Sorted by date Results 1821 - 1845 of 5574
A motion to rescind the assembly's previous approval of the purchase of a $179,250 excavator failed in a 6-1 vote during an assembly meeting last week. At their May 6 meeting, the borough assembly approved the award of a request for proposals to NC Machinery for a used Caterpillar 320 excavator. According to Public Works Director Chris Cotta in an email to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht, the borough's fiscal year 2019 motor pool budget included $182,000 for the purchase of an excavator to...
The borough assembly amended Ordinance #2019-04 to allow fireworks in service area one during two days of the year in the ordinance's second reading last week. The ordinance, which would fine individuals up to $500 for lighting fireworks in service area one, originally included language that allowed fireworks to be lit legally in service area one on July 3 and 4 and December 31, and during a certain time of the day; however, a motion to amend the ordinance to not allow fireworks in service area...
Petersburg Medical Center's board of directors will be holding a special meeting this evening to approve or deny NAC Architecture's phase one master plan proposal for the construction of a new facility or remodel of the current building not to exceed $220,000. The PMC board discussed the awarding of the RFP to NAC Architecture on Thursday at their regular board meeting, but the proposal had only been received earlier that day. The board members said they wanted time to look over the proposal...
The Petersburg Medical Center board of directors passed a resolution that grants authority to specific board members to work with one of the hospital's financial institutions after the resolution was tabled at last month's meeting. The resolution was originally tabled because of its ambiguous wording. Under the resolution, the president, vice president and treasurer of the board are allowed to perform such actions with Hilltop Securities, as opening a brokerage account and transferring and...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced May 23, sport fishing regulations for Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon in areas near Petersburg and Wrangell. Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Described as that portion of Wrangell Narrows south of 56° 46' N. latitude (Martinsens's dock) and north and east of the northern tip of Woewodski Island and includes the freshwaters of Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point. The following regulations...
The Petersburg Borough assembly voted in favor of directing Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht to move forward in the next four steps of the land swap between the borough and Petro 49, Inc. at an assembly meeting on Monday. A recent appraisal of the Petro 49, Inc. warehouse and vacant lots located at 703 S. Nordic Dr. valued the building and property at $365,000. Borough land at 902 S. Nordic Dr. and 100 Dock St. were valued at $285,000. If the borough were to engage in a land swap with Petro 49,...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly received a response from Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen after sending three letters requesting information about a possible review of the Tonka and Big Thorne Integrated Resource timber contracts. "I share your interest in a consistent, sustainable timber sale program on the Tongass National Forest that supports the local economy while adhering to strong policy, management and financial controls," wrote Christiansen in her letter to the assembly....
The Petersburg School Board approved the hiring of Heidi Cabral as Rae C. Stedman Elementary School's newest fourth grade teacher at their board meeting last week. Cabral has been an instructional aide with the district for the past year, but has experience teaching sixth grade and English as a Second Language in Kansas. There is a large class of about 44 students coming into the fourth grade next year, so the district had to hire a second fourth grade teacher. Cabral said there will likely be...
The Petersburg School Board approved changes to 11 board policies in its first reading as aligned by the Association of Alaska School Boards to current changes in law. According to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter the changes to the board policies are minor. Some of the policy changes add language related to culturally responsive education and cultural and tribal consulting, which was the case in the changes to board policy regarding philosophy, school-based management/site councils and...
Don Spigelmyre was overcome with panic as the ocean's current pulled him out and water filled his mouth. He managed to yell for help, and his son sprang into action. Sean Spigelmyre swam out to his father, grabbed his arm and began side stroking back to shore. "I wouldn't be here today," said Don Spigelmyre. "There is no way." On Friday, Sean was awarded the Boy Scout's Honor Medal for the heroic rescue of his father in January of 2017 in Kauai, Hawaii. Sean has been with the Boy Scouts since...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance adopting the borough's fiscal year 2020 operating budget after making several amendments to it at an assembly meeting last week. The proposed budget was first presented to the assembly in mid-April. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it is balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is $4,396. The current 2019 fiscal year budget has a total of...
The Petersburg Medical Center held its third Community Cafe on Thursday in the assembly chambers to discuss changes in funding for healthcare at the state level. Each Community Cafe typically follows a theme, with the first Cafe revolving around trends affecting healthcare in rural Alaska and the second forum demonstrating PMC's telehealth capabilities. Jeanie Monk, with the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association, gave an overview of how Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed 2020 fiscal year b...
The borough assembly passed an online sales tax ordinance that adds language to the current tax code in its third reading at an assembly meeting last week. The borough's current tax code does not mention internet sales tax, nor does it forbid it. Ordinance #2019-02 will broaden the language in the current sales tax code to include internet venders not located in Petersburg or Alaska. Some online vendors, such as Amazon, have voluntarily been collecting and remitting online sales taxes on...
Salmon Beyond Borders Campaign Coordinator Breanna Walker will be in Petersburg during the Little Norway Festival to show the film "Chasing Wild: Journey Into the Sacred Headwaters" and to provide a short update on the Stikine and other transboundary rivers. "Chasing Wild" follows three friends on a 250-mile bicycling and packrafting trip into the sacred headwaters of the Stikine River. More than 12 British Columbian large-scale open-pit mines are abandoned, in development or in operation near...
The Petersburg High School eSsports team competed in the state competition on Thursday and came in first place. Seven schools throughout the state have been competing against each other in League of Legends for the entire spring season. League of Legends is a video game where two teams of five players spawn onto a map and must destroy the other teams' base. The games are hosted and coordinated through PlayVs, which is a high school eSsports league. This spring season was PHS' first year...
Erin Kandoll, of Twisted Ginger Designs, unveiled her Mayfest and Game of Thrones inspired collection of handmade earrings and necklaces last night at FireLight Gallery & Framing. The collection featured approximately 100 pairs of sterling silver earrings and 60 necklaces that had a bit of copper sprinkled in from her fall show. Kandoll has been working on the jewelry since last month. Some earrings form a Nordic rune or symbol, while the sword and shield collection flaunts a sword on one ear...
Bruno Henrique Caetano is about half way through his yearlong student exchange program in Petersburg, and he said that he has made plenty of new friends and new memories. Caetano, 16, first arrived in Petersburg from Unaí, Brazil in January of this year as part of theyouth exchange program through the Petersburg Rotary Club. Each year, the Alaska District Rotary Club sends about 25 students to 20 different countries, while receiving 25 students, according to coordinator Dave Berg. There is a lon...
Assembly member Taylor Norheim requested a discussion item on Monday's borough assembly agenda that looked at privatizing the Petersburg Public Library. The wording of the discussion item was amended by Norheim at the start of the meeting to read as, "discussion of possible alternative funding for the public library." Norheim said that the wording of the discussion item was confusing to the public and changed the language to more accurately reflect his meaning. Although he clarified the wording...
The borough assembly amended and passed an ordinance in its first reading that would allow police officers to issue fines to individuals lighting off fireworks in service area one. If ordinance #2019-04 were to pass in all three readings, then residents could face a fine of up to $500 for lighting fireworks in service area one. The ordinance originally included language that allowed fireworks to be lit legally in service area one during three dates out of the year, July 4 and 5 and December 31,...
The bid for a new baler was awarded to Recycle Systems by the borough assembly at an assembly meeting on Monday for an amount not to exceed $535,327. The bid came in under the $600,000 that was allocated for a new borough baler by the assembly. All the bids that were placed came under the allocated $600,000, but public works director Chris Cotta recommended the bid be awarded to Recycle Systems. "The proposal offered by Recycle Systems was found to be outstanding in every regard, as well as...
The Petersburg Medical Center board of directors attempted to pass a resolution at their board meeting last month granting authority to specific board members to work with one of the hospital's financial institutions, but the motion was tabled until this month's meeting. The resolution would have allowed the president, vice president and treasurer of the board to perform such actions with Hilltop Securities as opening a brokerage account and transferring and purchasing stocks and bonds. The...
Petersburg Medical Center Controller Rocio Tejera delivered her first financial report to the board of directors on April 25 explaining the hospital's financial standing during the month of March and the fiscal year-to-date. PMC's gross operating revenue was just about on target for March, but the net operating revenue was $1,362,274, which was five percent over the $1,292,686 target for the month. Both the gross and operating revenues from the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, 2018...
Four students in a nursing program through University of Alaska Anchorage graduated with an associate's degree in applied science in nursing and received their nursing pins in a pinning ceremony on Thursday at the Elk's Lodge. Valaree Nilsen, Audrey Morton, Adam Axmaker and Carolyn Kvernvik had completed most of the two year program at the Petersburg Medical Center. The four graduates are the first to go through the program in Petersburg. Nichole Mattingly and Rosa Niemi led the program as UAA...
The Public Safety Advisory Board supported filling the vacant EMS coordinator position and replacing two fire engines at their meeting last Friday. While the EMS coordinator position does exist, it has not been funded or filled in about six to eight years, according to Fire Marshal Ryan Welde. The position has an annual salary of $96,147. The EMT coordinator duties, include responding to calls and splitting the day-to-day duties with Welde and fire/EMS director Sandy Dixson. Additionally, an...
A special meeting was held on April 17 by the borough assembly to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2020 Petersburg Borough budget before it goes before the assembly for its first reading on May 6. Finance director Jody Tow presented a slideshow detailing the general and enterprise funds for the proposed budget. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it's balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is...
