordinance to prohibit commercial sales on downtown streets. The tourism industry asked for the law.
Princess Tours spokesman Kirby Day told the Assembly Monday that hawking is on the rise in Juneau during tourist season, and he wants to nip it before it becomes a problem.
“I mean somebody walking up and down the sidewalk trying to sell a watch, saying ‘go back to my store,’ those types of things,” Day said.
Downtown Business Association President Larry Spencer said a poll of board members indicated they were unanimous in their support for the new law, which goes into effect next month. Spencer said sidewalk sales reduce a visitor’s experience in Juneau.
“I think things are confusing enough when people get off the ship to not add another layer of tenseness to the atmosphere,” Spencer said.
And Spencer said downtown businesses hawking their wares also disturb Juneau residents.
“We develop a bad reputation I think with our locals when they come downtown in the summer time,” he said.
CBJ Attorney John Hartle said the law is patterned after a Skagway ordinance that has already been upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court.
“No mobile sandwich boards, no passing out leaflets and brochures on the street, or more importantly, badgering people,” Hartle explained. “This restricts person to person effort solely intended to interest pedestrians in, or to solicit the participation of pedestrians in commercial transactions for private profit with a business.”
Hartle said it’s difficult to draw the line between expressive speech protected by the First Amendment and commercial speech, but the key is the ability to sell another way .
Vending booths like these would still be legal in Juneau under a recently passed ordinance prohibiting hawking on city streets. Photo by Casey Kelly/KTOO.
“If someone is supporting their religious cause and they’re selling little pictures for a dollar or something like that, you just can’t prohibit it, that’s what the First Amendment is for. But things like selling tours, the Supreme Court has said that’s commercial speech. It’s more robust. It has money behind it,” he said.
Commercial businesses can advertise, he said.
“They’ll find another way. They’ll go on the radio, they’ll get on the tour ships, and they’ll put up a sign. They’ll find another way to get to those customers,” Hartle said.
The new law does not prohibit street vendors that already have city permits, unless they leave their booth and start soliciting sales on the sidewalk. It also does not affect panhandling, which is allowed but restricted as to where, when and how it can take place.
The ordinance limits the ban on hawking to the downtown area. The sandwich board often seen selling furniture or pizza at McNugget intersection would not be affected.
The airport has installed two smoking areas farther from the entrances. (Photo by Heather Bryant/KTOO)
The Juneau International Airport is moving smokers further away from the terminal.
The Assembly last night (Monday) amended the Second-Hand Smoke Control Code to prohibit smoking more than 10 feet from entrances, which is current law.
The airport has been getting lots of public complaints about smoking in front of the terminal, so in December the Airport Board approved a smoking prohibition in any area the board designates. The city-owned airport needed Assembly approval.
Airport Manager Jeanie Johnson said the airport board did not consider a full ban on smoking because a number of employees and airline passengers smoke.
The airport already has installed two smoking shelters that look like bus stops adjacent to the terminal building. One is on the front curb near the older part of building. Johnson said the other was placed away from the curb and around the side of the building near the bus canopy at the new end of the terminal.
“That we did to accommodate all those employees that were standing under the bus canopy smoking and we weren’t able to really give them a ticket for doing something that at this particular time was legal,” Johnson says.
Only Assembly member Jerry Nankervis objected to the ordinance. He recalled the history of Juneau’s smoking ban…
“Several years ago this body enacted an ordinance that prohibited smoking inside businesses, city and private businesses, then we extended that to ten feet outside teach door. Now this extends it farther than that. My concern is where will this stop? I don’t believe it will stop here,” Nankervis says.
The ordinance gives the airport board authority to post any area on the campus as non-smoking.
The entire campus of Bartlett Regional Hospital, also owned by the city and borough of Juneau, is non-smoking.
