Hub city of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; Bethel City Council and municipal government.
Bethel, AK 99559, USA
A $2 fix could cut $49,944 a year off Bethel's fitness center energy bill
A federally sponsored energy audit of Bethel's YK Fitness Center found heating oil accounts for 83% of the building's $419,207 predicted annual energy cost, and that two control changes costing $2 would save $49,944 a year. The Community Parks and Recreation Committee takes up the audit Sept. 14.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago1 min readAI
The roof went on wrong at Bethel's gym expansion and has to come off
UIC found that a subcontractor installed the roof and wall panels wrong on Bethel's YK Community Center gym expansion. The panels come off and get replaced at no cost to the City, but the fix pushes back a project scheduled for substantial completion Oct. 24.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago1 min readAI
Bethel shut off the water at a house leaking sewage and it came back on
Bethel shut off water at 251 Akiak Drive to halt wastewater generation after a failed private system discharged untreated sewage, and the resident restored service a day later. The Planning Commission takes up nuisance properties Sept. 10.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4d ago1 min readAI
Bethel's deadline to fix a sewage leak passed two weeks ago
The Bethel City Council declared 251 Akiak Drive a public nuisance and health hazard on Aug. 21 after a failed private wastewater system discharged untreated sewage, ordering owner Larry Little to fix the source and allowing city-led cleanup billed as a lien if he does not.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min readAI
Bethel Fire Department recruits nationally for a captain and firefighters
Bethel's fire department, with a career staff of eight covering fire, EMS, rescue and hazmat around the clock, says it is recruiting a Fire Captain and Firefighters/EMTs from around the country. It handled 1,280 EMS calls in 2022.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Bethel council to take up a holiday rescheduling rule, in a code section that does not set meeting dates
Mayor Rose Henderson is sponsoring an ordinance that would let the Bethel City Council reschedule regular meetings that fall on holidays. It is set for introduction Tuesday, Sept. 8, as a consent agenda item, and written public comment is due 24 hours ahead.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Short on officers, Bethel police look to grow their own with a cadet program
Bethel Police Department's August manager's report gives two different vacancy counts, a narrative line citing seven open officer positions and a staffing table listing three, while a school resource officer post and three dispatcher slots stay empty. The Public Safety and Transportation Commission takes up the report Sept. 2.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Bethel commission recommends $2 taxi fare increase, with $1 elder discount
Bethel's Public Safety and Transportation Commission voted 4-0 on Aug. 5 to raise taxi fares by $2, with a $1 discount for elders. The change still needs Bethel City Council action, and it is not on the council's Aug. 25 agenda.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAI
Bethel weighs letting its manager file lawsuits without council approval
An ordinance before the Bethel City Council would clarify the city attorney's authority to file routine litigation. The public hearing is Tuesday, Aug. 25, and written comment is due 24 hours ahead.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Bethel would move sand shed money to road salt and water plant engineering
Bethel would redirect about $55,000 from sand shed repairs to road salt and water treatment plant engineering under two budget changes up for a public hearing Tuesday.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Bethel wants a Louisiana firm to audit local businesses for unpaid sales tax, without bidding
Bethel's Finance Committee reviews a sole-source proposal to hire Revenue Recovery Group of Baton Rouge to audit local businesses for unpaid sales tax.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3w ago1 min readAI
Thursday is the last day to file for Bethel city council
Candidates for four Bethel city council seats on the Oct. 6 ballot have until 4 p.m. Thursday to file with the city clerk. All four carry terms ending in October 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
Bethel shut off a home's water to stop raw sewage, and the resident turned it back on
Bethel cut water service to 251 Akiak Drive on Aug. 12 to stop untreated sewage from discharging onto the ground. The city says the resident turned the water back on the next day. The City Council takes up nuisance abatement Friday, Aug. 21.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3w ago1 min readAI
The body overseeing the Y-K Delta's only fuel lifeline hasn't been able to meet in a year
Commissioners Stacey Reardon and Victoria Sosa have resigned from the Bethel Port Commission, which its own minutes show has lacked quorum at all 12 scheduled meetings over the past year. Port fee increases and the FY27 port budget sit on the Aug. 17 agenda.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAI
Bethel weighs fixes or demolition for three problem properties
Bethel's City Council will hold a Sept. 1 nuisance hearing on three long-chased problem properties, deciding whether to order fixes or demolition, part of a backlog of dozens.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAI
Bethel weighs a climbing fee to force action on empty buildings
A draft rewrite of Bethel's nuisance code would require owners to register vacant buildings within 30 days and pay annual fees rising from $100 to more than $1,000. The Planning Commission returns to it Aug. 13 after asking for more detail.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel's mayor files to run for her city council seat again
Bethel Mayor Rose "Sugar" Henderson filed a letter of intent to run for a city council seat in Bethel's Oct. 6 municipal election. Full candidacy filings close Aug. 20.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel weighs buying road salt before the river freezes
Bethel's City Council weighs buying $55,000 of road salt before freeze-up, a bulk order the off-road Kuskokwim hub must land by barge before the river ices over for winter.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel's safety and taxi commission is down to two of six members
Bethel's Public Safety and Transportation Commission will drop to two of six members this week, thinning oversight of the town's taxi industry and public safety needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Many Bethel homes still haul water. This money starts to change that.
Bethel won full principal forgiveness on $3.4 million in state water infrastructure loans, including design of a storage tank and pumphouse that would begin piping water to residents who now haul it.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
A shifting wall threatens Bethel's freight lifeline
The Army Corps says a shifting sheet pile wall at Bethel's City Dock needs engineering evaluation, raising concern for the port that supplies the roadless Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Bethel's lifeline dock is shifting — and its port commission can't get quorum
Army Corps inspectors found Bethel's City Dock — the fuel and freight lifeline for the roadless Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta — shifting and eroding, as the Port Commission takes it up after 11 months without quorum.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel moves to repay firefighters shorted on their pay
Bethel is set to approve back pay for its firefighters after a review found they missed earned Kelly Days while paid at a reduced rate, using existing fire department funds.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel lands $3.4M for water — and won't pay most of it back
The Bethel City Council will vote July 14 on four State Revolving Fund loan applications totaling roughly $3.38 million for water infrastructure, all carrying 100 percent forgiveness after disbursement, with only a combined $16,897 administrative fee deducted by the state.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel's free bulky-item pickup ends this month
Bethel residents can still use their one free annual bulky-item pickup through the city's Clean Up and Green Up program, which runs through the end of July. Those who miss the deadline must haul large items to the landfill themselves.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel hauled water and sewer deliveries shift early for Independence Day
The City of Bethel's holiday policy moved hauled water and sewer deliveries one day earlier than normal on Independence Day, affecting all three route groups including the Wednesday/Saturday group. Residents who blocked tank access risked a skipped stop, and the main utility office was closed for the weekend; after-hours emergencies reached 907-545-4695.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Bethel wants to charge owners who let buildings sit empty and rot
Two draft Bethel policies would charge owners escalating fees for vacant buildings and fund demolition of hazardous or fire-damaged structures, waiving the cost if owners commit to rebuilding.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
America's taxi capital is a roadless Alaska town
Bethel, Alaska, has more taxis per capita than any U.S. city because it's roadless — and its transportation commission is now weighing cab fares that residents depend on.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
One Bethel gym burns through $419,000 a year in energy. An audit says it doesn't have to.
An energy audit found Bethel's YK Fitness Center spends $419,000 a year on energy, mostly heating oil at $5.77 a gallon, and could save $51,000 annually with low-cost fixes.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI