City and Borough of Juneau Assembly

Former University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor John Pugh speaks to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

Opinion: We need to elect child care proponents

I was stunned when I attended a City and Borough of Juneau Assembly meeting last week and found three Assembly members — Mayor Ken Koelsch,… Continue reading

Former University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor John Pugh speaks to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: Assembly gets an ‘A’ for cost of living

Opinion: Assembly gets an ‘A’ for cost of living

Alaska is the seventh most expensive state to live in.

Opinion: Assembly gets an ‘A’ for cost of living
Mayor Ken Koelsch speaks about his first year as mayor from his city hall office on Thursday, March 30, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

‘An unexpected honor:’ Koelsch reflects on time as Juneau mayor

During his speech at Thursday’s Juneau Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon, Mayor Ken Koelsch quoted Mark Twain more than a dozen times. Koelsch, who is… Continue reading

Mayor Ken Koelsch speaks about his first year as mayor from his city hall office on Thursday, March 30, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
City Attorney Robert Palmer (left) shakes hands with Mayor Ken Koelsch moments after being named the City and Borough of Juneau’s municipal attorney. Palmer replaces Amy Mead, who was selected to be a Superior Court judge this summer. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

Robert Palmer selected as head municipal attorney

With a unanimous vote Wednesday, the members of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly selected Robert Palmer to be the new municipal attorney. Palmer,… Continue reading

City Attorney Robert Palmer (left) shakes hands with Mayor Ken Koelsch moments after being named the City and Borough of Juneau’s municipal attorney. Palmer replaces Amy Mead, who was selected to be a Superior Court judge this summer. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)
Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis applauds Lily Hope for the Individual Artist Award during the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center on Friday, August 17, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

High-achieving artists recognized at annual Mayor’s Awards for the Arts

Sherry Patterson sounded grateful — and a little bemused — while accepting the Achievement in the Arts award at the annual Mayor’s Awards for the… Continue reading

Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis applauds Lily Hope for the Individual Artist Award during the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center on Friday, August 17, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
High-achieving artists recognized at annual Mayor’s Awards for the Arts

High-achieving artists recognized at annual Mayor’s Awards for the Arts

Sherry Patterson sounded grateful — and a little bemused — while accepting the Achievement in the Arts award at the annual Mayor’s Awards for the… Continue reading

High-achieving artists recognized at annual Mayor’s Awards for the Arts
Andy Hughes is pictured prior to the 2017 municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Andy Hughes drops out of Assembly race

The race for the Areawide seat on the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly is already down to two candidates. Andy Hughes dropped out of… Continue reading

Andy Hughes is pictured prior to the 2017 municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
City Attorney Amy Mead talks about her career on Thursday, August 16, 2018, as she prepares to start her new job on Monday as a Superior Court Judge. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Mead prepares for jump from attorney to judge

When she was 25, Amy Mead was living in Boston, working at the Hard Rock Café and wondering what to do with the rest of… Continue reading

City Attorney Amy Mead talks about her career on Thursday, August 16, 2018, as she prepares to start her new job on Monday as a Superior Court Judge. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Chicken Yard Park doesn’t need change

Chicken Yard Park in Starr Hill is nearly 100 years old. My grandfather played in it. It was the neighborhood itself that put in the… Continue reading

A Capital City Fire/Rescue crew transports a cruise ship passenger off the Radiences of the Seas downtown on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Fire department gets funding for another ambulance crew

Starting in October, Capital City Fire/Rescue will be able to have an extra ambulance staffed around the clock. The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly… Continue reading

A Capital City Fire/Rescue crew transports a cruise ship passenger off the Radiences of the Seas downtown on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Ben Patterson, the city’s park maintenance supervisor, tries to read a moss-covered gravestone as he gives a tour of the cemetery sections in Douglas on Monday, August 13, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

City might help maintain overgrown Douglas cemeteries

Ben Patterson had to pull the devil’s club and alder to the side to get a good look at the gravestone. Patterson, the landscape maintenance… Continue reading

Ben Patterson, the city’s park maintenance supervisor, tries to read a moss-covered gravestone as he gives a tour of the cemetery sections in Douglas on Monday, August 13, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
In this June 2017 photo, a pedestrian walks by City Hall. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

Early childhood education funding will not appear on October ballot

Despite the majority of sitting City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members being in favor of putting a child care funding initiative on the October… Continue reading

In this June 2017 photo, a pedestrian walks by City Hall. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)
Norton Gregory gives Carole Triem a high-five as he arrives at City Hall to resign from his Assembly seat to run for mayor on Monday, August 13, 2018. Triem was waiting for Gregory to resign so she could file to run for his areawide seat. The Candidate Filing Period for the Oct. 2 Municipal Election closed Monday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Crowded races abound in municipal election

All was quiet at the Clerk’s Office at City Hall on Monday, until about 3 p.m. At that point, an hour and a half before… Continue reading

Norton Gregory gives Carole Triem a high-five as he arrives at City Hall to resign from his Assembly seat to run for mayor on Monday, August 13, 2018. Triem was waiting for Gregory to resign so she could file to run for his areawide seat. The Candidate Filing Period for the Oct. 2 Municipal Election closed Monday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
City Hall stands on a quiet morning on June 7, 2017. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)

Field almost set for municipal election

Entering the final day for candidates to register for the municipal election, there are still a few details that need to be worked out. The… Continue reading

City Hall stands on a quiet morning on June 7, 2017. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire File)
Donald Habeger, community coordinator for the Juneau Reentry Coalition, opens a community meeting addressing the barriers to housing that post-incarcerated people in Juneau face. The meeting took place at Centennial Hall on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. (Richard McGrail | Juneau Empire File)

Habeger declares run for Assembly

Don Habeger has lived in Juneau for nearly 40 years, and though he’s worked in politics, he’s never run for a spot on the Assembly.… Continue reading

Donald Habeger, community coordinator for the Juneau Reentry Coalition, opens a community meeting addressing the barriers to housing that post-incarcerated people in Juneau face. The meeting took place at Centennial Hall on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. (Richard McGrail | Juneau Empire File)
Capital City Fire/Rescue Chief Rich Etheridge (left) and Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove look over a spreadsheet that lays out staffing costs for the fire department at a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)

City open to spending more in staffing fire department

Capital City Fire/Rescue might get more money for staffing increases than previously thought. That staffing will only be guaranteed through next year, though. At Wednesday’s… Continue reading

Capital City Fire/Rescue Chief Rich Etheridge (left) and Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove look over a spreadsheet that lays out staffing costs for the fire department at a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)
Members of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4303 attend Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, Assembly meeting to speak to Assembly members about their concern in the number of career firefighters working in Juneau. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Firefighters’ union urges Assembly to take more serious staffing action

As city officials consider ways to help Capital City Fire/Rescue responders with rising call volumes, members of the local firefighters’ union say one solution on… Continue reading

Members of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4303 attend Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, Assembly meeting to speak to Assembly members about their concern in the number of career firefighters working in Juneau. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Beth Weldon resigned from the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly on Tuesday as she prepares to run for mayor. Assembly member Norton Gregory intends to follow suit, as he has also declared his candidacy for mayor in the upcoming municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Weldon resigns from Assembly for mayoral run, Gregory expected to do same

Beth Weldon resigned from the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly on Tuesday, according to a release from the city, as her upcoming campaign for… Continue reading

Beth Weldon resigned from the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly on Tuesday as she prepares to run for mayor. Assembly member Norton Gregory intends to follow suit, as he has also declared his candidacy for mayor in the upcoming municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Capital City Fire/Rescue cleans up after fighting a fire at 526 Seward Street, next to the Terry Miller Legislative Building, on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

City taking time to examine CCFR staffing changes

In examining how to give money to Capital City Fire/Rescue, members of the Assembly are looking to gather more feedback and further examine their options.

Capital City Fire/Rescue cleans up after fighting a fire at 526 Seward Street, next to the Terry Miller Legislative Building, on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Wade Bryson. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)

Businessman Wade Bryson joins District 2 race

Businessman Wade Bryson has joined the race for the District 2 City and Borough of Juneau Assembly seat. The 44-year-old father of five announced his… Continue reading

Wade Bryson. (Kevin Gullufsen | Juneau Empire)