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Welcome to the first publication of Inside City Hall! In an effort to increase communication, we are launching this monthly news bulletin which will feature projects from various departments and share events that are happening within the City and Borough of Sitka. We hope you find it to be informative and welcome your feedback.
 The City and Borough of Sitka is in the process of designing the Edgecumbe Drive Reconstruction Project, scheduled for construction in 2015. A public meeting to discuss the proposed plan was held at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School on November 12. After responding to community input on the proposed plan, CBS expects to have the design complete in early March 2015, in time for an April-through-August construction season.
CBS and project partners S&S General Contractors and DOWL HKM will re-pave the entire street, improving the road base material as needed to ensure a long-lasting road. The proposed design would eliminate the on-road bike lane and replace it with a 10-foot-wide multi-use path separated from the street with a 6-inch curb. The multi-use path is intended to be used by slow-moving cyclists and pedestrians. Commuting cyclists are still welcome to use the main roadway – just like every other street in town – even without the designated bike lane.
If you have any questions, please contact CBS Senior Engineer Dave Longtin at 747-1883 or davidl@cityofsitka.com.
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 The restoration of Swan Lake, Sitka’s “Central Park," received much needed care this summer with the completion of a major dredging project. Although there have been previous small dredging projects, this effort was much larger. It will result in increased water flows into and out of the lake, improved lake circulation, reduction of flooding events, and improved recreation, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitats in Swan Lake.
The contractor, Island Enterprises, removed and disposed of 9,354 cubic yards of nuisance plant growth and sediments from the highest priority areas, which was 4,164 cubic yards greater than in the original contract. The work was funded by a $771,236 federal Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant, a portion the larger funding secured by Senator Bert Stedman for nine coastal Alaska communities. Final restoration of the Swan Lake spit, a major public use area, will be completed by next spring.
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In the ongoing effort to reduce costs to our taxpayers while maintaining acceptable levels of service to our community, the City and Borough of Sitka is considering not filling a vacancy in the Utility Customer Service staff. A reduction in Utility Customer Service hours will be tested for 3 weeks to determine the impact on customers and staff.
The new Utility Customer Service hours at City Hall will be limited to noon to 4:45pm, Monday through Friday, from November 10 through November 28. Telephonic Utility Customer Service, including telephonic payments on accounts, will be limited to the hours of 9:00am to noon.
If the results of the test are positive, and the impact on the staff and customers is minimal, the modification will become permanent and the funds budgeted for the position will be reallocated to road repairs.
 The Open Housewarming for Kettleson Memorial Library at the Stratton will be held 2:00 to 5:00pm Sunday, November 16 to showcase the library's home-away-from-home at 831 Lincoln Street.
The event will feature refreshments, crafts, exhibitions of library services and resources, photo opportunities with Bookzilla, the library dinosaur, and a memory book for the Stratton Library.
At 4:00pm a program will officially thank those who have helped with the library's move and expansion projects, kick-off KML's programming for the upcoming year, and celebrate the history of Sheldon Jackson College's Stratton Library.
Everyone is invited to attend.
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Sales tax free days for 2014 are Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29. Sales tax free days will not be applicable to any sale of fuel, nor affect any sale which is part of a continuing obligation of the buyer to pay the seller over time. For more information contact CBS Tax Accountant, Hardik Patel, at 747-1853 or hardik@cityofsitka.com.
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 The UV Disinfection Facility is now under construction within the Gary Paxton Industrial Park (GPIP). The facility is required to maintain filtration avoidance status for Blue Lake as required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The facility will provide secondary disinfection to Sitka’s drinking water via ultra-violet light.
During excavation of the basement in late September, significant groundwater and poor soils were encountered which had not been anticipated. To combat these issues, the excavation was dewatered, unsuitable soil was removed, and the finish floor was raised two feet to get out of the water.
The General Contractor for the project is Dawson Construction with subcontractor MCG Constructors responsible for excavation, backfill, and concrete work. The total estimated project cost is $8,966,000 with funding by way of State of Alaska grants and loans. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2015.
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