Recommendations for areas to include in Juneau’s borough annexation application. The CBJ Assembly agreed to include areas A, B, C (the area above the dotted line) and D in its application, but removed Funter Bay, in area D, from its application. (Courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

Recommendations for areas to include in Juneau’s borough annexation application. The CBJ Assembly agreed to include areas A, B, C (the area above the dotted line) and D in its application, but removed Funter Bay, in area D, from its application. (Courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

City will not annex Funter Bay

The City and Borough of Juneau will not be annexing Funter Bay.

During a lengthy voting process Monday night, the CBJ Assembly members decided to withdraw the small portion from its annexation application. The city is still leaving other portions of Admiralty Island — including the Glass Peninsula, Pack Creek and Horse and Colt Islands — as well as a triangle-shaped portion on the mainland including Tracy Arm in the application.

The decision came after Assembly member Rob Edwardson proposed taking all of the proposed areas of land on Admiralty Island out of the application. Since the Assembly decided in January to go through with annexation of the areas of the island, there has been a great deal of public outcry from people in Angoon and those who own land at Funter Bay.

“Before the last meeting, there was opposition to this,” Edwardson said. “During the last meeting, the opposition grew. To me, the opposition grew exponentially after the last meeting. If that wasn’t clear at the last meeting, it’s a lot clearer now.”

Edwardson isn’t the only Assembly member to notice the pushback, and there were multiple Angoon residents in attendance Monday including Mayor Pauline Jim. Angoon is not in an area the CBJ is annexing, but it’s the largest community on the island and has opposed any possible CBJ expansion to Admiralty.

Jim pointed out that over the years Angoon has been a good neighbor to Juneau, including supporting Juneau during past attempts to move the capital away. Now, as she put it, Juneau is returning the favor by expanding its borders onto Admiralty Island.

“It looks like a jigsaw puzzle,” Jim said of the map showing the areas that are included in the city’s application.

The main argument for annexing the areas, as city officials have explained, is that the areas in question are all included in the so-called “model borough boundary” identified by the Local Boundary Commission (LBC). In the early 1990s, the LBC conducted research and identified the land that should go to each borough throughout the state.

City officials identified four areas of land (three on Admiralty and one on the mainland) that were not included in any borough but that were included in Juneau’s model borough. As Assembly members have explained in past meetings, it’s important to apply to add these lands as soon as possible because the first applicant historically has a better chance of being approved in the LBC’s process.

Edwardson proposed removing all three areas on Admiralty Island from the city’s application. At the request of Assembly member Jesse Kiehl, the Assembly members divided up the proposed amendment and voted on all three of the portions of land on Admiralty.

The areas had already been approved by a vote at the January meeting, and City Attorney Amy Mead pointed out that the Assembly members would have to have a “super-majority” to overturn that previous decision. In other words, the Assembly members had to vote by a margin of 6-3 to overturn the previous decision.

The Assembly members voted 5-4 to take the Glass Peninsula out of the application, but because it wasn’t a two-thirds majority vote, the Glass Peninsula will remain in the application.

Assembly member Beth Weldon proposed taking Funter Bay specifically out of the application, and that motion passed by the necessary 6-3 margin. Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis and Assembly members Mary Becker and Maria Gladziszewski voted to keep Funter Bay in the application. Keeping the area out of the application means that those who own property at Funter Bay will not have to pay property tax to the CBJ.

Ben and Charly Musielak, two Juneau residents who own property at Funter Bay, were at Monday’s meeting. Kiehl stated that the Funter Bay property owners he’s heard from have asserted that they would rather have Funter Bay in a borough with Angoon than with Juneau. At that comment, Charly nodded her head emphatically.

The Musielaks intend to move to Funter Bay full-time when they retire, Ben said, and others in Funter Bay have said they feel that area has much more in common with Angoon than it does with Juneau. As happy as they were to see Funter Bay stay out of the CBJ, the Musielaks said they hope the city backs off from taking the proposed portions of Admiralty.

“It was a win for the folks in Funter Bay,” Ben said, “but not as a whole.”


• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.


CBJ Assembly member Rob Edwardson listens to conversation after he proposed removing land on Admiralty Island from the city’s annexation application. The Assembly members voted to remove one small portion from the application. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

CBJ Assembly member Rob Edwardson listens to conversation after he proposed removing land on Admiralty Island from the city’s annexation application. The Assembly members voted to remove one small portion from the application. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Dec. 22

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

State Rep. Sara Hannan talks with visitors outside her office at the Alaska State Capitol during the annual holiday open house hosted by Juneau’s legislative delegation on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A moving holiday season for Juneau’s legislators

Delegation hosts annual open house as at least two prepare to occupy better offices as majority members.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2024. The Senate passed bipartisan legislation early Saturday that would give full Social Security benefits to a group of public sector retirees who currently receive them at a reduced level, sending the bill to President JOE Biden. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
Congress OKs full Social Security benefits for public sector retirees, including 15,000 in Alaska

Biden expected to sign bill that eliminates government pension offset from benefits.

Pauline Plumb and Penny Saddler carry vegetables grown by fellow gardeners during the 29th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Dunleavy says he plans to reestablish state Department of Agriculture via executive order

Demoted to division status after statehood, governor says revival will improve food production policies.

Alan Steffert, a project engineer for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains alternatives considered when assessing infrastructure improvements including utilities upgrades during a meeting to discuss a proposed fee increase Thursday night at Thunder Mountain Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Hike of more than 60% in water rates, 80% in sewer over next five years proposed by CBJ utilities

Increase needed due to rates not keeping up with inflation, officials say; Assembly will need to OK plan.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy and President-elect Donald Trump (left) will be working as chief executives at opposite ends of the U.S. next year, a face constructed of rocks on Sandy Beach is seen among snow in November (center), and KINY’s prize patrol van (right) flashes its colors outside the station this summer. (Photos, from left to right, from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office, Elliot Welch via Juneau Parks and Recreation, and Mark Sabbatini via the Juneau Empire)
Juneau’s 10 strangest news stories of 2024

Governor’s captivating journey to nowhere, woman who won’t leave the beach among those making waves.

Police calls for Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Funding for the federal government will lapse at 8:01 p.m. Alaska time on Friday if no deal is reached. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
A federal government shutdown may begin tonight. Here’s what may happen.

TSA will still screen holiday travelers, military will work without paychecks; food stamps may lapse.

The cover image from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “Alaska Priorities For Federal Transition” report. (Office of the Governor)
Loch Ness ducks or ‘vampire grebes’? Alaska governor report for Trump comes with AI hallucinations

A ChatGPT-generated image of Alaska included some strange-looking waterfowl.

Most Read