Author: Joe Viechnicki, KFSK

A consultant hired by the Petersburg borough is recommending some quick fixes and some long term improvements for the borough’s hydroelectric power plant at Blind Slough 17 miles south of town. A draft report says the hydro plant is performing adequately but could be upgraded.

A short discussion on the borough’s budget broke out among the Petersburg Borough Assembly Monday night, months before the assembly typically tackles a spending plan for the upcoming year. Assembly members are signaling they will be pushing for cuts to borough spending, especially in light of October’s vote to continue a senior sales tax exemption.

A former assembly member and former mayor are asking for a change in how people are elected to Petersburg’s borough assembly. In a letter to the borough, former assembly member and city councilor John Hoag along with former city mayor and manager Don Koenigs asked for a change to the borough code. The two are seeking a system that would have candidates running for a specific assembly seat each election. The past two elections have seen six candidates running for two seats.

Petersburg High School’s volleyball team won’t be returning to the state tournament this year. The Vikings lost to Craig and Wrangell on Saturday at the region five tournament in Metlakatla. That’s after opening the tournament with wins over Haines and Wrangell on Thursday and Friday. Joe Viechnicki spoke with coach Jaime Cabral about his team’s matches in Metlakatla.

Cruise ship companies stopping in Petersburg in 2019 will have to collect sales tax on their passengers’ tickets and pay a five dollar a head fee for passengers. Petersburg’s borough assembly Monday night voted down an ordinance that would have clarified that companies paying the new passenger fee would not have to pay sales tax on cruise tickets as well.