Historic District chair urges daily trash pickup as cruise-season trash rises; public works cites staffing and truck limits

Steve Heights, chair of the Historic District Commission, told the Public Works Committee that increased cruise-ship traffic and food vendors have amplified litter problems in Skagway’s Historic District and urged more frequent street sweeping, targeted daily pickup in front of iconic buildings and visible trash receptacles.

Heights recommended the street sweeper operate “a minimum of once a week,” said cigarette butts are the single most common litter item (estimating 250 on busy days), and urged morning cleanups by a dedicated seasonal worker. “If anybody did this, the trash issue would be more manageable,” Heights said, adding that volunteers and business owners also play a role in keeping storefronts and boardwalks tidy.

Public Works Director Tyson told the committee his crew has increased pickups in trouble spots and that complaints generally subside after stepped-up service. But he cautioned that doing downtown pickup five days a week would require another truck and an additional crew. “We’re really close…if we want to increase trash pickup on Broadway right now, we only do it Monday, Wednesday, Friday. If we wanted to do that five days a week…we’d need two crews, two trucks,” Tyson said, describing trade-offs between downtown pickup, residential routes and current staffing constraints.

Tyson also noted operational limits: the compost truck is not practical for regular trash without deep cleaning, the sweeper is aging, and seasonal hiring is hampered by a lack of available worker housing. Committee members agreed any changes to trash-can style or placement would require Historic District Commission review to meet design standards. The committee took the discussion as input and asked staff to continue evaluating operational options for the next budget cycle.