A flood protection plan requiring 466 property owners to pay nearly $6,300 each for barriers to build a semipermanent levee was unanimously approved by the Juneau Assembly on Monday night after far fewer than half of the owners formally objected to the proposal.
The plan approved by the Assembly pays for the installation of temporary HESCO barriers along the Mendenhall River that are expected to remain in place for up to a decade. The city is paying 60% of the cost, while the property owners are paying the remainder.
The payment for the barriers can be paid in full, or over the course of 10 years at 0% interest, after Assembly members agreed to an amendment initiated by Mayor Beth Weldon to nullify a 4.78% rate in the original proposed ordinance. Four of the property owners must also pay an additional $50,000 for riverbank reinforcement and will have up to 30 years to do so with the 4.78% interest rate charged after the first 10 years.
A total of 117 objections by property owners were filed against the Local Improvement District (LID). Objections had to be received in writing by Feb. 3 or it counted as a yes vote. On-site preparations are scheduled to begin immediately, with most the work occurring after the ordinance officially takes effect March 3 and makes the necessary funding available.
The barriers being provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are planned to be installed along a two-mile stretch of the river by this July ahead of Suicide Basin’s anticipated glacial outburst flood, which have been occurring annually since 2011. Last year’s flood damaged about 300 homes in the Mendenhall Valley after reaching a record-breaking 15.99 feet, exceeding the previous record of 14.97 feet set in 2023. The flood the last two years occurred in August, but there is no guarantee that the outburst won’t occur before the construction of the HESCO barrier levee.
Steve Bower signs an objection to the river barriers after giving public testimony to the Juneau Assembly on Feb. 3, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Deputy Mayor Greg Smith said the project was presented to the City and Borough of Juneau by USACE on what could be done before the 2025 flood season and beyond.
“It isn’t perfect,” he said. “We’re all striving for a longer-term solution.”
City Manager Katie Koester said the city’s flood response website has been updated with a list of grants and future efforts. She added a general investigation study is being pursued by the city to come up with a long-term solution. The American Relief Act of 2025 included disaster relief funding with a specific provision supporting Juneau’s flood mitigation efforts.
Public testimony during Monday’s meeting was mostly by residents opposed to the LID. Their reasons included doubts about the effectiveness of the barriers, the cost being imposed on homeowners already paying dearly after previous flood damage and the intrusive presence of the barriers in their backyards.
Patricia Bower, a resident of Long Run Drive, said she won’t be able to see the view she loves. The HESCO barriers are three feet square, four feet high and have interlinking metal frames.
“We paid a lot for that house on the river to watch the eagles,” she said.
Her husband, Steve Bower, told the Assembly that he wished there was an option to be excluded from the LID. He said since their home has been unaffected that he felt it unfair that his vote counted.
“This is just a case of people being unfortunate in their geography,” he said after signing an objection letter. “It’s a waste of a resource that can be better utilized for people who have suffered.”
They said although it’s unknown how far the water will reach in the future, a HESCO barrier is unnecessary for their property. Their house is located 20-22 feet above flood stage and there is land acting as a natural barrier.
Elizabeth Figus’ home on View Drive has been impacted by the flood, however, she is not a part of the LID. She testified against LID as a funding mechanism for the barriers.
“I want them to see the faces of people they’re not helping who are repeat flood victims and I want to keep reminding our city leadership of the other actions we have control over,” Figus said in an interview. “We could be alerting the public about the need to buy flood insurance through the national subsidized program. We need to be spending time as a community helping neighbors who aren’t affected yet understand the risk and get coverage.”
Elizabeth Figus speaks with others who testified at a Juneau Assembly meeting after a motion passed to install temporary flood barriers on Feb. 3, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Sam Hatch, a resident on Meander Way, said he poured hundreds to thousands of dollars into his house after the flood “to survive this.” He told the Assembly they would not see him at future meetings because he would be working nights.
“I support responsible flood fighting, but I am against the HESCO barriers,” Hatch said in his testimony.
After the Assembly passed the barriers to move forward, Hatch said in an interview he wished there had been more of an open conversation with the entire community on what was needed rather than discussions between the city and the 466 property owners in the “red zone.”
“When it started in October it was, ‘We’re thinking about HESCOs,’ to this is the only choice, and you’ll take it or we’ll do nothing,” Hatch said.
He said he felt the city did not consider the opinions of local engineers and nonprofits and instead only valued the recommendation of USACE. He said the local engineers with reputations should have had their voices considered.
Former Deputy Mayor Michelle Bonnet Hale, who lives in the Mendenhall Valley, testified in favor of the HESCO barriers.
“You had to do something,” she said. “It was a really tough balancing act and you did what you could.”
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
