SEC NEWS-December

Community Center

City of Thorne Bay is supporting the USFS & SISD as they proceed in developing a wood-fired boiler system.
By Justin Sornsin

This new wood-fired boiler system would heat the USFS-Thorne Bay Ranger District complex and the Southeast Island School District building (SISD). The amount of wood waste (chips) generated by Viking Lumber in Klawock and smaller mills in South Thorne Bay have the BTU potential to be a cost-effective solution to the heating needs of these organizations. The City owns a "prime" piece of real estate (the Bay Chalet Community Building and Fairgrounds/Ballfield) that sits square in the middle.

The City has a number of facilities in dire need of major repair and replacement in the coming years. All of which have a substantial "fixed cost" to operate and maintain ($100,000 in heating fuel alone).

The Plan:

Working closely with the USFS and SISD, the City would encourage the planned boiler project to be "oversized" to have the capacity to heat other facilities in the area. Thus, the City would like to develop a new, multi-use facility (8,000-10,000 square feet) at the Bay Chalet/Fairgrounds location to house a new library, City Hall, additional (rentable) commercial space, emergency services offices, satellite Clinic, etc. This consolidation would be a significant face-lift for the community, provide new facilities identified for improvement under the FY08 Overall Economic Development Plan, and seriously decrease annual Operation & Maintenance costs for all three entities.

Additionally, consolidation of these facilities would "free up" existing City property used by City Hall, Clinic, Library, etc. to be transferred to commercial applications for improved economic development initiatives.

Most importantly, working closely with the USFS and SISD on this project could open the doors for improved communication and partnerships with the two other major agencies located in Thorne Bay.

The possibilities are endless for these agencies if, and hopefully when, the project occurs. New facilities, improved access, decreased operations and maintenance costs for all parties...the wood-fired project is a "recipe for success" for our community.

THORNE BAY...MOVING FORWARD.

To visit the city's website click here.

Municipality of Skagway is seeking applications for Borough Manager.

Skagway is a first-class borough that operates under the assembly/manager form of government. The municipality has 40 full-time employees and up to 30 seasonal or part-time employees. This is a permanent, full-time professional administrative position.

SALARY RANGE: Depends upon experience and qualifications. Benefits include medical and dental health coverage, participation in the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS), paid sick and annual leave, and elective life insurance and flexible spending plan for pre-tax medical spending deductions and International City Management Assoc. (ICMA) Retirement Plan.

REQUIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES: The Borough seeks applicants with:

A bachelor's degree in public or business administration or related field and/or equivalent experience in public administration, including supervisory and budgeting experience.

Knowledge of municipal operations and laws preferably in Alaska.

Exceptional organizational and multi-task skills.

Superior personnel management skills.

Conflict resolution; proven ability, skills and problem solving.

Experience in tour and port management is a plus.

Exceptional writing/verbal communication skills.

Must be bondable.

For more information on this job posting visit Skagway's website HERE.