A regional tribe wants to buy over 10,000 square feet of Petersburg Borough-owned property near the town’s Fire Hall.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, a federally recognized tribe based in Juneau, has applied to the borough to purchase the plot off Haugen Drive. The tribe wants to build a wireless tower there next summer to provide internet service and expand cell coverage in Petersburg.
The Petersburg Borough Assembly considered the tribe’s application during the noon assembly meeting on Sept. 2.
Tlingit and Haida has an initiative called the Tidal Network, which develops broadband infrastructure for communities in Southeast Alaska. The application says the Tidal Network would purchase the land in a one-time cash payment; other coverage providers could use the tower, and local emergency services could also place equipment on it.
Petersburg’s Planning Commission approved the application, voting 4-1 last month. Commissioner John Jensen voted against recommending it because of the location.
The 10,040 square feet of land is part of a much larger parent parcel that would need to be subdivided; the tower would stand next to the Fire Hall.
There was little discussion before the assembly unanimously agreed to proceed with the sale by direct negotiations between the borough and the tribe, voting 4-0, with assembly members Jeigh Stanton Gregor, Bob Lynn and James Valentine excused from the meeting.
Also during the noon meeting, assembly members considered three potential adjustments to the borough’s budget.
The first change is for a delayed harbor shed roof replacement project, which would be an increased expense of $180,000 from the original budget. At the Aug. 18 assembly meeting, when this was first considered, Harbormaster Glorianne Wollen said they “forgot” to factor it into the budget before it was initially passed earlier this year. The project was originally budgeted for last year, but the contractor couldn’t start the project until this fall, so it’s being carried over.
The second new expense would fund a contract for a dam break study at the Crystal Lake dam, which would include modeling, mapping and calculating the dam’s hazard potential. The most recent study was done in 1985 and the dam’s hazard potential is currently classified as “high.” The proposed budget adjustment would add $60,000 to the funds already approved for the study, bringing its total cost to $116,000.
The other budget change would transfer a combined total of $15,000 out of the electric, water and sewer department budgets and put it toward the borough’s geographic information system project. GIS experts helped collect data in the field this summer, and the borough says the added funds are needed for ongoing professional support for the project. The information is used by those utility departments.
Without discussion, the assembly unanimously approved the changes for the second time. They need to be approved three times to officially pass.
You can find a recording of the Sept. 2 assembly meeting here.
