Author: Joe Viechnicki, KFSK

Petersburg’s borough assembly with a series of 4-3 votes in February advanced a reorganization of borough departments. The move would be instead of hiring a new electrical superintendent and it continues to generate opposition from those currently and formerly in the industry. The assembly on Monday. March 5th will be voting in third and final reading on a series of ordinances that will leave oversight of the local electric utility to a supervisor also in charge of the water and sewer departments.

The CEO of a small, high-end cruise ship company this week outlined plans to base one of its ships in Petersburg and offer roundtrip tours beginning and ending here. Dan Blanchard with UnCruise Adventures told attendees at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce annual banquet Saturday, February 24 about the opportunity to draw more small ships to this port.

Petersburg will start charging a $5 a head fee for passengers on cruise ships in 2019. Petersburg’s borough assembly Monday gave final approval to the new charge, despite a lawsuit over a similar fee in Juneau and concerns from the cruise ship industry.

The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce’s business of the year award Saturday went to one of Petersburg’s newest businesses, the Salty Pantry. The breakfast and lunch deli-style restaurant started just last year and is the creation of former KFSK development director Mindy Anderson. She was a 2015 winner of a grant to produce a business plan under the Path to Prosperity competition offered each year by the economic development arm of Sealaska.

Most Petersburg residents 65 and over who don’t pay the borough’s sales tax will need to pay a fee next year to avoid the six percent tax on purchases. The borough assembly Monday, February 26 gave the final approval for an administrative fee for the tax exemption card.