On Sept. 11, 1986, the Southeast Alaska Community Action Program (SEACAP) filed a complaint against the Alaska State Housing Authority (ASHA) for holding an outcry auction to sell the Marine View Apartment building on South Franklin Street. The complaint claimed that because the building has housed state offices and low-income apartments, it was a part of the federally funded Neighborhood Development program and therefore must have a public hearing before the building can be sold. SEACAP claimed that the complaint was for the many low-income residents who would be driven out of a home if the building were to be sold. The public hearing would at least allow these residents to speak out against the sale.
Meanwhile, the Alaska Marine Highway System was put back on schedule, with reservations for sailings available starting in October. The ferry system’s winter schedule usually started in August, but budget restrictions had put any schedule planning in limbo until Gov. Bill Sheffield added $5 million back into the marine highway’s budget.
In election news, Alaskan voters found a new addition to their November ballot. Alaskans were to be asked to vote for or against a law that would phase out the longevity bonus program but provide some middle-aged Alaskans the option to receive monthly payments until the age of 65 by giving part or all of their Permanent Fund Dividend to a type of investment program. The results would act as a guiding light for the Alaska Legislature’s next session.
