The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly voted Jan. 12 to schedule a third public hearing on Ordinance 2094, the draft 2035 Comprehensive Plan, after an extended work session, public testimony and a series of line edits and clarifying amendments.

Planning director Frank Maloney and consultants told the assembly the plan is the product of roughly 20 meetings, a working group and public outreach that yielded about 500 public comments. Maloney emphasized the plan’s role as policy guidance under state law, saying it “satisfies that AS 29 requirement” and does not, on its own, change zoning or obligate spending. Consultant Meg noted the plan “does not change any zoning or regulations on its own, doesn’t commit the borough to expenditures or bind it to actions,” and said staff prepared language options in response to questions from assembly members.

The assembly’s debate focused on two recurring themes raised by members and the public: the borough’s statutory authority for social services and how the plan frames housing and other aspirational goals. Attorney Glenn Brown advised the assembly to avoid language that could create the impression the borough was committing to exercise powers it does not currently hold. Brown recommended framing the document to emphasize support and advocacy rather than direct service provision.

In response, the assembly adopted an introductory statutory authority clarification to the plan and revised strategy language in the health and wellness chapter so it reads in effect as an instruction to “explore ways the borough can support social service efforts within its existing statutory authority.” The assembly also accepted multiple goal wording changes across chapters — for example, the housing goal language was altered to favor “attainable” housing and to change some instances of “ensure” to “support” or “advance,” language members said better reflects a 10‑ to 20‑year planning document.

Public testimony spanned topics from tourism management and land‑use overlays to timber harvest concerns and local infrastructure requests. Several residents urged the borough to prioritize public restrooms on Creek Street; others spoke about landfill bear mitigation, light pollution and timber management. Planning staff told the assembly that proposals such as tourism or resident‑only overlays would require additional public mapping and policy work before being implemented.

The assembly voted to set the plan for a third public hearing on Feb. 2, 2026, after recording the adopted clarifications. The planning team said further amendments and implementation steps would be coordinated with the borough’s strategic plan and with stakeholders ahead of any regulatory or capital actions.