July 20 Special Committee of the Whole Worksession Cancelled

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Assembly Committee of the Whole (COW) Worksession scheduled for Monday, July 20 at the Andrew Hope Building has been cancelled for both topical and timing reasons. CBJ will move the planned agenda topics to a future COW worksession after the 2026 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). 

The Special COW meeting was originally scheduled to provide updates and allow for assembly discussion on topics related to the annual threat of glacial lake outburst flooding events. The meeting included an update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a discussion of flood protection costs and potential funding mechanisms, and flood preparedness updates from the CBJ Emergency Management and Tlingit & Haida Public Safety offices.  

“With a 2026 GLOF just days to weeks away, all three of our agencies (USACE, Tlingit & Haida and CBJ) are talking with residents daily about mitigation, preparation and how they can stay safe,” shared City Manager, Katie Koester. “We understand that our flood vulnerable neighbors are dedicating their focus and time to the flood just ahead of us, and realized there was nothing in the planned meeting agenda that couldn’t wait until after the waters have receded and residents have more capacity to tune in and share their input.”

The July 20 COW was scheduled to take place in the Council Chambers of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska in the Andrew Hope Building.  

“We are honored that President Peterson and the Central Council invited the Assembly to conduct our meeting in their Executive Council Chambers showcasing the strong spirit of collaboration between our two governments,” said CBJ Deputy Mayor Greg Smith. “We are already looking for the next opportunity to meet and discuss these critical issues that impact Juneau’s residents, including tribal citizens in their Chambers.”

Updates regarding GLOF mitigation solutions and flood preparedness are regularly shared on the CBJ, USACE and Tlingit & Haida social media pages. Flood planning resources, including evacuation maps, are available at bit.ly/juneaufloodready. CBJ is also hosting sandbag distribution events tomorrow (July 18) and on all subsequent Saturdays until the 2026 GLOF.