Assembly Candidates

(email addresses for candidates are included in PDF version of The Skagway News)

Orion Hanson

Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to run for office?

I have served on the Skagway Assembly for six years and three mayors. Prior to serving on the assembly I was chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission. I have a deep belief in public service and public representation in government. I have Skagway roots as a child, however, I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. I received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison which honed my passion for fair government democracy. I moved back to Skagway 10 years ago and own a residential construction company. I employ six carpenters and several other part-time employees. Skagway is my year-round home and I own two properties in the borough. I strive to support local, employ local and spend local every day. Serving on the Skagway Assembly is challenging and demands a lot of time and commitment. I try to approach the variety of issues before the assembly by being prepared, honest and objective towards the greatest good towards the community of Skagway.

Do you support the $5 per hour wage increase for municipal employees the assembly passed Aug. 18 (Resolution 22-24R)? Why or why not?

I voted for it, however, it wasn’t an easy choice. The Finance Committee discussed the pay scale for many months, employed a cost of living study from the McDowell group as well as looking into other metrics for cost of living comparison. Some wages were certainly low, and recent inflation has affected the viability of employment across Skagway. The municipality has and had many unfilled positions all year. Keeping the public/private wages competitive is an issue I pay keen attention to as an employer and finance committee member.

How would you help attract tourism traffic past Fifth Avenue on Broadway Street as well as to other downtown side streets?

I think the Historic District Commission (HDC) has some good ideas to make the north end of Broadway attractive. When Brew Co. moved from 7th to 4th Ave, the north end of Broadway lost an anchor business that brought a lot of pedestrian traffic to that end of town. There have been some new businesses that have opened north of 5th Ave that have pumped some life into that area recently including The Pretzel Shop, Madam Cooper’s Peep Show, Wild Yukon Furs, Aurora Arts and Klondike General Store. Other businesses have revamped their business models and floor spaces like The Skagway Inn, Bites on Broadway and the Days of ’98. The North end of Broadway with cheaper rental rates is an exciting area for upstart entrepreneurs to enter the market. I look forward to the ideas of current and new HDC members including the recent appointment of prominent business owners Rosemary Kuplar and Nancy Corrington. As always, the bank and post office will be the stable fixtures of Skagway’s economy at 6th and Broadway. 

Skagway has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. What are some solutions that would ease lack of housing in the summer and create stability for year-round residents?

As a residential contractor I have an acute knowledge of Skagway’s housing market. “Affordable housing” is a bit of a loaded term. Acts of the municipal government to lower housing costs would decrease property values and would be very detrimental to homeowners. The P&Z and MOS has passed a number of code changes in recent years to entice private housing developments such as: modifying off-street parking size requirements, conditionally approving triplexes on a single lot, relaxing roof eve setback requirements and establishing the accessory housing standards on residential lots. Constructing new housing is expensive and flat buildable land is at a premium. I support the utility project of running water and sewer across the Skagway river bridge, modifying zoning across the bridge to support areas of mixed business and residential while retaining industrial needs. Changes to land use across the bridge is dependent on providing water and sewer to the area to provide density for development that private water wells and septic fields prohibit. I also support establishing a new campground on municipal property for seasonal housing. 

Janilyn Heger

Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to run for office?

Like fine wine I think I’m improving with age. I’m a better listener than I was when I was younger. I think all sides of an issue should be heard, even if I don’t agree. I prefer to take the proactive approach rather than reactive to problem solving. There are some pretty big things that the city is dealing with and I decided I’d try to be part of the decision making process as the assembly and community work to problem solve. And, for 30 years I’ve wanted a swimming pool. I plan to work very hard to make that happen over the next three years if elected.

Do you support the $5 per hour wage increase for municipal employees the assembly passed Aug. 18 (Resolution22-24R)? Why or why not?

As a business owner I think the raise was drastic. I’ve requested information from the city so that I can see the full effect of this decision. We all know that a $5 raise costs more than just $5. Also, I don’t see the list of vacancies flying off the post office or city hall boards due to the increase. Now that it’s done we can’t very likely take it back, so whether I support it or not is moot.

How would you help attract tourism traffic past Fifth Avenue on Broadway Street as well as to other downtown side streets?

It will take a private business owner with a good idea who can afford the rent. I don’t think putting an arch over Broadway will work. If I owned the old Brew Co. building (sorry, I don’t know the address), I’d copy a business I went to in Portland, Oregon called SPIN Laundry Lounge. It is a pub with a laundromat in it. This would attract visitors and seasonal locals who could have a brew, a bite – and get their laundry done at the same time. Or put in an internet cafe. Lots of people ask where they can log on to the internet … take a look at our library. Everyday people swarm the place inside and out. I’m sure they’d love to find a warm, dry place where they can eat, get a beverage and stay connected to family or work. Or, maybe combine these two ideas. I don’t think the city can fix the problem.

Skagway has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. What are some solutions that would ease lack of housing in the summer and create stability for year-round residents?

Turn the Garden City RV park space into a mobile home park. The city could own the park sites, the owner owns their mobile home and rents space. It could have a homeowners association that governs the neighborhood to manage livability. The Garden City RV Park infrastructure is in terrible shape but I believe it could be turned into a trailer park quickly and easily and offer affordable year-round housing. Trailer parks are a housing model that has worked in multiple cities across the country and some are very nice. They are a good fit for low and medium income families.

Dan Henry

Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to run for office? 

I’m Dan Henry, co-owner of the Skagway Fish Company with Eileen Henry. My family came to Skagway in 1989/90 and have called Skagway home for 32 years. From the moment we stepped off the AMH ferry we have been involved in darn near every committee, board or commission within the town of Skagway. A couple specific involvements, for example, would be myself and my wife, with the help of Mitch Snyder and Karen Frizzell, originated the Booster Club, as we identified a constant need for school activities funding. Joanne Worley and Beth Smith took the hand-off, though I am not sure exactly who has it now, but we did, as they did, got involved. Secondly, as an example of being involved, I ran for and was elected to city council. I was appointed as chairman of the city finance committee. While chairman, I made the case for removing all city accounts from the dormant low interest account they were in, and had been for years, and moved them to Elliott Financial, where they returned the city somewhere in the neighborhood of $3-4 million in the following years. These are just a couple examples of my involvement and commitment in the past and hopefully in the positive growth of the Skagway Borough in its future. The decisions we make and the course we take today are the most important choices of action ever in the history of this community, and I feel adding someone at the assembly… (exceeded word count)

Do you support the $5 per hour wage increase for municipal employees the assembly passed Aug. 18 (Resolution 22-24R)? Why or why not? 

First of all, if the assembly passes a resolution it is added to city code. I suppose the question is, do I support reversing the current code as approved. I can only assume that the current assembly exhaustively reviewed the municipal budget and came to the conclusion that the MOS would not acquire any undue burden by approving additional wages. Now, when I first read this, I thought to myself, do I want to walk across the street and take food out of (name redacted) family’s mouth that the city gave to him in August, and then I remembered that my mother drowned all the stupid babies, so my answer to your question is yes. Heck, (name redacted) isn’t the one I’m afraid of the most, it’s (name redacted)! The city assembly reviewed it, I trust the raise was appropriate, although, city code is a living breathing document.

How would you help attract tourism traffic past Fifth Avenue on Broadway Street as well as to other downtown side streets?

I feel that every business in every community across this state assesses the different dynamics of the market that they choose to invest in. My most recent memory of a measurable amount of business flowing north of Fifth Avenue was several years ago when Skagway Brewing Company was located above Seventh. They seemed to have zero challenge getting folks to stop up there for something to eat or drink. Now, I’m fairly certain they probably advertised a bit, you would have to ask Mike. There is a significant number of folks that ask where the post office is located, which is above Sixth. Businesses across from or in the area of, must benefit from that traffic flow. I don’t know currently how the city can direct any group of prospective customers to a specific area of our community. We do have a shuttle service that brings cruise passengers to town from the docks, but it certainly is not appropriate for the shuttle drivers to tell passengers to get off or wait for a particular stop. I’m open to suggestions.

Skagway has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. What are some solutions that would ease lack of housing in the summer and create stability for year-round residents? 

You are asking me two different questions. One is about summer housing and the second is for year-round residents. Either of these are satisfied in the private sector, unless you are advocating the MOS build some tenement housing. That would be a significant issue for the MOS to consider.

 Anything remotely close to that would impact current rent and property values in a very significant manner. Currently Garden City lots are the only contiguous lots available, to my knowledge, that could be considered for anything remotely close to being identified with that possibility. Tax incentives have been mentioned in the past to induce a developer to consider same. The first obvious obstacle for that consideration is that we buy down the mill rate so as to prevent property taxes from skyrocketing. The waiving of property taxes is a gesture at best, sales tax from tenants is a pass through, possibly waiving city services, i.e. water, sewer and garbage may help, but we would still be a long way away from a developer diverting their resources for a lesser return on investment. Interest rates are going higher and there will be easier choices for those with money. Liquidating the lots at Garden City may be a start in the right direction, then smaller scale development may take place, such as separate multiple family units.

The question has been asked for over 25 years that I can recall. Even if affordable housing is created, one can’t dictate who gets in and… (exceeded word count)

William Lockette, II

Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to run for office?

  I am choosing to try and step into the public sphere because I believe that we need people in the assembly who can have meetings without bias. People who can sit down with someone they don’t know, and don’t agree with, and still reach a beneficial outcome through mediation and recognition of a particular interest that is useful, even helpful, rather than dismissing an entire public entity because of bad blood. I want to have conversations that elevate our goals, rather than constantly pushing the minimum acceptable allowances.

Do you support the $5 per hour wage increase for municipal employees the assembly passed Aug. 18 (Resolution 22-24R)? Why or why not?

I support the intent, but not the action. The intent is to try and put people on more stable footing in uncertain times and reward the people who are putting in the hours by making their financial burdens slightly less impossible. The “soul” of the resolution is very Skagway, and I love that. The action only winds up benefiting a certain group of people rather than the entire town, which is where I believe we need to desperately start to focus as businesses and families are going under and being left with a choice to starve, or move.

How would you help attract tourism traffic past Fifth Avenue on Broadway Street as well as to other downtown side streets?

All we’d really have to do is do a little modification to the massive bus parking lot beside the tracks on 10th and 11th, adding a small tourist kiosk (manned by one person upon passenger arrival) and then let people get off the bus just down the strip from City Hall. On their way back to the ships, they have to go through town.

Skagway has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. What are some solutions that would ease lack of housing in the summer and create stability for year-round residents?

Extending utilities out across the Pat Moore bridge would be a good way to incentivise people to build out toward Liarsville and the preceding mile. We can hardly keep building up, so we’re gonna have to have some place to go. Without a working sewer system and steady supply of water out that way, expansion isn’t possible even if people wanted to build like mad.

Alexandria Weddell

Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to run for office?

My name is Alexandria Weddell and I’ve lived in Skagway year-round since 2016. I immediately recognized what a special place this is and that I wanted to make it my home. Many of you may not know me though, as I live in Dyea and spend the majority of my time living and working remotely from there. 

A little bit of background on me: I’m the client services director for Liz Smith Law, an estate planning law firm based out of Juneau that services Skagway and SE Alaska. My job entails helping people organize their assets and estates both legally and financially. We are helping people lay the foundation for a successful future, and this experience is what I would like to bring to the assembly. I am running because I have a long love for community service and a high respect for civic duty. As your next assembly member, I will take my role as fiduciary seriously, while acting as a steward for this great community.

Do you support the $5 per hour wage increase for municipal employees the assembly passed Aug. 18 (Resolution 22-24R)? Why or why not?

I did support this measure, as this is a high cost of living area and the municipality is one of the largest employers in town providing year-round jobs. This decision supports local, year-round residents, and also incentivizes people to fill open positions and move to our wonderful community. We are now staying competitive with the current job market and giving our hard-working staff a living wage.  

How would you help attract tourism traffic past Fifth Avenue on Broadway Street as well as to other downtown side streets?

I am very supportive of the idea of having public art and/or banners to encourage pedestrian traffic further down Broadway and deeper within the side streets. I have been following the Historic District Committees review of this issue, and removable canvas banners would fall under historically accurate options, and also be fun. Letting people know where the Historical District ends with banners would be an easy visual aide while keeping it simple. 

Skagway has a shortage of quality, affordable housing. What are some solutions that would ease lack of housing in the summer and create stability for year-round residents?

This is a complex issue without a simple solution. It is also a nationwide problem affecting tourist towns. I would like to see more work with the Civic Affairs Committee, or even a specific housing committee, which can explore various options for finding an answer. There are many potential solutions out there. Adjusting zoning restrictions which might be prohibitive to building, financial incentives to encourage people to build on, or using existing lands and structures are all interesting possibilities. Community land trusts have also been used successfully in other similar communities. Each of these ideas and more should be carefully examined to see if they might work for Skagway.

School Board Candidate

Luke Rauscher

Did not respond

Municipality of Skagway 

Election

Oct. 4, 2022

Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Early in-person voting at City Hall from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, 

Sept.19 and Oct. 3