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Assembly approves rezoning, tax change and airport grant; introduces mobile‑residence ordinance
Summary
On Aug. 4 the borough assembly passed Ordinances 2079 (rezoning), 2080 (remove transient‑occupancy tax exemption), and 2081 (appropriate $2M BIL grant for airport terminal); introduced Ordinance 2082 (allow temporary mobile residences on construction sites).
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly completed several land‑use and budget actions at its Aug. 4 meeting, approving multiple ordinances in a single session.
Ordinance 2079 (rezoning): Planning Director Frank Maloney summarized a request from property owners (the Nigrins) to rezone Lot 158 B1 at 239 Cranberry Road to eliminate mixed zoning after lot consolidation. No public comment was offered. Miss Arntzen moved to adopt Ordinance 2079; the assembly approved it by roll call (6–0).
Ordinance 2080 (transient occupancy tax): Finance Director Charlene Thomas reported that removing a borough exemption for lodging inside city limits would add a 4% borough transient occupancy tax in the city, increasing the combined tax to 11% (7% city + 4% borough) and leaving areas outside city limits at 4%. Thomas estimated the change would generate approximately $600,000 annually and said staff plan to propose allocating those funds to the local education fund. The ordinance was moved and passed 6–0.
Ordinance 2081 (airport grant appropriation): The assembly appropriated $2,000,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) airport terminal program grant funds to allow the borough to draw down 90% of grant funds for phase A design and reimburse the airport enterprise fund; the remaining 10% will be provided when the project is complete. Miss Bowling introduced an amendment to correct the fiscal year from FY2025 to FY2026; the amendment passed by roll call and the amended ordinance passed 6–0.
Ordinance 2082 (mobile buildings as temporary residences): The assembly introduced Ordinance 2082 to amend Title 18, allowing temporary residential use of travel trailers/RVs on construction sites within the mobile building restricted overlay inside city limits when authorized through a conditional use permit, subject to hookups and building inspections. The introduction carried and the ordinance was set for public hearing on Aug. 18, 2025.
Routine business: The assembly approved claims totaling $4,531,827.09 and passed the consent calendar (minutes, resolutions, donations, appointments and FAA agreement amendment for the airport project) by unanimous votes. The meeting concluded after manager’s and mayor’s reports and member comments.
