Site Logo

Waste and water utilities stop cancellations

Published 12:50 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2020

By Michael S. Lockett

A black bear sow attempts to open a Pacific Waste garbage container in the Bonnie Brae subdivision on Douglas Island in July 2013. Water and wasted service won’t be discontinued for Juneauites in light of the ongoing pandemic. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)
1/2

A black bear sow attempts to open a Pacific Waste garbage container in the Bonnie Brae subdivision on Douglas Island in July 2013. Water and wasted service won’t be discontinued for Juneauites in light of the ongoing pandemic. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)

A black bear sow attempts to open a Pacific Waste garbage container in the Bonnie Brae subdivision on Douglas Island in July 2013. Water and wasted service won’t be discontinued for Juneauites in light of the ongoing pandemic. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)
A black bear sow attempts to open a Pacific Waste garbage container in the Bonnie Brae subdivision on Douglas Island in July 2013. Water and wasted service won’t be discontinued for Juneauites in light of the ongoing pandemic. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire file)

This article has been updated to include new information.

The City and Borough of Juneau Utility Division and Alaska Waste will not cancel services because of failure to pay during this time of quarantine measures that have led to loss of income for many.

“These are really unprecedented times and we want to help the communities we serve,” said Laurel Andrews, a spokesperson for Alaska Waste in a phone interview. “Right now we really are taking decisions day by day. The fallout from this, economically… it’s hard to say what will happen for our communities.”

[Power company suspends late fees and disconnections]

The CBJ utility division will likewise waive shutoffs and finance charges, as many people are working reduced hours or aren’t working at all as sweeping outbreak control measures take effect.

“We certainly recognize the financial extremity faced by most people brought on by the hunker down order,” said CBJ Finance Director Jeff Rogers in a phone interview. “We need people to keep maintaining good sanitation habits. We want people to keep washing their hands and they need running water to do that. We’re all in this together.”

Monday, the Assembly approved a “hunker down” order asking people in non-critical industries to stay home as much as possible.

These decisions follow a Alaska Electric Light & Power decision last week to afford customers leeway in paying late bills and belaying all cancellations until the quarantine period is over.

Alaska Waste can be contacted at 780-7800 for help arranging payments. CBJ Revenue Collections can be contacted at 586-5268 or e-mail Collections@juneau.org.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757.621.1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.

You Might Like