Unified home-rule city and borough on Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. Former capital of Russian America; now a fishing, tourism, and seafood processing hub with the Sitka Sound at its center.
Sitka, AK, USA
Sitka gets $1.1 million state grant to upgrade Eliason Harbor electrical systems and floats
Sitka Harbor Department secures $1.1 million State of Alaska grant for electrical upgrades and float repairs at Eliason Harbor; design nearing final stages.
by Walter AlaskaNews2h ago1 min read
Sitka Assembly votes to negotiate contract with Gerrie Cotter for municipal administrator
Sitka Assembly votes to negotiate a municipal administrator contract with finalist Gerrie Cotter to succeed John Leach; salary and start date not yet set.
by Walter AlaskaNews2h ago1 min read
Sitka planners favor 30 to 40 single-family lots near Sitka High School
Sitka Planning Commission favors 30 to 40 single-family lots near Sitka High School and mixed housing on Osprey Street in Phase II of the housing land study.
by Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read
Lincoln Street in downtown Sitka to close Oct. 5 to 15 for water line work
Sitka Lincoln Street closure Oct. 5 to 15 near St. Michael's Cathedral for water line work; drivers detour via Maksoutoff and American streets.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Alaska Supreme Court takes up Sitka assault where a woman owes $104,000 to the doctor who pleaded guilty to assaulting her
The Alaska Supreme Court will hear Breanna Wampler's appeal Nov. 20 after a Sitka jury, never told of Dr. Richard McGrath's guilty plea, ruled against her civil claims.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago3 min read
FAA awards Sitka $2 million for seaplane base land and final design
The FAA awarded Sitka about $2 million to buy land and finish design for a replacement floatplane base, leaving the $34 million construction unfunded.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago1 min read
Sitka Assembly favors a half-point summer sales tax for child care, with no vote taken
The Sitka Assembly favored raising the summer sales tax half a point to fund child care at its Sept. 8 meeting, though the minutes record no vote and an ordinance has yet to be written. Staff estimate the increase would raise about $1.19 million a year against a $1 million package. The election date is not set.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min read
Most of Sitka's administrator search has happened in executive session
Sitka's Assembly will decide Tuesday on next steps for municipal administrator applicant Gerrie Cotter, months after its original sole finalist left the running.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Sitka would make backyard apartments easier to build, in fewer places
A Sitka ordinance would cut the requirements for building an accessory dwelling unit from 14 to eight, cap them at 800 square feet and bar them from R-2 lots.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Sitka's sales tax drops a point Oct. 1, the one that funds schools
Sitka's seasonal sales tax drops from 6 percent to 5 percent on Oct. 1 through March 2027, lowering the rate on most purchases across the borough.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
A write-in candidate has entered Sitka's Assembly race for two seats
Mary Ann Hall has entered Sitka's Assembly race as a write-in ahead of the Oct. 6 election, with an Oct. 1 filing deadline for votes to count.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Sitka's Assembly takes up how to pay for child care
The Sitka Assembly meets Tuesday, Sept. 8, to discuss, direct or decide on a funding source and implementation model for local childcare, seven weeks after a work session devoted entirely to the shortage. No mechanism has been adopted.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Sitka Assembly to interview municipal administrator applicant Gerrie Cotter on Sept. 10
The City and Borough of Sitka Assembly will interview Municipal Administrator applicant Gerrie Cotter by Zoom at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, then take up direction on the candidate and the wider recruitment, possibly in executive session.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Sitka requires appointments for large scrap loads and vehicles at Gary Paxton yard
Effective immediately, anyone bringing more than a dump truck load of scrap metal or a large vehicle to Sitka's Gary Paxton Industrial Park Scrap Yard must schedule ahead, with the city citing limited yard space and a shortage of shipping containers.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago1 min read
Sitka's Planning Office will be closed for a full week in September
Sitka residents with permit, zoning, or planning-record questions will wait until the week of Sept. 14 for answers. The Planning Office is closed to the public Tuesday, Sept. 8, through Friday, Sept. 11, while staff work on code updates and land management.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Heads up, Sitka flyers: the airport's pre-security restrooms close for six weeks in September
Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport's pre-security public restrooms close in September for roughly six weeks of remodeling, with temporary facilities placed outside in the loading zone and secure-area restrooms open to ticketed passengers.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sitka school zone flasher on Kashevaroff Street is out of service
The school zone flasher at the top of Kashevaroff Street in Sitka is out of service until replacement equipment arrives, expected within the next few weeks. Flashers on Edgecumbe Drive still work, and the city says school speed limits remain enforceable.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sitka may rewrite its rules for second homes on residential lots
Sitka's Planning Commission will review a draft zoning amendment on accessory dwelling units Monday, in a special meeting called for that single item.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Sitka Assembly takes up a public records appeal Tuesday
The Sitka Assembly will act Tuesday on Austin Cranford's appeal of the municipal clerk's determination on a public records request he filed in June.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sitka is set to confirm a fire chief who's already been doing the job
The Sitka Assembly votes Tuesday, Aug. 25, on approving Brian McLaughlin as Fire Chief, the hire recommended by Municipal Administrator John Leach. The chief oversees fire, EMS, and search and rescue across 4,710 square miles.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Sitka's sole finalist for city administrator is gone, and the Assembly is starting over
Sitka could name a new city administrator Friday, but the sole finalist it introduced last month is gone, and the Assembly is now interviewing two different candidates.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Davidoff Street closes Saturday morning for Sitka manhole repair
Sitka will close Davidoff Street between Charteris Street and Halibut Point Road from 5:30 a.m. to about 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, while crews repair a manhole lid at the Halibut Point Road intersection.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Lower Barracks Street closes Wednesday morning for Sitka crosswalk painting
Lower Barracks Street in downtown Sitka closes from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Aug. 12, while volunteers paint crosswalk art. Traffic will be rerouted via Race Street to American Street.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sitka Harbor Office closes at noon Friday, reopens Monday
The City and Borough of Sitka Harbor Office at 617 Katlian Avenue closes at noon Friday, Aug. 7, and reopens at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Walk-in service and office phones are unavailable, and the city points anyone needing immediate help to an on-duty cell line.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sitka's old pulp mill site keeps filling up — another lot goes out for development
Sitka is seeking developers for a lot at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park, the former pulp mill site that has steadily revived with fish processors, a tannery and marine businesses.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read
Why Sitka subsidizes electric bills: the Blue Lake Dam debt
Sitka is accepting applications through Oct. 31 for its electric-bill subsidy, a program rooted in the roughly $125 million Blue Lake Dam debt that drives up local power rates.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Eleven Sitka islands lose power for a day as crews swap a channel cable
Eleven islands off Sitka lose power 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, July 31, as the city replaces an aging underwater power cable across Sitka Channel.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Sitka moves to fix its late-night ride problem
Sitka's Assembly takes up an ordinance Aug. 11 replacing its 1990s taxicab code with rules covering taxis, tours, shuttles and pedicabs, plus flat zone-based fares.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Sitka crosswalk art project brings morning delays to Lincoln Street starting Thursday
Outer Coast volunteers will paint decorative crosswalk art on Lincoln Street Thursday and Friday, July 23-24, as part of a pedestrian safety demonstration tied to Sitka's Walkability Action Institute participation; motorists should expect delays from 9 a.m. to noon each day.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Pioneer Park main shelter closes mornings July 23-24 for volunteer work
Volunteer groups including Outer Coast will pressure-wash Pioneer Park facilities Thursday and Friday, July 23-24, from 9 a.m. to noon each day; the main shelter will be unavailable during those hours for safety.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Sitka names sole finalist for municipal administrator, schedules public receptions
Jenny Alber is the only finalist for Sitka's municipal administrator position, and the Assembly is hosting two community receptions at Harrigan Centennial Hall on July 26 and 27 before moving toward a hiring decision.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Sitka police tag 27 vehicles in abandoned-car crackdown since May
The Sitka Police Department has tagged 27 vehicles since May 2026 as part of an active enforcement campaign targeting abandoned, inoperable, and junk vehicles on public streets. Fifteen have already been disposed of and seven remain in the notification window.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Sitka's Fourth of July party is back — just leave the car behind
Sitka closes Katlian and Lincoln streets downtown July 3–5 for its Fourth of July celebration, including the parade, a Coast Guard rescue demo, and the annual water fight.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Sitka sets new ground rules for its cruise-season crush
Sitka launched a voluntary Tourism Best Management Practices program to manage cruise-season impacts, alongside its cap of 7,000 daily passengers, as visitor season peaks.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A Sitka Assembly seat just opened — and the window's short
A seat on the Sitka Assembly is vacant as of Tuesday, June 30, following Tim Pike's resignation. Residents who meet voter and residency requirements have until noon July 8 to apply; the Assembly will make the appointment at its July 14 meeting.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
In Sitka, they're carrying your luggage by hand this summer
Sitka is running several major infrastructure projects at once this summer, including an airport terminal overhaul that has workers hand-carrying luggage to keep flights moving.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Sitka confronts a child care shortage it can't fully fix alone
Sitka is studying a local child care shortage that mirrors a national crisis, as rising costs and licensing requirements squeeze providers and families across Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crashed on Harbor Mountain above Sitka
A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk crashed on Harbor Mountain above Sitka Monday morning. Harbor Mountain Road is closed and the cause is under investigation.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Sitka seeks crosswalk design ideas for Lincoln Street
The city wants earth-tone geometric patterns that make pedestrians more visible downtown. Residents have until June 24 to submit ideas.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Sitka Assembly awards Fisheries Enhancement Fund grants June 9
The Sitka Assembly will decide which projects receive funding from the Fisheries Enhancement Fund at its June 9 meeting. The fund has supported hatchery and stock-enhancement work in past years.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read