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|

2024 summer visitor season: what you need to know

Juneau’s busy summer tourist season is just around the corner. Whether you’re launching a boat, taking a flight, renting a room, running a business, or just trying to get around, make sure you’re up to date on what you need to know about working and playing in Juneau during the summer.

Cruise Ship Schedule

The first cruise ship of the 2024 summer season docked in Juneau on April 9. The 2024 schedule is available on the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website.

The ship season starts to ramp up mid-May. Typically, Saturdays are the quietest day of the week and Tuesdays are the busiest. The daily five-ship limit goes into effect this summer, and residents can expect Tuesdays to be less busy than in previous years.

Capital Transit Bus Service

This summer, Capital Transit is increasing service on Route 8 in order to ease route strain and make sure that local riders traveling to and from important stops such as the Federal Building, Anka Street, and Fred Meyer are able to board the bus despite the high number of visitors using public transit to visit the Mendenhall Glacier. Check the new schedule at juneaucapitaltransit.org.

For those traveling to the airport, please be aware that Route 6 is temporarily suspended as of April 22. Capital Transit hopes to reinstate the route as soon as staffing levels allow. Until then, please use Routes 3 & 4, stopping at Glacier Highway and Shell Simmons Drive (about a 6 minute walk from the airport).

Capital Transit continues to offer a year-round Ride Free zone downtown, for locals and visitors alike who may experience mobility issues or otherwise wish to avoid walking up and down the hill. The Ride Free Zone includes stops at Marine Parking Garage, Franklin Street & Rawn Way, Fourth Street near Rainbow Foods, and the Downtown Transit Center.

To plan your bus trip, check schedules, or see route maps, visit juneaucapitaltransit.org.

Short-Term Rentals

Many Juneau residents—whether full-time business owners or casual operators—rent out units during the summer through platforms like Airbnb or VRBO. If you have not operated your unit since last summer, please be aware of recent changes to the short-term rental environment in Juneau.

As of October 8, 2023, all short-term rental operators must register each unit with the CBJ Sales Tax office. Units will receive an STR registration number that must be displayed in every public listing for that unit.

Registration is free. However, please be aware that the penalty for non-compliance is $25 per day the unregistered listing is live.

Registration is quick and easy—just fill out the online registration form or download a fillable PDF. Visit juneau.org/finance/short-term-rentals for forms, FAQs, and more information.

Please remember that STR operators are responsible for collecting and remitting both the 5% CBJ sales tax and the 9% CBJ hotel bed tax.

Rental operators or any member of the public interested in learning more about the Assembly’s approach to short-term rentals in Juneau are encouraged to join the CBJ Assembly Committee of the Whole worksession on Monday, April 15 in person at the Assembly Chambers or remotely via Zoom. The agenda is available at juneau-ak.municodemeetings.com.

Sales Tax and Online Marketplaces

Tourism and the visitor industry are a major part of how Juneau residents make their living. It’s important to make sure that everyone who does business in this field—whether that’s a major employer, a local small business owner, or someone earning casual income—is operating on the same playing field.

That includes collecting sales tax from those using your products and services, whether you are making the transaction in person or through an online marketplace like Turo. When you’re listing your car, boat, camper van, or any other product or service, you will need to collect and remit sales tax to CBJ.

Learn more about how sales tax works, download the registration form, or remit your sales tax online at juneau.org/finance/sales-tax.  If you have questions about how to calculate, collect, or remit sales tax, please contact the CBJ Sales Tax office at [email protected] or (907) 586-5215 ext. 4901.

To see what sales tax pays for in Juneau, visit juneau.org/budget and check out the proposed FY25 budget.

Docks and Harbors Permits and Parking

As you get ready to take your boat out for the first time this summer, don’t forget that boaters need a permit to use the launch ramps at all CBJ harbors, including popular recreation sites like the North Douglas Boat Launch. Buy a daily or annual launch ramp permit online, or in person at the Aurora and Statter Harbor offices. Daily launch ramp permits will also be available at the parking kiosks in Auke Bay.

Seasonal paid parking at Statter Harbor and the Taku Lot (downtown) begins on May 1. Starting this year, customers will able to choose between using physical self-serve kiosks or paying via app CBJ’s new Park Smarter app. Download the app at parksmarter.com.

Airport Parking

Airport traffic is entering its busiest period of the year. Please remember that the curb areas are for active loading and unloading only—there is no curb parking and unattended vehicles are not permitted. Use the newly renovated short-term parking lot to park for free for up to 15 minutes, or stay with your vehicle in the active loading/unloading zone. This ensures that everyone can get in and out of the airport as quickly and safely as possible.

Don’t forget that all airport parking is now prepaid. Prepare for your next trip by downloading the REEF Mobile parking app for iPhone or Android, or use the kiosks in each lot before you leave your vehicle. Visit juneau.org/airport for more parking information.

April 15th, 2024|

Marine Passenger Fee funding recommendations open for public comment through March 25

The public has until March 25 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 2025 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 Tourism Manager is recommending 28 operating, grant and capital funding allocations. They include:

  • Enhanced Capital Transit service to Mendenhall Valley
  • Improvements to Marine Park
  • Installation of public wi-fi downtown
  • Funding for shore power
  • Low-interest loan program for tourism operators to invest in clean energy equipment

Submit comments on the recommendations by Monday, March 25, 2024 to CBJ Tourism Manager 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 Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce at [email protected] or visit the Marine Passenger Fee Program website.

February 21st, 2024|
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