By Gretchen Wehmhoff

The future of Garden City RV Park is back in committee. The Skagway Assembly, at the Dec. 7 meeting, voted to postpone action on resolution 23-30 R until Feb.1. 

During discussion, the preferences to move forward with the resolution or send it back to committee were mixed.

Assemblymember Orion Hanson questioned the additional return to the committee.

“To my recollection, civic affairs has talked about this garden city issue five, six, fifteen times. I mean, I’m a little perplexed as to how many more times it needs to go to civic affairs,” said Hanson.

The motion to postpone passed 4 – 2.

The request, made by assemblymember Alex Weddell, will go back to the Civic Affairs committee to address language and details in a Civic Affairs meeting prior to the Feb. 1 assembly meeting.

During citizens present, Michael Yee urged the assembly to take action on creating a position with the municipality in charge of Skagway’s quality of life. The position, originally dubbed Capt. Funtastic by Yee, would be dedicated tending the ice rink, planning activities in outdoor spaces such as snow carving, snow athletics, family fun events and to keep hiking trails open. Yee suggests the person in this position could also work with the Log Cabin Society to keep ski trails open.

 “Right now we have so many young families and young children, all you had to do was go to the school’s winter music concert the other night to see how many young children are here. Exposing them to these outdoor activities gives them the opportunity to discover a world of healthy fun living at an early age and setting them up for an active healthy lifestyle,” said Yee. 

It was this presentation that supported Assmblymember Deb Potters’ amendment to the fiscal year 2024 budget. Potter’s amendment included $170,280 under salaries and benefits in the rec center budget to add the position of an outdoor recreation specialist and a second seasonal worker.

With Potter’s amendment and another by Hanson to add $20,000 for helicopters and supplies under recreational cabin construction, the borough budget was approved unanimously.

More details will be in the the January issue.