CBJ Assembly Recruiting Experienced Leader To Serve as Next City Manager

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly is actively recruiting for an experienced leader and dedicated public servant to serve as the next City Manager.

Following three decades of CBJ service, City Manager Rorie Watt will retire on September 30, 2023. A new City Manager will be appointed by the Assembly to begin duties in September.

The City Manager is the City’s Chief Operations Officer. Under the Assembly’s direction and authority, the City Manager actively implements policy directives and oversees the City’s administrative and day-to-day activities. This includes preparing and monitoring the annual budget and supervising all department directors.

The City Manager manages a municipal government of 641 employees (FTEs) and an overall budget of $360 million. In addition to the core departments, the municipality also operates several major facilities including Juneau International Airport, Docks & Harbors, Bartlett Regional Hospital, and Eaglecrest Ski Area.

For this complex and demanding position, the City and Borough of Juneau seeks a passionate, visionary, and decisive servant leader. The ideal candidate will have executive management experience, financial management expertise, strong communications and interpersonal skills, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, a commitment to transparency and community engagement, and the highest standards of professional ethics.

The Assembly City Manager Recruitment Committee will conduct an initial review of applications and recommend 2-4 finalists, who will be interviewed by the full Assembly on site. The committee will begin reviewing applications Thursday, June 22.

The City Manager’s salary begins at $175,000. See the full job description and apply online via the CBJ Careers site.

June 9th, 2023|

City Manager Rorie Watt To Retire Following Thirty Year Career With CBJ

City Manager Rorie Watt has announced his intent to retire at the end of September 2023, following a distinguished thirty year career with the City and Borough of Juneau.

“We have been extremely lucky to have a City Manager with Rorie’s depth and breadth of expertise,” said Mayor Beth Weldon.  “Time and time again, his deep understanding of the history and complexities of our community, as well as of the needs and wants of our residents, has allowed him to navigate difficult decisions while never losing sight of the prime directive of what is right for Juneau’s long-term future.”

Watt began his career with CBJ as a seasonal technician in the Engineering Department, quickly working his way up the ranks to full-time technician, project manager, chief engineer, and ultimately to appointment in 2008 as Engineering Director. Watt proved an adept director, bringing to the position not only technical aptitude but consummate skill in relating to others—recognizing that logic is the beginning of the wisdom, not the end. His leadership of the department culminated, in 2015, in overseeing the milestone transition to today’s combined Engineering & Public Works Department.

Watt was named City Manager in April 2016. His tenure is significant for a long and successful track record of negotiations with the tourism and cruise industry. Faced with the seemingly impossible challenge of managing major corporate negotiations, strengthening the local economy and protecting quality of life, Watt consistently repudiated the idea of a no-win scenario. His bold and enterprising approach led to achievements such as successful settlement negotiations regarding the use of Marine Passenger Fees—an outcome that will benefit cruise ship port communities in Alaska for decades.

The Assembly will begin the recruitment process for the next City Manager in the coming weeks. Watt will remain in office through September 30, 2023.

April 18th, 2023|

City and Borough of Juneau and Cruise Lines Agree on Port Capacity Guidelines

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) and major cruise lines calling on the port have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to help manage visitor volume in the Capital City by establishing a threshold of no more than five large ships in port per day. The agreement, negotiated by CBJ and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on behalf of its cruise line members, is based on recommendations established by the Visitor Industry Task Force (VITF) in 2020 and furthers the partnership among the parties.

The threshold of five large ships per day is intended to provide a positive experience for the benefit of both residents and visitors, while providing a reliable market for the many local businesses that rely on the visitor industry, especially cruise. It also demonstrates the collaborative partnership that exists between the community and the cruise industry as we work together to maintain a vibrant and sustainable visitor industry in Juneau and Southeast Alaska.

“This agreement provides our community with the assurance we need to plan for the future. The visitor industry is vital to our local economy and it’s essential we preserve the things that make Juneau an incredible place to live and to visit. We hope to have a thriving tourism economy for many years to come,” said Alexandra Pierce, Tourism Manager at the City and Borough of Juneau.

“Our work on this MOA recognizes the importance of cooperation, collaboration, and communication made possible by Juneau’s leadership. They continually keep the wishes of the community at the forefront of the conversation, while ensuring the cruise industry is still able to deliver a world-class visitor experience in Alaska’s capital city,” said Renée Limoge Reeve, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at CLIA. “Destination stewardship remains one of our highest priorities. We support the VITF’s recommendations and can assure the community that our work together is ongoing.”

Cruise schedules are set well over a year in advance. The development of a 2024 schedule that met this five big ship per day threshold was made possible by all parties, including Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska, working together even before this MOA was finalized. CBJ and cruise lines are continuing to further improve the functionality of the port and enhance the Juneau experience for all.

“We appreciate the industry’s willingness to listen and learn as we worked through the VITF process and the commitment to meeting our community goals,” said Pierce. “We value our open and collaborative relationship with both the cruise lines and CLIA and look forward to continuing our work together to achieve a positive outcome for our community and its visitors.”

This is the second MOA based on VITF Goals. In July of 2022, the parties agreed to a series of industry management objectives. This agreement is an important next step as CBJ and cruise lines continue to work together to meet community goals while considering the complex logistics of cruise line operations.

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

April 17th, 2023|

CBJ Offering $25-30,000 Hiring Bonuses For New and Experienced Police Officers

Effective immediately, the City and Borough of Juneau will offer a hiring bonus of $25,000 for entry level police officer candidates and $30,000 for officers with at least one year of experience.

Hiring bonuses are part of the City’s broad effort to address ongoing staffing challenges—similar to those impacting communities nationwide. “Police officers are some of the most challenging positions we have from a recruitment perspective, and one of our goals with these hiring bonuses is to send a signal to prospective officers that we want them to give Juneau serious consideration,” said Deputy City Manager Robert Barr.

Hiring bonuses will be paid out in two installments and come with a four-year commitment to employment at JPD. Candidates must meet all other conditions of employment. For details, see the job listings.

The City and Borough of Juneau offers competitive pay and a package of benefits including four weeks of paid time off; medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; participation in the State of Alaska PERS retirement system; and an employer contribution to dependent care costs after the first year of employment. To see all current open positions, visit CBJ’s new and easy-to-use job site at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/juneau.

March 20th, 2023|

CBJ Wastewater Tracking Data Shows Upward Trend in COVID Virus Presence

The City and Borough of Juneau has participated since September 2022 in a voluntary tracking program, in partnership with the CDC, to monitor wastewater for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As of March 9, the data obtained through this program is trending relatively high.

CBJ originally tracked wastewater samples for several months in late 2020, before suspending the program for reasons of cost. CBJ resumed participation in the program in September 2022 with the support of federal subsidies.

Wastewater tracking is conducted by analyzing samples of wastewater, collected at local treatment plants, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19. This method focuses on sampling wastewater because people infected with COVID-19 shed viral genetic material in their feces whether or not they are displaying symptoms.

Wastewater samples are collected twice a week at the CBJ Mendenhall and Juneau Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plants. The samples are then sent to environmental or public health laboratories, where they are tested for the presence and concentration of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The laboratory then reports the testing data to CBJ and the CDC.

As of March 9, viral material has been detected in increasing concentration over several tests and is at the highest levels since sampling resumed in September 2022.

CBJ does not intend to require any mitigation measures. This information is provided for community awareness and to aid Juneau residents in their personal decision-making.

Find out more about the CDC’s voluntary wastewater tracking program at the CDC NWSS website. View similar data submitted from communities nationwide in the CDC’s COVID data tracker.

For technical information about CBJ’s wastewater tracking program, please contact Chad Gubala at (907) 586-0393 or [email protected].

March 9th, 2023|
© 2001-2025 City and Borough of JuneauReturn to Homepage