Manager – Page 2 – City and Borough of Juneau

CBJ offices and facilities closed today, December 2

CBJ offices and facilities will be closed today, Monday, December 2 due to the ongoing winter storm event and poor road conditions. CBJ asks that residents leave roadways clear for snowplow crews and emergency services to the extent possible.

Scheduled CBJ Assembly meetings will take place virtually. Zoom links for CBJ meetings are available on the CBJ calendar. Agendas are available on the agendas/minutes page.

For the latest weather information, check with the National Weather Service – Juneau.

December 2nd, 2024|

CBJ offices and facilities opening at 11 a.m. Monday, December 2

Due to the ongoing snowstorm and potential for additional accumulation overnight, CBJ offices and facilities will open at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 2, dependent on road conditions in the morning.

For information about winter maintenance and the CBJ road maintenance priority map, please visit CBJ Winter Maintenance Information. For information about State of Alaska road maintenance, visit the Department of Transportation’s Winter Road Maintenance Priority Map.

For the latest weather information, check with the National Weather Service – Juneau area.

December 1st, 2024|

CBJ recognizes visitor industry for major contributions to flood relief

On August 6, a glacial outburst flood from the Mendenhall Glacier led to record river highs and widespread flooding in Juneau’s most populous residential area. At the latest count, nearly 290 residences were damaged and hundreds of Juneauites displaced from their homes.

In the wake of the disaster, corporations, charitable foundations, and individuals from Alaska and beyond have stepped up to contribute to relief efforts. Juneau is a community with strong ties to the visitor industry, and businesses from major cruise lines to local Franklin Street shops have honored that relationship with significant financial donations.

“We deeply appreciate this support at a time when our community is in need,” said CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce. “With so many households affected, everyone in Juneau has felt the impact—whether or not they have ties to the visitor industry. Recovery will take time, and these contributions will make a recognizable difference in helping families get back on their feet.”

CBJ gratefully recognizes the following visitor industry businesses for their generous contributions:

Alaska Airlines $25,000
Carnival Corporation $25,000
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings $50,000
Royal Caribbean Group $60,000

CBJ also gratefully recognizes the efforts of the Downtown Business Association to raise $10,000 from Franklin Street businesses and other local organizations.

These efforts coincide with a generous donation of $75,000 from Disney Cruise Line to the Southeast Alaska Food Bank—part of an ongoing relationship that has included both volunteer aid and financial support. SAFB supports 42 nonprofits throughout Juneau, Pelican, Gustavus, and Hoonah, as well as operating a weekly public pantry in Juneau.

All flood relief donations are accepted and administered through the Juneau Community Foundation‘s Mendenhall River Flood Relief Fund. To make a contribution, donate online or make checks payable to Juneau Community Foundation, 350 North Franklin Street, Suite 4, Juneau, Alaska 99801. For information about other methods of donation, please call (907) 523-5450 or email [email protected].

September 17th, 2024|

Suicide Basin full, overtopping glacier

Data indicates Suicide Basin has filled and has begun to overtop the glacier. What does this mean? Like water overflowing out a full bathtub, water flowing over the dam created by the glacier has to go somewhere – in this case, Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River. At this point, we don’t know how much the overtop will raise the level of the Mendenhall River. Due to monitoring and modeling improvements since 2023, the community will have more notice if the river rises to hazardous levels.

Overtopping events by themselves haven’t resulted in floods in the past, but we tend to see outburst events – or jökulhlaups – shortly after the basin fills up and overtops, which can cause floods. An outburst is when the basin drains rapidly – like pulling out the plug in a full bathtub.

Residents in the vicinity of the river, especially those to the west of Riverside Drive, are strongly encouraged to make an evacuation plan and prepare a go-bag in case of emergency.

CBJ and local weather agencies will monitor river conditions closely over the coming hours and days. The single best source for overall weather information is https://www.weather.gov/ajk/suicideBasin.

For information about how to stay safe during a flood, visit juneau.org/emergency/juneau-hazards and click the “Floods” tab. For more information about glacial outbursts, visit CBJ’s jökulhlaup FAQ.

For the latest advisories from CBJ, visit juneau.org/newsroom or follow CBJ on Facebook.

Specific water-level data is available via the National Weather Service’s Mendenhall River gauge and Suicide Basin gauge.

August 1st, 2024|

City and Borough of Juneau and cruise lines sign Memorandum of Agreement on port capacity

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) and cruise lines calling the port have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to help manage visitor industry volume in the capital city by establishing a limit of 16,000 lower berths per day, with 12,000 on Saturday.

The agreement also includes a commitment to meet annually to optimize the schedule, review visitor numbers and discuss community goals. Negotiated by CBJ and Cruise Lines International Association in Alaska (CLIA), the latest MOA is based on recommendations established by the Visitor Industry Task Force (VITF) in 2021 and furthers the partnership among the parties.

“This latest agreement reflects the industry’s ongoing commitment to work with CBJ and the residents of Juneau to deliver win-win partnerships. Cruise lines are committed to being strong partners with the community and the City’s leadership has been instrumental in maintaining a dialogue to foster solutions to the issues highlighted by the VITF,” said Renée Limoge Reeve, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at CLIA. “We’ve heard the community’s concerns and will continue to partner with CBJ to improve the experience of residents and visitors alike.”

The daily thresholds recognize the need to preserve resident and visitor experience and provide a predictable market for the many local businesses that rely on the cruise industry. It also demonstrates partnership and collaboration between the community and industry as they work together to maintain a vibrant and sustainable visitor industry in Juneau and Southeast Alaska.

“The cruise industry is vital to our local economy, and we need to improve our infrastructure and grow our tour capacity to create a great guest experience and reduce impacts on residents,” said Juneau Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce. “With this agreement, we are committing to a cap to manage our busiest days and to meet annually to ensure that our visitor numbers remain sustainable. This work is difficult, time consuming, and extremely important for our community. We appreciate the partners who helped us get here.”

Find information on the Visitor Industry Task Force and the agreement at juneau.org/tourism.

June 3rd, 2024|