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Sitka Assembly approves mid‑year budget move, advances ADA code update, body‑worn camera funding and records software on unanimous votes
Summary
On Feb. 24 the Sitka City and Borough Assembly approved a mid‑year supplemental appropriation on second reading and passed first readings on an ADA Title II code update, funding for a five‑year body‑worn camera program ($14,736 supplemental) and implementation of online public‑records software (just under $21,000); all votes were unanimous.
The Sitka City and Borough Assembly on Feb. 24 approved several administrative and budget measures, including a mid‑year supplemental appropriation on second and final reading and first readings of ordinances addressing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy, a body‑worn camera program for the police department, and a public‑records request software purchase.
The assembly unanimously approved ordinance 2026‑03 on second and final reading to make supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2026 mid‑year. Members then approved on first reading an ordinance (2026‑04) to incorporate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act into the Sitka General Code. Melissa Lunas, public and government relations director, said the change moves ADA Title II compliance from an internal administrative policy into the municipal code and formalizes complaint and fair‑hearing procedures.
Police Chief Chad Gayden introduced a proposal to fund the department’s body‑worn camera program for the current fiscal year with a supplemental appropriation of $14,736. Gayden said the chosen vendor (Axon) provides cloud storage and automated redaction; the cameras are part of a five‑year software‑as‑a‑service contract and future licensing costs would migrate to the IT budget. “We think of all of our options, this company reduces our future burden the most,” Gayden said, adding that the system should reduce staff redaction time but could increase the volume of public‑records requests.
Clerk staff presented a proposal to implement NextRequest, an online public‑records request platform, with an appropriation just under $21,000 to cover implementation and the first two years of service; staff said the system will automate routing, provide a clear audit trail, offer secure redaction tools and give requesters live guidance while drafting requests. Holly explained the city currently processes requests via PDF, email and spreadsheets and handled over 200 requests last year; so far in 2026 the office had received 44 requests.
Each ordinance passed on the roll call votes recorded at the meeting: the supplemental appropriation (ordinance 2026‑03) passed 7–0 on second reading; ADA code update (2026‑04) passed 7–0 on first reading; body‑worn camera appropriation (2026‑05) passed 7–0 on first reading; and the public‑records software appropriation (2026‑06) passed 7–0 on first reading. The assembly also approved a consent agenda item (Health Needs and Human Services Commission 2026 goals) and a procedural motion to extend the meeting to 11 p.m., both by unanimous votes.
Assembly members asked questions about record retention and use‑policy development for body‑worn camera footage; Chief Gayden said retention schedules and a public input process for the use policy are next steps and that contract storage currently includes unlimited cloud storage but that future vendor changes could require additional handling. Staff said NextRequest meets security requirements commonly used by government offices and will help reduce staff time spent tracking and redacting large records requests.
The measures move forward with action items for staff: finalize the body‑worn camera policy with public input, complete implementation of NextRequest within an approximately seven‑week timeline, and return ordinance 2026‑04 for subsequent readings as required.
