CBJ Stock Image

City Manager proposes how to spend cruise ship passenger fees. Submit comments on recommendations by March 4.

February 17, 2022 – News, Notices for Public Comment

The public has until March 4 to comment on the City Manager’s recommendations for how to allocate cruise ship Marine Passenger Fee (MPF) proceeds. Read the draft proposal here. Read a new memo with supplemental information on the dock electrification item here.

The Manager’s 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 million passengers will come to Juneau this year. Based on that projection, the amount of revenue in fiscal year 2023 is anticipated to be roughly $13.8 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 City Manager is recommending 15 operating, grant and capital funding allocations. They include:

  • funding for dock electrification, including design funding and a transformer that will allow multiple ships to connect to shore power once available (read the new memo that provides more information on this item)
  • funding for a study on a circulator shuttle bus service
  • a Seawalk expansion
  • refillable water bottle stations in Downtown Juneau

CBJ is also carrying a negative fund balance of $3.2 million into fiscal year 2023, which was caused by the need to continue essential services during the reduced visitor season in 2021. The Manager’s proposal would eliminate this negative balance.

Submit comments on the recommendations by March 4, 2022 to CBJ Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce by email, [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 907-500-8677.