Port wants sales tax to maintain harbors

Port officials say if Juneau voters renew an optional 1 percent sales tax in October, some of the revenues should be used to maintain the city's small-boat harbors.

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Port Engineer Mike Krieber said it costs $25 million to reconstruct Harris Harbor, renovate Aurora Harbor and replace Old Douglas Harbor.

"We are $6 million short," Krieber said. "Any sales tax received will lessen the burden on the moorage fee payers."

Docks and Harbors Department managers also want $6 million of the tax revenues to expand Don Statter Boat Harbor at Auke Bay.

With the acquisition of DeHarts Marina, Docks and Harbors plans to create a regional recreational center at Auke Bay with a new boat launch, more parking lots, a seawalk, parks and retail spaces.

"The Statter Harbor improvements will be the center of the Auke Bay neighborhood," Krieber said.

The Juneau Assembly wants to renew the tax, which expires Dec. 31. A 1 percent sales tax in Juneau generates $7 million a year.

Projects, ranging from expanding Juneau International Airport to extending the city's sewer system, are competing for the money.

At its May 13 meeting, six out of nine Assembly Finance Committee members voted not to give any money for harbor repairs and Statter expansion if the city renewed the sales tax for seven years.

Assembly members Randy Wanamaker, Johan Dybdahl and David Stone voted in favor of the harbor projects.

Assembly member Merrill Sanford said he didn't allocate any money to Docks and Harbors because port officials submitted their proposal only one day before the committee meeting.

"We didn't have enough time to take a good look at it," Sanford said. "It will be more of a priority in our next meeting. We realized that it is important."

Assembly member Daniel Peterson said the Assembly will "hash the final deal" at its Thursday meeting.

Krieber said if the Assembly doesn't approve using the sales tax for harbor maintenance, Docks and Harbors will have to raise moorage fees again in 2008.

When the Assembly approved increasing small-boat harbor fees in April, it rejected the Docks and Harbors Board's proposal to raise the fees by 150 percent over five years. Instead, the Assembly voted to raise the fees by 90 percent over three years.

"That has an impact on how much we can fix," Krieber said.

Krieber said boaters can see the improvement of city harbors as a series of construction projects take place next week.

Docks and Harbors will start the first phase of rebuilding Harris Harbor, replacing two floats and adding a gangway. The first phase is expected to be complete by late August.

Docks and Harbors also will build a new moorage float at Stockade Point in Taku Harbor.

"Harbors are city assets," Krieber said. "If we don't have money to repair the facilities, we will have to close the harbors, which will result in less economic flow to the city."

• I-Chun Che can be reached at ichun.che@juneaumepire.com.