KODIAK — Kodiak officials are considering a funding proposal to help develop a plan for the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Mayor Pat Branson says there have been requests from the state’s Marine Transportation Advisory Board for coastal communities that receive ferry service to provide financial assistance for the AMHS plan. He says some communities have already pitched in, The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported.
Branson, who serves on the board, discussed the matter at a City Council work session Tuesday.
In May, Gov. Bill Walker signed off on a memorandum that established the creation of a 25-year strategic plan for the ferry system. Southeast Conference, a regional development nonprofit, is developing the plan that seeks to find alternative revenue sources and identify potential partnerships for the ferry system.
“The big fight, as always, is to fight off the road system folks who don’t see the value in the marine highway system, although they have roads connecting them from A to B,” said City Councilman John Whiddon, Kodiak’s appointee to a ferry restructure steering committee. “These are our roads.”
