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Anchorage Assembly votes May 26 on second round of child care licensing cuts to remove rules that duplicate state standards. Changes include dropping annual physicals for children, eliminating nutrition rules already covered by state and USDA, and allowing more online training. City oversees 92 licensed homes and 98 centers with no new revenue impact expected.
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Kenai budgets $1.55 million for street work and 2 percent pay raises for all staff. • Paramedic and police certification pay increases to match neighboring departments. • City allocates $300,000 for public safety building design ahead of November 2027 bond vote. • Water and sewer rates rise 4 percent to cover inflation and future plant upgrades.

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Assembly votes to require Planning Commission approval for new cell towers in Petersburg. Companies must first try mounting antennas on existing structures before building new towers. Public hearing set for June 1 with comment deadline May 25. Ordinance needs two more readings before final adoption.

Kenai proposes 4% water and sewer rate hike starting July 2026 to fund wastewater plant overhaul planned for 2029. • City losing 340,000 dollars annual revenue and facing higher chemical and staffing costs. • Rates remain among Alaska's lowest. Last increase was in fiscal year 2025. • Council will hold public hearing before final budget vote in May.

Petersburg Assembly voted 6-1 Monday to put a sales tax cap increase on the October 6 ballot, raising the single-purchase limit from $1,200 to $5,000 and the maximum tax owed from $72 to $300.

Tanana Chiefs Conference offers one-time disaster payments to enrolled tribal members whose homes or possessions are damaged by fire, flooding, or high winds, covering appliances, food loss, and winter gear with no income requirement.

Kenai City Council approved new subdivision and street design rules to speed up development review. • Minimum lot size set at 40,000 square feet for septic systems, matching borough standards. • Large subdivisions must extend water mains if public water is available within 1,500 feet. • New Street Design Manual can be updated by city staff without council approval, replacing rigid code rules.

Petersburg Assembly approved 20% sewer rate hike starting July 2026, adding $12 monthly to residential bills. • EPA banned mixing zones for wastewater, requiring $12-15 million in new treatment equipment. • Borough got $8 million federal funding but faces additional 10% annual increases through 2030. • Nine Alaska cities including Anchorage face similar EPA mandates.

Finance Committee cuts Travel Juneau marketing budget by 400,000 dollars, dropping funding 31 percent to close city deficit. • Executive director warns cut will remove Juneau from visitor marketplace for two to three years. • Full Assembly votes on budget June 8, must decide by June 15.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough approved a four-lot subdivision near Montana Creek and waived the requirement to build an improved road, allowing access only by existing pioneer road and trail.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approved a preliminary plat for Settler's Bay Unit 11.

Chugach Electric won an easement from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to realign a power line at Community Park Loop in Anchorage.

Cordova Council approved $181,000 school funding increase, half the district's request. • Council delays payment decision until May 20, debating mill-rate increase. • District needs to split 36-student seventh grade class and hire math teacher. • Cordova High School ranked Alaska's top high school two consecutive years.

Petersburg Medical Center won state approval to offer MRI scans and plans to install the machine within 30 to 45 days in its new Work Building.

Ketchikan Council votes to apply for $23M federal grant to upgrade electric grid and enable shore power for cruise ships. • Project replaces aging transmission lines, increasing capacity from 20 to 35 megawatts over four years. • Department of Energy covers $17M, city matches roughly $6M with possible state funding. • Application deadline is May 17.

Alaska borough transfers nine riverfront parcels to the state to build erosion barriers before the Matanuska River threatens the highway.

Mat-Su Assembly blocked a 1.5% sales tax proposal before public hearing, voting 6-3 to remove it from the agenda. • Assemblymember Nowers wanted to pair the tax with a $75,000 property tax exemption for homeowners. • Opponents said it added taxes rather than replacing them. A different 6.5% sales tax proposal remains scheduled for June 16 hearing.

Kenai Parks Commission unanimously approved a 10-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan on May 7 and sent it to City Council, which will review it May 20 and vote in June.

Kenai Planning Commission unanimously approved a variance allowing two multifamily buildings 10 feet from Cacnew Way instead of the standard 20 feet on a corner lot, citing safety improvements and housing demand.

Fitch upgraded Tanana Chiefs Conference bond rating to AA-, lowering borrowing costs for healthcare and infrastructure. • Karen Sitton named new CFO after 30-year finance career. • TCC opposes federal land transfer in Dalton Utility Corridor, citing threats to ancestral hunting grounds. • Morris Thompson Center hiring youth ages 14 to 21 for summer jobs.

Kenai City Council approved an extra $30,000 for consultants to evaluate two competing natural gas storage proposals at the municipal airport, bringing the total contract to $60,000.

Interior Alaska tribes warn a 1.4 million-acre Dalton corridor land transfer to state control could threaten subsistence rights, as state management rules differ from federal protections.

Kenai approved a 20-year parks plan to consolidate ball fields into one expanded sports complex. • Downtown green spaces become seasonal campground and event venue. • City spends 1.3 million yearly on parks but recovers only 17 percent through fees. • Near-term priorities include new playgrounds and ice rink upgrades.

Kenai's school bus stops lack safe lighting in winter darkness, assessment finds. City applies for 1.9 million dollar federal grant to upgrade lights and widen bike paths on two corridors. Most streetlights are aging LED units showing flicker and electrical problems. Grant decision expected next week, work would start later this year if approved.

Alaska DOT gets only half of $5 million budget restored for next fiscal year, leaving shortfalls in equipment, utilities, and energy costs. • Department will keep cost controls in place and monitor spending to protect maintenance services. • Capital budget and federal matching funds were fully approved for fiscal year 2027.

Anchorage officials say there are fewer people sleeping unsheltered in Anchorage, but it was pretty cold all winter.

Anchorage has $31 million in deficits across internal service funds. • Whoops!

Cryptocurrency data center would generate $2 million yearly and stabilize electric rates using existing power. • Residents worry about noise, fire safety, and power availability for future housing growth. • Company says facility quieter than old cannery equipment and willing to cut operations during peak demand.

AIDEA, JAG Marine Group, and Generations Southeast signed a workforce training agreement January 13 to prepare Alaskans for shipyard jobs tied to federal icebreaker and Coast Guard maintenance work Senator Dan Sullivan has promoted.
Petersburg gained 26000 dollars in January and 22000 dollars in February sales tax revenue after removing a senior exemption. • The borough removed the exemption to balance its budget without drawing reserves. • The assembly will consider raising the 1200 dollar sales tax cap in May, the lowest in Southeast Alaska. • Voters must approve any cap increase. Final budget approval is June 1.

Ketchikan City Council and selected city manager candidate Glen Adams failed to reach agreement on employment terms Friday, ending negotiations for the combined city manager and utilities general manager role.

Kenai Planning Commission rejected the city's plan to rezone 81 acres for denser housing and instead recommended rural residential zoning with larger lots, citing neighbor concerns about infrastructure despite a housing shortage.

Finance Committee cut $736,000 from city budget but Juneau still faces $687,000 deficit for 2027. Travel Juneau funding dropped $400,000, museum budget cut $261,500, and landscape budget trimmed $75,000. Committee rejected cuts to affordable housing and fire station lease that would raise insurance costs. Full Assembly votes on budget June 8.

Anchorage has 400 miles of failing storm pipes creating a $1.3 billion repair deficit with no dedicated funding. • Current emergency bonds cannot keep pace with deterioration causing sinkholes and flooding. • Replacing 4,000 feet of pipe on one street costs $25 to $50 million. • City exploring dedicated stormwater utility for long-term funding.

Petersburg wastewater rates to rise 53.5% over five years starting 2027 to fund three major projects worth 18.5 million dollars. • Average monthly bill jumps from 62.54 to 75.05 dollars in year one. • Assembly wants alternative rate schedules with flatter increases before voting.

Assembly delayed vote on cell tower rules as residents warned towers will rise without zoning limits. Planning Commission proposes overlay directing towers to borough and Forest Service land away from homes. Two companies seeking Petersburg sites. Mayor aims to introduce ordinance at next meeting if attorney approves.

Petersburg adds 1.71 mills to property taxes to cover 5% budget increase. • Health insurance costs rise $90,000, plus vehicle replacement and wage raises. • Marine passenger fee increases from $5 to $8 per head starting January 2027. • Final budget vote scheduled for June 1.

Petersburg Planning Commission identified cell tower sites on public and private land to guide wireless companies away from homes. Overlay zone ordinance would let companies build towers by right at approved spots, up to 200 feet tall. Commission drafting legal descriptions and ordinance language for June meeting before assembly vote.

Juneau's Tlingit immersion program graduated 8th graders who delivered speeches in Tlingit after years of fluency growth. • Students moved from reluctant speakers to confident communicators in the language. • Program is free for all students and partners with Sealaska Heritage Institute. • Graduates received traditional headbands and advance to high school.

Fairbanks Native Association, Doyon Limited, and city and borough partners held a remembrance gathering May 5 at Golden Heart Plaza to honor victims of unsolved homicides and call for justice.

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