The City and Borough of Juneau is getting a new eight cubic yard, vacuum street sweeper. But as City Manager Rod Swope explains, it can only be used in the Mendenhall Valley. “Funding for this was acquired through a federal government congestion mitigation/air quality program transferred through the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to…
Government
Plastic bag tax, sales tax extension placed on ballot
A citizens’ initiative to impose a “plastic bag tax” on certain stores in Juneau will go to voters this fall. The CBJ Assembly last night had the option of adopting an ordinance in place of the initiative. But instead of passing the ordinance or delaying action on it past August 22nd, which would have put…
Assembly passes rezone, Freer asks for reconsideration
The Juneau Assembly on Monday narrowly voted to approve a controversial request to rezone a property in the Mendenhall Valley from D-10 Residential to Light Commercial. But Assemblyman Peter Freer asked for reconsideration, so the issue will be back before the assembly at its next regular meeting. The vote to rezone was 5 to 4,…
Plastic bag tax initiative goes to CBJ Assembly
Organizers of a citizens’ initiative in Juneau to tax plastic shopping bags at certain retailers have collected the required number of signatures to put the measure on the ballot. But it might have to wait a year before going to voters. The 15-cent “plastic bag tax” would be levied at the point of sale, and…
Assembly to take up controversial valley rezone
The Juneau Assembly tonight (Monday) will settle a simmering controversy over a zone change request in the Mendenhall Valley. At issue is a property on the corner of Atlin Drive and Loop Road, and whether it should go from medium density residential to light commercial. Homeowners in the neighborhood, along with the city’s Community Development…
9th Circuit denies state’s Juneau Access appeal
The full US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will not take up the State of Alaska’s latest petition in the Juneau Access case. In May, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld a lower court’s order for a new Environmental Impact Statement for the road project. The state petitioned to have all 11 members…