Juneau’s special 1 percent sales tax is expected to raise $44.8 million over five years.
The five-year projection anticipates 2.5 percent to 3 percent growth.
City and Borough of Juneau department representatives presented dozens of ways to spend the tax funds to the Assembly Finance Committee on Wednesday.
Capital Transit asked for $6.2 million for additions and renovations of its operations and maintenance facility. Transit occupied the building in 1985, when it was a decade old.
Requests include $1.85 million for the addition of a six-bus storage bay and $850,000 for replacement of the current facility’s heating system. Transit owns 18 busses, which carry 1.25 million riders a year.
Public Works requested $1.4 million for upgrades to the facility’s metal exterior envelope and $900,000 in total requests for renovations to the facility’s administration and maintenance areas.
The proposal also included a request of $800,000 for electronic fare boxes, Capital Transit’s fifth priority.
The boxes wouldn’t allow for smart cards like Anchorage.
“But it gets us close,” John Kern, Transit Superintendent said.
Docks and Harbors is requesting $7 million for the Aurora Harbor rebuild and an additional $2.3 million for improvements to the Auke Bay boat haul-out facility.
Aurora Harbor is beyond repair, Kevin Jardell Docks and Harbors board chairman, said
“Aurora Harbor needs a rebuild,” Jardell said. The city can’t continue to fix the facility piecemeal, he said. “It is past its useful life and it is a valuable public resource.”
Phase 2 of the Aurora Harbor project consists of replacing five floats. Jardell said Docks and Harbors could scale the project, he said.
“We need to get these things done,” Jardell said.
Proposed upgrades to Auke Bay would include a new boat haul out and kayak launch ramp at Statter Harbor and allow the city to use its new 45-ton hydraulic lift.
“We can complete this, we can put the hydraulic lift into full service,” Jardell said.
Parks and Recreation Department requested $4.71 million for upgrades and additions to its parks and trails. The funds requested would provide for 20 projects scattered around the Mendenhall Valley, downtown Juneau and north and south Douglas Island.
Finance Committee Member Karen Crane said constituents tell her Juneau off-road vehicle users want a facility in Juneau.
”They want a place to go now,” Crane said.
With funding, the project could start as early as the summer of 2013, city staff said.
Mayor Bruce Botelho asked if the $25,000 request for the project would be enough. Parks and Recreation originally requested $150,000.
Parks and Recreation also asked for $550,000 to complete upgrades at Cope Park. These would include new safety features and would designate off leash dog areas.
The department requested $250,000 for work on Marine Park and $175,000 to establish a formal community garden and increase the safety of Chicken Yard Park.
If approved, $300,000 would go to improve Twin Lakes Park. Dimond Park would receive two new score boards and a restroom and concession facilities for $650,000.
Treadwell Ditch trail on Douglas Island could see $150,000 in upgrades including nine new bridges — one being a 50-foot bridge across Paris Creek.
The city plans to contract Trail Mix to conduct the trail upgrades.
Parks and Recreation also requested $4.78 million for projects to recreational facilities.
Proposed projects include $3.72 million to repair Centennial Hall’s 30-year-old roof and $600,000 to replace the Juneau-Douglas City Museum’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The museum’s current system does not manage humidity, endangering the collection, city staff said.
Eaglecrest Ski Area asked for $6.2 million for several stages of growth at the snow sports mountain, according to Eaglecrest’s proposal.
Matt Lillard, Eaglecrest’s general manager, said the cornerstone of this proposal is a $3.8 million learning center.
Eaglecrest’s current facility is not up to industry standards, Lillard said. Two new lifts have increased users to the mountain and new space is needed to accommodate them, he said.
“We can expand rental and repair,” Lillard said. “And most importantly it opens up a lot of space at the main lodge to repurpose. We would like to double our capacity.”
The Finance Committee did not make a decision on funding Wednesday night.
“This is one of the most momentous decisions the Finance Committee will make,” Mayor Bruce Botelho said.
The committee informally set the date of its next meeting for June 27.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (55)
Add commentIt's the system I am questioning.
Spiff, I am not pointing fingers at our Assembly and City Manager, I am questioning the budget planning process. If the process passes the red face test then I am all for going out and soliciting additional tax funds to support the infrastructure that makes Juneau a great place to live and visit. The people that vote will then decide what improvements are valued and will be paid for by their taxes. The Empire could do a better job reporting on the works of our public representatives.
Thanks EB, Guru and 30YrRez
... for the clarification on Centennial Hall. Also about the "general use" wording. I can see a valid argument for both pro and con about that terminology.
30Year Resident - agreed. Since I have never served the City either as an employee or as an elected official, I have no idea about the difficulties of the budget planning process, especially for an organization that has so many "stakeholders." It does seem that they often take a piece-meal approach to planning that is confusing and often works to the advantage of whatever special interest is holding sway at the moment - "service du jour" if you will.
clearcut.....funding EC is
clearcut.....funding EC is subsidizing SEACC? Huh?
Multiple use for everything........
It is unconscienable that we live in such a beautiful community that caters to a select few tree huggers and liberalists. We have so many facilities in this town that could be multiple use facilities, yet are ostensibly closed during "off seasons". Case and point......the ice rink.... closed during the summer. Why cant we have a multi use rink?... say.... maybe a roller rink during the summer, ice rink during the winter. We own a Zambonie. No amount of damage to the "floor" would be a problem with 4 inches of groomed ice on top of it. You cant tell me that a vigorous indoor activity wouldnt entice families to attend on rainy summer days to increase revenues.Eaglecrest rarely meets its own expenses under its current business plan. Opening it up to ATV and snow machine use makes it a year round, for fee facility that may actually make a profit on a regular basis. The Centennial building is always staffed. Why didnt we tell the school district to conduct their performing arts engagements at that currently staffed venue and eliminate the $80k plus that we gave for a building manager? Parking at Centennial Hall is much better (and safer for the community) than is currently available at JDHS anyway.Using the Centennial Building for JSD events is an ideal alternative to hiring or retaining an overpriced, inattentive staff member who sits on a chair and plays video games on a cell phone for hours during events !!
If we fund a service or facility it better be the "only gig in town" doing it. If we hire a staff member, we best not have another staff member that could do the work.... CBJ is desperately trying not to lay off workers... we have people who are already trained and benefitted. Use them and the facilities they staff !!!
We need to think outside of the box with this budget. We cannot continue to fund duplicated services and overlapping facilities. This community is full of well educated and innovative people. Lets attend some assembly meetings and participate in the public comment time allotted at EVERY meeting to voice our concerns and suggestions for alternatives to overspending. Fiscal responsibility is not optional in the current economic climate
What about CBJ bond rating?
Currently CBJ is so far in debt that the ratings agencies (moody's) have downgraded our bond rating.
What about fixing that before trying to find more ways to spend money?
That is a signal that CBJ is already too over stretched and over borrowed.
I don't like that, lets fix our internal financial house before trying to spend more money we don't have.
Not taxing necessities is correct Spiff
but I don't know what the rate would be that high. I don't think it was was a double digit percentage. It absolutely would be higher than the current 5%.
Concerned Citizen
It is my understanding that the Treadwell Arena is used as indoor tennis courts in the summer. It was an agreement among interested users at the time that it be a multi-use facility (just like you're advocating for with Eaglecrest). I also think it is made available to the various kid "camps" when the weather is too nasty to be outside.
It is my understanding that there aren't enough venues in town for all the events that folks want to conduct. CH is booked months in advance and so are both high schools for various arts and cultural activities, so I'm not sure it would work for them to all try and use just one facility.
I echo your call for more public participation and hope to see you at City Hall.
I always wondered, why do we
I always wondered, why do we have an ice arena open when there is ice on every lake, but closed when there is no other ice? Is it just too expensive to chill it that much in summer? Portland has year round ice in the mall...Why cant we?
What lakes are reliably
What lakes are reliably ice-covered in the winter around here, kp? If we're going to have intramural and high school hockey, as well as figure skating, we need reliable ice time.
The arena's ice season is the end of August-end of April. Apparently, it is no longer used for tennis in the summers. Maybe it is too expensive to run year-round ...
With LadyG
I'm with LadyG and will likely get blasted for it, but I am truly shocked by some of the things I am reading. WE ARE CBJ, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!
Don't believe me? Ask yourself this -
Have you ever attended a Folk Festival?
Did your kids attend DARE graduation?
How about sports - have you ever participated in a softball/drinking league, or had kids who played football/basketball/soccer/baseball?
Speaking of kids - did yours attend the two-day skiing/snowboarding fieldtrip at Eaglecrest? What about the annual fieldtrips to the pool?
Ever watch the Fourth of July fireworks from Marine Park or the Docks?
Ever participate in the Fouth of July festivities at Sandy Beach?
Ever check out a book, or have a kid do so?
Ever ride the bus? I don't now, but I sure did in those precious teen years before I was old enough to drive.
Ever lay out in the sun at twin lakes?
Ever go for a hike?
Come on people. These things cost money. They aren't fluff - they are quality of life decisions and the provide jobs for OUR friends and neighbors, who in turn, spend the money locally. The sales tax in Seattle is around 9% (more for luxuries and services). Ask any resident there what their tax dollars provide and many will be hard pressed to give you more than three specific examples. We as Juneau residents are lucky, and our kids are extremely fortunate, to have so many examples, for such a relatively low cost.
Now, let the blasting begin!
LOL - sort of.....
It always cracks me up a little when folks pile on Eaglecrest, which is the only CBJ recreational facility that collects over 70% of it's operating costs in user fees. Parks - do not. Pools - do not. Ice Rink - does not. Last winter I would have included docks, but clearly the new dock expenditures asked for are operating costs NOT covered by user fees.
Look at the budgets, they are on the CBJ web page. The facts are these:
Parks and Rec - buget $12,945,100 - amount paid by fees and rentals - 19% = $2,459,569 - - - remaining balance = $10,485,531. Ten million dollars plus.
Eaglecrest - budget $2,706,100 - amount paid by fees/rentals/sales - 73% (up from last year) = $1,975,453 - - - remaining balance = $730,649.
I happen to agree with those who recognize a city is made up of lots of different amenities we all pay for, regardless of whether I personally use 'x' - I may use 'y' and you don't, so it all comes out in the wash and makes Juneau a better place to live. I don't have a boat, or a child, or play softball - so I pay for lots and lots and lots more things than people who use those things but don't ski or pick berries in the summer at Eaglecrest. To the tune of almost 10 million dollars.
But if you are going to go after amenities that don't 'pay their own way' through user fees - at least go after the right villian.
I'll blast you, daffy,
with a big "right on"! Great post.
Not to mention the toilet and garbage facilities at all parks and rec areas, doggie bags (even though some seem to eschew these in favor of leaving it to "nature" to deal with), museums, the skate park, Zach Gordon Youth Center ... there is an amazing amount of things to do in a town this size and it's thanks in large part to our City and our sense of community. We are the City. If we don't like how dollars are allotted, speak up, as Concerned Citizen recommends, and "be the change you want to see" (my bumper sticker quote of the day).
What I am against...
...are taxes for unspecified purposes.
"...other general purposes..."; "...other capital improvements..."; or "...other general public services." Do not, imho, pass the sniff test.
If the assembly want to have a sales beyond the 1% they should tell us exactly what it is for, exempt food, electricity, and home heating fuel, eliminate the Senior Sales Tax Exemption and then let us vote on it.
Centennial Hall already runs
Centennial Hall already runs into issues where they can't book a multi-day event that brings bigger revenue to Juneau when things like Pillars lunch or other one day events have booked the space. Add the more school events to the mix and we might as well tell every meeting group that wants to come to Juneau to look someplace else. Take a look at the rates charges for using the hall. The place doesn't generate enough revenue through space rental to cover its operating cost. We need more events in the hall that bring people in from out of town. Celebration for example. The price they pay, if any, for renting the hall isn't much. But add the tax revenue generated from hotel rooms, more people eating at our restaurants, retail shopping, etc., and this event will probably generate close to one million dollars local spending.
EB
I understand and, to some degree, share your frustration. Unfortunately, I don't think it is not a cut-and-dried thing: dedicated funds sound good but it ties the hands of public officials should a greater and unanticipated need occur. Futhermore, if the revenue generated is more than is required for the stated purpose, should that money just sit in a bank account somewhere when other undesignated services are cut? Also, having dedicated funds encourages spending above and beyond needs - if a particular service or office knows that any funds generated by the 1% tax, for instance, goes to them, they start to look for ways to spend it even on unnecessary items.
There is no perfect answer, imo, but i think dedicating funds will have unintended consequences that cause more harm than good. Just a thought.
@Spiff
As a matter of fact, I have spent a bit of time lately attending Assembly meetings, especially the Assembly Finance Committee meetings as I have had an interest in several key funding projects.
I believe strongly in community involvement (beyond JE blogging !!!). I write to my legislator so often I get birthday cards from her office !! I engage in community events that benefit people, not infrastructure.
I plan on spending more and more time at the assembly meetings as I am actively engaged in many community projects that require participation in assembly meetings. For the record, I also participated in many of the JSD community open forum events regarding the budget cuts. I presented informed research information based on best practices, likely hypothetical outcomes for liability in some of the key cuts, and personal commentary on the issue.
One should not share opinion about community issues if one is unwilling to engage formally in the change process.
Juneau could always use the BO approach
The BO approach would look at all homes over $750,000 and then triple their property tax rate. Their rich, they should pay more to subsidize our amenities.
Yeah, because the BO approach
Yeah, because the BO approach has worked so well this far, right? Tongue in cheek, right Brad? Also, it's "they're", not "their".
Casinos seem like a good idea
Casinos seem like a good idea to me. Something for tourists to do while its raining.
Part of Climate change has south east seeing wetter summers from here on out, so get used to this rain folks
this is our new norm for summer and I like it.
What's to worry bj,
even with both of your properties combined, you wouldn't be affected.
Seems to me, and common sense would suggest. If one can afford a $ 750,000 + mortgage, you wouldn't, or at least shouldn't, squabble over a little extra property tax. It's all about bettering your community, right?
Hey Rough,
how about instead of that. We turn Rayco into a granola shop, that sells SEACC and SEAGLA apparel and bumper stickers and live wildlife photos.
The tourists aren't here long enough to buy a gun, and the majority of guys don't take their spouse to a strip club. You gotta think of the tax dollars man.
@ LadyG
Juneau was a beautiful place to live before all the cityfication began. Something tells me that beauty means something different to you, than it does me.
I'd be grateful, if I wasn't a second class citizen during touron season.
@Concerned Citizen
That's great CC. Not sure why stating the extent of your involvement in the political and civil processes in your community would garner you 3 thumbs down, but c'est la.
I have been involved with the JSD (mostly board and admin) and it has always ended in complete and utter frustration. Sometimes I have to take a break from the madness that is this school district. I do not go to Assembly meetings very often, but I also don't spend much time complaining about the City either.
I mildly disagree with one statement and that is the one you made about benefitting people, not infrastructure - sometimes they are one and the same. Have a wonderful weekend.
ima49ner
Sarcasm, my comment was complete sarcasm. All I can hope is that you are NEVER elected to public office. You would be as big of a disaster that BO is!