The City and Borough of Juneau Parks and Recreation Department primed the public Friday on what they are looking for in their next Hank Harmon Rifle Range partner.
Parks and Rec Director George Schaaf said the city’s user agreement with the current nonprofit running the range expires this year. The city provides the land and insurance to keep the range open, while the nonprofit oversees the management, maintenance and improvement of the facility.
“We really needed to start fresh, recognizing that there are a lot of people in town who are really interested in the range and how it’s managed and maintained, and there’s a lot of opportunity out there to make it better, too,” Schaaf said after a brief meeting attended by about 10 people in City Hall.
Spent bullet cases gather on the cement at the Hank Harmon Rifle Range on Montana Creek Road on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
The range is located on Montana Creek Road and features ranges of 100-yard and 450-yard distances.
The city is accepting Request For Information documents from prospective partners through Jan. 9. Parks and Rec Deputy Director Michele Elfers detailed the components of the RFI, which include a management plan and business plan.
“Really we’re just looking for a high-level overview of these ideas,” Elfers said. “You could do a few sentences or a paragraph on some of them and that would be fine. We’re just trying to gauge that a group has thought through the tasks, the responsibilities and all the aspects of management.”
The Hank Harmon Rifle Range on Montana Creek Road on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
The Request for Information document is online at Juneau.org/parksrec.
The range was built in the early 1960s, said Dan Palicka, President of the Juneau Rifle and Pistol Club and frequent range user for the last 15 years. Palicka already formed a group of private partners hoping to carry on the partnership with the city.
Palicka attested to the range’s popularity. He said its accessibility makes it friendly to essentially any shooting sport.
“It’s open pretty much from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year,” Palicka said.
Tim Storbeck Sr., right, and his son, Tim, check on their target while taking target practice at the Hank Harmon Rifle Range on Montana Creek Road on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
David Garcia staples a new target up while taking target practice at the Hank Harmon Rifle Range on Montana Creek Road on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Shooters check on their targets at the Hank Harmon Rifle Range on Montana Creek Road on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
