Manager – Page 2 – City and Borough of Juneau

Statement from City Manager Katie Koester

August 1, 2025

Good afternoon,

On July 30th Juneau Police Department officers responded to an altercation in which a woman was observed harassing and making racial slurs at a man waiting for the bus in front of the Douglas Library. Officers responded and arrested the female. Another party entered the altercation and was arrested using a technique designed to control the situation by bringing the suspect to the ground. However, this action went terribly wrong and resulted in the suspect hitting his head on the concrete sidewalk, requiring medical attention and transport out of Juneau. CBJ does not have information on his current medical status, nor do we have permission from the family to share that information. Our heartfelt thoughts are with him and his family during this traumatic and difficult experience.

In response to these events, the arresting officer was placed on administrative leave. JPD has requested an independent investigation by an external agency that will review the use and level of force deployed in this incident. Following the investigation, the State of Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will review the case. In addition, we are conducting an internal investigation that will consider the technique and level of force used and if it was aligned with JPD policy. Body camera footage will be reviewed as part of this investigation and will be made available to the public within 30 days of the incident, or no later than August 30.

CBJ understands the deep community concern over this tragic injury. We recognize that the incident and associated video footage may be deeply upsetting, confusing, and overwhelming and encourage residents to utilize the support services available through local resources (www.juneaumentalhealth.org/services).

We appreciate our community’s outreach and shared concerns, and are taking steps to review our own policies, procedures, and practices to ensure they are consistent with JPD values to preserve human life while meeting its mission to protect public safety.

Respectfully,
Katie Koester, City Manager
City & Borough of Juneau

August 1st, 2025|

Marine Passenger Fee recommendations open for public comment through May 7

The public has until May 7 to comment on the City Manager’s recommendations for how to allocate cruise ship Marine Passenger Fee (MPF) proceeds in the upcoming year. Read the draft proposal on the MPF website.

The draft proposal makes recommendations on expenditure of funds that come from the $5 City and Borough of Juneau Marine Passenger Fee, $3 CBJ Port Development Fee, and the $5 State of Alaska Commercial Passenger Vessel Fee. For budgeting purposes, CBJ has estimated that about 1.65 million passengers will come to Juneau this year. Based on that projection, the amount of revenue in fiscal year 2026 is anticipated to be roughly $21.5 million.

In December, CBJ solicited project proposals from city departments and the public, including businesses and the visitor industry, to be funded with MPF proceeds. The Visitor Industry Director is recommending 29 operating, grant and capital funding allocations. They include:

Covered bus stop on Mendenhall Loop Road
Dock safety cameras on the downtown seawalk
Pulse Point emergency responder app
Improvements to Marine Park
Funding for shore power
Water and wastewater system upgrades

Submit comments on the recommendations by Wednesday, May 7, 2025 to CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce by email to [email protected] or by mail to the City Manager’s Office, attn: Alexandra Pierce, 155 S. Seward Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801.

All Marine Passenger Fee project proposals and comments will be forwarded along with the City Manager’s recommendation list to the Assembly Finance Committee for review, and then to the Assembly for consideration during the upcoming budget cycle.

For more information, contact CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce at [email protected] or visit the Marine Passenger Fee Program website.

April 7th, 2025|

Public can submit proposals for Marine Passenger Fee proceeds starting December 2

The City and Borough of Juneau will accept public proposals for projects to be funded with 2025 Marine Passenger Fee proceeds from December 2, 2024 through January 2, 2025. This annual process ensures that all members of the community can have a say in how fees from the cruise ship industry are reinvested in local business and services.

This year, all submissions may be made via a webform that provides more information about the restricted nature of these funds and aims to encourage more successful submissions.

The Marine Passenger Fee, a $5 fee per cruise ship passenger, was established in 1999 by Juneau voters. The fees are designated to fund projects directly related to the visitor industry that enhance the tourism experience in Juneau and offset community impacts created by the cruise ship industry.

The public, including businesses and the visitor industry, are encouraged to submit project proposals to be funded with MPF proceeds. Projects must address an impact made on the community by the cruise ship industry or an aspect of the tourism experience for cruise ship passengers. For a full description of project eligibility, please see CBJ 69.20.120.

The City Manager will develop a draft recommendation list of projects to be funded by Marine Passenger Fee proceeds, followed by a 30-day public comment period. The draft recommendation and all proposals will available at the Marine Passenger Fee Program website.

All Marine Passenger Fee project proposals and comments will be forwarded along with the City Manager’s recommendation list to the Assembly Finance Committee for review, and then to the Assembly for consideration during the upcoming budget cycle.

Proposals must be submitted by January 2, 2025 on the webform or the City Manager’s Office, attention Alexandra Pierce, 155 S. Seward Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801.

For more information, contact CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce at [email protected] or visit the Marine Passenger Fee Program webpage.

December 2nd, 2024|

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|