Skagway HEW committee advances CLT rules, sets 1‑year limit on qualifying gifts

Skagway Municipality Health, Education & Welfare Committee members on May 6 reviewed draft homebuyer selection criteria for a proposed Community Land Trust and set several procedural steps before finalizing income targeting and governance.

The committee, chaired by Adam Waddell, heard a public comment from Sherry Coington, who objected to a draft residency screen that would count applicants present “at least seven months of the calendar year,” calling seven months “seasonal housing” and urging a 9–10 month threshold for year‑round residency. Coington also urged the committee to weight its homebuyer selection process to favor longer‑term residents and to bar short‑term rentals; she suggested using evidence such as receipt of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) in recent years or municipal COVID‑relief assistance to document local ties.

Michael Brown, who prepared example procedures and business planning notes for the committee, told members the draft language needs a clearly defined look‑back window (for example, seven months in the previous calendar year or across multiple prior years) so applicants understand the standard and the CLT can defend it. Brown said the committee should decide whether the occupancy screen applies to the prior year or a multi‑year period.

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