[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6503755,"mediaKeyId","5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a","parentId",5460917,"title","Assembly hears residents' concerns about increased bear activity, borough outlines enforcement and prevention steps","audioSeconds",738,"startMs",809000,"endMs",1547000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a&start=809&end=1547","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a/thumbnail_809000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6503755/Petersburg-Borough/Alaska/Assembly-hears-residents-concerns-about-increased-bear-activity-borough-outlines-enforcement-and-prevention-steps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503755-810f6b05b62bc97024b406d067188ff3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569972&Signature=FpRzsVbBzkJgUIAXb5Y6jRkYNykpKX7LQAmbMbFjLfF5Tv0wozJjLYv9sMGOZmL1UC5~Ymbloel4Eh7MYpoOtliZURrV5fyk1vsFNnbAsrINPZzmj-UX6iPq-yxj0x3JTeKoNPEDFh9pt8o1SPwdCMkCn~9~yFWBoWSWx9-PiryUjMCVGMJyPte~5mBPuDURzP8OuC9-l~dNoUGW5JmsguKAqoDAvMM1XIKed9k8DqpYbfyd-rzb4vdTuzpgxCpiW-ozoGR6vMLXLKlo5vLmqZqLqnfk2ZlMdstnJG4bqFHFXGoT6hp3FcMFrHynatZL7Fyk2Xeq-Hw4wAonLMsybw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Petersburg Borough","date","2025-07-24T01:40:50.977Z","article","Concerns about increased nuisance bear activity in Petersburg were raised at the borough assembly meeting on July 21.

Resident Gloria Ann Wallen told the assembly she is a mother and expressed concern for children and residents on Sandy Beach: “Garbage once they’re a garbage bear, they’re always a garbage bear,” she said, and asked that the assembly direct the borough manager to work with the police chief and other enforcement partners to address the issue. The clerk and borough manager reported a spike in recent complaints and said the borough has run out of bear straps (straps meant to secure trash containers) and has ordered more.

Chief Jim Kerr and Manager Giesbrecht described coordination with the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Chief Kerr said there appear to be roughly four problem bears exhibiting learned garbage-foraging behavior and reported an injured bear the department asked be dispatched. Chief Kerr said borough officers cannot unilaterally dispatch or trap bears without coordination and permission from the Troopers and Fish and Game; the borough is monitoring reports and notifying state partners through an email notification list.

The manager said the borough has started a public-service campaign in the local paper reminding residents to secure garbage as required by borough code, and that 75 straps previously on hand have been exhausted; additional straps have been ordered. The assembly encouraged continued coordination with state agencies and the police department to reduce the risk of human-bear conflicts.

Why it matters: Increased bear activity and bears defeating secured containers raise property-damage and public-safety concerns, particularly when children are present. The borough’s options are constrained by state authority over wildlife removal and require interagency coordination.

Next steps: Borough staff ordered additional straps for garbage containers, started a public-education campaign and will continue to coordinate with Alaska State Troopers and Fish and Game; the assembly encouraged the manager to continue outreach to state partners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7 21 2025 Assembly Mtg","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple residents raised concerns about recent bear activity in town during public comment; borough manager and police chief described interagency coordination, shortage of bear straps and a public-education campaign to secure garbage.","taxTitle","Petersburg Borough, Alaska","taxId",14865,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503761,"Assembly backs engineering work and grant application for South Harbor finger-float replacements",398,2445000,2843000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a&start=2445&end=2843","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a/thumbnail_2445000.jpg","/articles/6503761/Petersburg-Borough/Alaska/Assembly-backs-engineering-work-and-grant-application-for-South-Harbor-finger-float-replacements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503761-aeef1fc03f902e1894e260c77330e5f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569972&Signature=bJS-dd2CsIVN7xfl8zCZmQ4U6IzSTk1m5MXuO0pUqTSqCt6L7JY64ngR7QCtreGAQu3vdTi1bsk7NZWhwHD2AP4JE~1dV~8LMIp0xGkh2U0ypgKgFeajHGqyWWSxv9V6mEmrBOtqH7V4v8BFu4XP4MssdfV6VlKhfsNcsCA3XWC23~9NgRK74oIFvHyhVgFqw-xuaxNyOKbb4-uRm9q3ZoUO7V6~lf7XSWRV7TBx43sldrOR6FobHGNsQn-crlGoIGkMcrxli5YnGsKI6Y6oCBswgxD4nhFWvMPC6Mirav-YjXOfzFn~RqysFzUX5s5jdaePAwoxtDojOHqflNPsJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Petersburg Borough Assembly on July 21 authorized staff to submit a State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities grant application for $617,000 to replace finger floats in the South Harbor sea-float and approved an engineering and permitting fee proposal to advance design work.

Harbor Master Wallen summarized the local history of the state harbor-maintenance program and said the harbor has used the grant program previously. The assembly discussed the grant process and the program’s competitive ranking — applications are ranked each year and funding is subject to legislative appropriation — and staff noted that the requested finger-float work will likely proceed in phases.

The assembly approved engaging P&D/PND engineering for design and permitting. Assembly members asked about marine-mammal permitting and alternatives recently enabled by the Alaska Slope/GRAMA process. Assistant public-works staff explained that the new permitting approach can reduce cost and time compared with an incidental harassment authorization but “does not come without risk to the owner,” and that exclusion zones and temporary pauses in pile-driving remain permit requirements.

Assembly members also discussed the possibility of repurposing replaced floats for lower-demand locations; the mayor and staff said the borough would welcome community groups taking decommissioned floats to limit demolition costs.

Why it matters: South Harbor’s aging finger floats (some originally repurposed in the 1970s and 1980s) support berthing and commercial activity; replacement is a multi-year capital work that requires engineering design, environmental permitting and state funding. The engineering approval and grant-submission resolution are preparatory steps; the grant must be awarded and permits obtained before in-water construction can proceed.

Next steps: Harbors staff will proceed with engineering design and required permit applications. If the state awards the grant, the borough will use the engineering package for procurement and construction scheduling.","The assembly authorized submission of a $617,000 state grant application and approved a design/permitting fee proposal to replace aging finger floats in South Harbor; members discussed permitting pathways and the potential to repurpose existing floats.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503765,"Neighbors and developer clash over proposed sale of Haugen Drive lots for housing",341,130000,471000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a&start=130&end=471","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a/thumbnail_130000.jpg","/articles/6503765/Petersburg-Borough/Alaska/Neighbors-and-developer-clash-over-proposed-sale-of-Haugen-Drive-lots-for-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503765-0a8e61c422da3420eae1ce6bff70df26/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569972&Signature=VvZj8WXGfB8T7xjt7j4y7EwZNeuTPqTl1YC3L2rTjZmnQgdtHyeML9~6Zhcex5kInnHHqxRJmmYYpOUh-YHtc2HCxadf6rVeVTES6fVxtVDYU-WAkou3XHUuFcIEoF4RIspf1IkoOTkqNlNA4thlvgY4VuxZAfmqnJOm10pT6vE0SRHbLs22Xlk~vSoixH1dWlH8SRHeEem8dlnigGNFF~SNT6xsCWZnWaECmh4dvC872RT1yW6uRf9c5Ra~-jWKi2gqBFU5Aj25o5DSlikt0RkI-lhMBC-queYhFJGR95Hvew8GVOdI1mferow4BBAgOmCQC4gSPFABDFT8fhBpAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the public-comment period at the Petersburg Borough Assembly’s July 21 regular meeting, multiple residents spoke about a proposed borough sale of two lots on Haugen Drive. The comments presented sharply contrasting views between neighboring residents and a local developer who wants to build rental housing.

Diane Marsh, who said she owns a home at 804 Joa Street and that she and her late husband built the home in 1980, told the assembly: “I am against selling the property behind me on Haugen.” Marsh said the lot provided wildlife habitat and a visual buffer for her bedroom; she said she had been told when she bought the house that the area would not be developed and that nearby construction of a new hospital has already increased impacts to her property.

Developer Dave Ulmer, who said he was speaking for himself and asked the assembly to let him negotiate with the borough to purchase the Haugen properties, described local housing needs and offered terms he said would speed development. “I’m asking that you would approve my negotiating with the city to be able to purchase these properties for housing development,” Ulmer said. He said a borough housing study estimated the borough would need about 300 new housing units over the next decade and described fast rental-market demand for his recently completed duplexes.

Other nearby residents including Mary Clemens and Miriam Swanson voiced opposition to selling or developing the specific Haugen lots, saying the parcel adds a buffer for an already-impacted house adjacent to the new hospital and that the timing and location are not appropriate for more infill development.

Why it matters: The comments illustrate a common municipal tension between efforts to increase housing stock and neighborhood concerns about privacy, wildlife habitat and cumulative impacts from nearby construction. The assembly received testimony but did not take a final assembly vote on these particular Haugen Drive lots at this meeting.

What was requested and next steps: Ulmer asked the assembly to permit him to negotiate purchase terms; Marsh and others asked the borough not to sell the property. The assembly did not record a final disposition of the Haugen Drive parcel(s) during the July 21 meeting; any subsequent staff negotiation or formal sale would be scheduled and noticed according to borough code.","Public comment at the July 21 assembly meeting featured competing appeals: property owner Diane Marsh urged the borough not to sell two lots behind her Joa Street home on Haugen Drive; developer Dave Ulmer asked the assembly to allow him to negotiate purchase to build rental housing.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":79,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":82,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503769,"Assembly approves rezoning, budget changes, harbor grant application and several equipment and project actions",1232,3677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5460917-aeb32192c8b633aa512484783f08d08a&start=2445&end=3677","/articles/6503769/Petersburg-Borough/Alaska/Assembly-approves-rezoning-budget-changes-harbor-grant-application-and-several-equipment-and-project-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503769-5739c40bf0a2431dd1f04835ee113d74/orig.mp4?Expires=1773569972&Signature=fi-qmxUJwwojBEmuGKQkcCfFyl3XLrPtDsqNuI1vLWaS-rGD3E1fc00y5smtbVQMzjcdNpSKfc8Ll5uHiZ3IE4pibEBDqFpNeX2J8efPo7hTfrJPERFsszHHbmEPQp4zJnmLjxJ8iYvGee7UxJjRqW2HjylVT4iS4J5GeVeyBYujMn1pcZMx0Sl17CTlCwCTI3ON8hjaRkC6eE5aKheSvLjIJSI9RIHSYk3Q9Q8FWhPjt0MPH1SHzbspHGIVDFhTqouHnhcnHaBlYZfftAZZwvIaDt2RmNYbHX5TdN94no5pV6Adlo0COIxrEBNgNGoWHT6QkkKQsE4yQhdPKFMsFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted on a package of ordinances, resolutions and municipal actions during its July 21 regular meeting.

Among the measures the assembly approved were final adoption of a zoning map amendment for a Sandy Beach Road parcel and an adjustment to the borough’s FY 2026 budget. The assembly also approved two resolutions — one authorizing a local nonprofit to collect and sell aluminum scrap and another authorizing submission of a harbor facility grant application for a South Harbor finger-float replacement project — and a set of procurement and personnel actions including engineering services, heavy-equipment purchase and a representative appointment to the Southeast Alaska Solid Waste Authority.

Why it matters: These votes advance capital and operating programs for borough utilities, harbors and streets, free up funding for property development activities and enable local nonprofits and contractors to proceed with planned work. The assembly’s votes also set the next procedural step for one land-purchase application.

Key outcomes (votes at a glance):
- Ordinance 2025-11 (third and final reading): Rezoned parcel 01-014-010 (1016 Sandy Beach Road) from rural residential to single-family residential. Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0.

- Ordinance 2025-12 (third and final reading): Supplemental FY 2026 budget adjustments (adds $50,000 to provide utility connection stubs for future borough lot sales, reassigns $15,000 of under-budget survey expense to local match for a Safe Streets grant, adds $17,222 for library facility expenses, and transfers $90,000 from a school deferred-maintenance fund to the borough debt service fund). Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0.

- Resolution 2025-15: Authorized the Friends of the Bike Park to collect and sell aluminum scrap from the Bay Baylor facility as a fundraiser. Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0.

- Resolution 2025-16: Authorized submission of a grant application to the State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for $617,000 for the South Harbor sea-float finger-float replacement. Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0.

- Authorization to engage PND/P&D Engineering for design and permitting services for anticipated replacement of South Harbor finger floats. Outcome: approved (roll call 5–0); the assembly discussed permitting approaches including recent changes in marine-mammal permitting (Alaska Slope/GRAMA reference) and project cost drivers.

- Approval to award purchase contract for replacement of the Public Works CAT 950 loader to NC Machinery (expense accounted for in FY 2026). Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0 (purchase amount listed in the packet).

- Dave Omer land purchase application (Lots 5 & 6, Block 78, Southeast Addition): The assembly voted to move the application forward to a public outcry auction (authorize public sale). Outcome: motion to schedule an outcry auction passed 3–2 (three yes, two no). Assembly discussion referenced public-safety concerns and lot size; members who voted no cited traffic and safety near the site.

- Appointment to Southeast Alaska Solid Waste Authority (CSAW): Incoming public-works director Aaron Murrell appointed as Petersburg’s representative; outgoing director Christopher Cotta appointed as alternate through his termination date. Outcome: approved, roll call recorded as 5–0.

Roll-call tallies and procedure: Most votes were unanimous (5–0). The Dave Omer lot-sale procedural motion passed by a 3–2 margin after members voiced both support for additional housing and concerns about traffic and child safety at the site.

Context and next steps: Several approved items (the South Harbor grant application and P&D engineering work) are preparatory steps: the grant application must be considered and awarded by the State of Alaska and engineering/permitting work will inform a later construction procurement. The outcry-auction decision for Lots 5 & 6 begins the public-sale process; final sale terms and any negotiated sales will return to the assembly as required by borough code.","At its July 21 regular meeting the Petersburg Borough Assembly approved two ordinances, two resolutions, several procurement and personnel items, and directed public-sale action on one land-purchase application. Most measures passed unanimously; one land-sale step passed 3–2.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Assembly hears residents' concerns about increased bear activity, borough outlines enforcement and prevention steps

Assembly backs engineering work and grant application for South Harbor finger-float replacements

Neighbors and developer clash over proposed sale of Haugen Drive lots for housing

Assembly approves rezoning, budget changes, harbor grant application and several equipment and project actions