Author: kfskadmin

The Petersburg City Council could be hitting the streets this winter looking for signatures on its petition to form a new Petersburg borough. Council members Monday approved some final changes to a proposed borough charter and petition.

Two feuding families… both rich in daughters….will search for husbands at the Wright auditorium tonight. It’s the premiere of Hankerin’ Hillbillies…a musical comedy from the students at Petersburg high school. Matt Lichtenstein stopped by during dress rehearsal last night and put together a preview:

Petersburg City Councilors rearranged their capital project priorities this week. in a special meeting Sunday night, the council decided to top the legislative wish-list with two projects that are already included in the governor’s budget…..a new elementary school roof, and the state’s airport safety improvements. A new fire hall is now number three, followed by a new library.

When Petersburg’s new city manager arrives next month, he’ll have plenty of major issues to tackle straight-away…including the city budget and borough formation. However, Richard Underkofler has a head start in Alaska. His 30-plus years of experience include previous work as Petersburg’s city manager from 1981 to 1985. He also served another ten years as Soldotna’s city manager before moving to the lower-48 to continue his career in city administration. Matt Lichtenstein spoke with Underkofler last week after he had reached a contract agreement with the city. They discussed several issues including Underkofler’s support for more hydro-power development, his perspective on city budget planning and his approach to city management.

Whatcom County, Washington is pulling out of the permitting process for proposed hydro-electric facilities in Thomas Bay, near Petersburg. The county’s involvement had prompted concerns from the southeast town, where many residents and the City Council have objected to the development plans proposed by a private company.