Manager – Page 4 – City and Borough of Juneau

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|

CBJ Tourism Manager proposes how to spend cruise ship passenger fees. Submit comments on recommendations by March 17.

The public has until March 17 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 1.6 million passengers will come to Juneau this year. Based on that projection, the amount of revenue in fiscal year 2024 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 27 operating, grant and capital funding allocations. They include:

Funding for Seawalk expansion
Improvements to Marine and Homestead Parks
Improvements to wastewater infrastructure
Funding to be put toward the Capital Civic Center

CBJ is also planning to use Marine Passenger Fee backed bonds to fund electrification at the municipally owned cruise ship docks.

Submit comments on the recommendations by March 17, 2023 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 15th, 2023|

CBJ Manager Rorie Watt Named 2022 AML Municipal Official of the Year

City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt has been named 2022 Municipal Official of the Year by the Alaska Municipal League. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated ongoing dedication to their municipalities and have gone above and beyond to make their communities great places to live, work, and play during 2022.

The award was announced today, December 8, at an awards luncheon during AML’s annual Local Government Conference in Anchorage.

“Rorie is one of those rare individuals [who] combine technical aptitude with the ability to relate to people where they are,” Mayor Beth Weldon said at the luncheon. “Juneau has been and continues to be fortunate to have such a long tenured professional who brings a breadth and depth of knowledge to the table that is… becoming increasingly rare.”

Mayor Weldon praised Watt in particular for his significant contributions in tourism management, citing a deep understanding of the complexities of the local environment and an ability to leverage this understanding to communal benefit.

“Local government is one of those things that creeps up on you and hooks you,” Watt said in his acceptance remarks. “We have to think about how we get people involved and incentivize them to join local government. What keeps us here is [that] it is fun and interesting and hard.”

Watt’s career with CBJ spans 29 years and a variety of roles, from seasonal technician to department director. His eight years at the helm of CBJ Engineering included management of the milestone transition to today’s combined Engineering and Public Works Department. He was named City Manager in April 2016.

December 8th, 2022|

CBJ to Accept Marine Passenger Fee Funding Proposals December 1 – January 2

The City and Borough of Juneau will accept public proposals for projects to be funded with 2022 Marine Passenger Fee proceeds from December 1, 2022 through January 2, 2023. This annual process ensures that all members of the community are able to have a say in how fees from the cruise ship industry are reinvested in local business and services.

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, 2023 to [email protected] or the City Manager’s Office, attention Alexandra Pierce, 155 S. Seward Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801.

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

December 1st, 2022|

BRH COVID-19 Update: Therapeutics and Testing Transitions Underway

Bartlett Regional Hospital has released the following information about COVID-19 therapeutics and testing via their website:

Starting October 24, the hospital will be closing its monoclonal antibody therapy clinic due to a decrease in demand. Individuals seeking COVID-19 medication should contact their primary care provider to discuss options. The hospital will continue to offer EVUSHELD in Infusion Therapy to prevent infection for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals who may not mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination.

Starting November 15, given decreasing use the hospital will end its COVID-19 PCR drive-thru testing site and discontinue the testing hotline. COVID-19 testing will continue to be available to patients as a pre-procedure requirement. Laboratory testing continues to be available through SEARHC and Juneau Urgent Care. Antigen test kits are available at no cost at locations around Juneau as well as commercially.

“We feel comfortable taking these steps at this time given the decreasing numbers and need to reallocate resources,” said Kim McDowell, Chief Clinical Officer. “We are cautious about removing mitigation measures given our tight staffing and look forward to changing our testing and masking requirements as community transmission rates drop.”

The hospital is reviewing its COVID-19 policies and plans to make changes to mitigation measures such as required masking and pre-procedure testing as community transmission rates drop.

October 20th, 2022|