Petersburg adopts visitor industry management plan to guide tourism growth

The Petersburg Borough Assembly on March 3 unanimously adopted a visitor industry management plan developed by a local Visitor Industry Working Group, approving the plan as a community guide for managing tourism growth.

The plan, drafted in 2019–2021 by 17 local residents, compiles recommendations and operational guidance for balancing Petersburg's quality of life with visitor-economy opportunities. The assembly vote followed public testimony urging adoption and several assembly members praising the plan's detail and practicality.

Harbor Master Laurie Ann told the assembly that adopting the plan would give the harbor chief additional tools to manage visitor conduct and operations. "I would like you to vote in favor ... the resolution adopting the visitor industry management plan because it would really give your harbor master some great tools as we move forward," Laurie Ann said during public comment.

Liz Cabrera, Petersburg Borough community and economic development director, told the assembly the plan helped local stakeholders better understand how the visitor industry interacts with borough infrastructure. "The people that were involved with that process really came away with a really solid understanding of our place in this and what we can and cannot do," Cabrera said, recommending the plan as a starting blueprint with useful baseline data.

Assembly members who spoke in support described the plan as comprehensive and the product of considerable volunteer effort. Member St. Gregor said the document was "thorough" and "a good road map," and Member Newman said the plan had been "very thoughtful". The roll call showed unanimous approval.

What the plan does and does not do: the resolution adopts the Visitor Industry Management Plan as guidance and a reference document for future decisions; it does not itself create binding new regulations or change existing code. Assembly discussion and testimony emphasized the plan's role as a blueprint for future policy, harbor operations, and interdepartmental planning.

The assembly did not identify an implementation timeline in the adoption action; staff remarks during the meeting encouraged referencing the plan for future harbor and tourism conversations, including a coming discussion about the tour-ship schedule and port operations.

The assembly vote was 6-0 in favor. The adopted plan and supporting appendices, including the borough's vessel best management practices, were referenced repeatedly in testimony and staff remarks as the practical elements that would help enforcement and planning.

A copy of the adopted plan is available in the borough packet accompanying the March 3 meeting.

Ending: Assembly members said they expected the plan to return as a reference in future operational discussions and recommended public review of the document and its appendices.