Ketchikan committee drops visitor bureau seat from draft tourism board

Ketchikan's ad hoc tourism committee struck the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau executive director from the city's planned Tourism Advisory Board on Oct. 5 and finished its proposed revisions to the draft ordinance that would create the board. The Ketchikan City Council has not yet acted on it.

The ordinance sets who would sit on a nine-member board that advises the council on tourism. An earlier draft listed the bureau director as an ex officio member, a seat that joins discussion without a vote.

Chair Sheldon Johnson raised the question. "We have no balance for those that have true passion for protecting what makes Ketchikan Ketchikan without a profit motive," Johnson said. The bureau works under contract with the city, he said, and "the board can invite them to meetings when they need them."

Member Marcus Wever had pressed for a seat from the Ketchikan Historic Commission to speak for Creek Street. "The people making money off Creek Street aren't going to be involved primarily with protecting Creek Street," Wever said. Member Ty Rettke said more ex officio seats would invite "special interest to try and affect the decision of this operation." No Historic Commission seat was added, and members said other groups can speak during public comment.

The draft seats a council member, a city resident and two at-large members who live year-round in the city or the borough. The committee changed the wording on which groups members represent from "shall" to "may," so the mayor can fill a seat when no qualified applicant comes forward.

Members also revised the board's research duty to track tourism trends and assess "economic, cultural, and community impacts." Wever said the board should issue "a statement of consensus whenever possible" and send any written dissent to the council.

The council created the ad hoc committee in March to develop a Tourism Advisory Board. Alaska News reported Sept. 23 on the committee's decision to leave cruise line agencies off the board. Johnson asked members to return comments on a clean copy before city staff review, and said then, "we'll go to the city council."