December 23, 2019
Monday PM

Recently, on the official City website, under the heading of “Mayor and City Council”, was a letter, author unknown, that was apparently intended to set the Our Port group straight.  It began, in the first paragraph, by informing the Our Port people that we are misinformed.  It then went on to outline the RFP, the proposed process for review of the proposals received by a select committee, with a final presentation to the whole Council and public of their choice for a yes or no vote.  

I’m a little confused by the uninformed part.  I’ve read and understand the process even though I don’t agree with it,  I’ve read the RFP, I’m fully aware of the City’s debt load, and I know as much about the Berth 4 lease as anyone.  I wish the letter had informed me on what I missed. Also included in the letter was a paragraph stating that the City received no monetary benefit from Berth 4, that the City had no real control over same and that Cruise Line Agencies scheduled all the dockings at Berth 4 with no City oversight.   I’ll get to the part that’s close to true. 

Cruise Line Agencies, unless things have changed in the last 25 Yrs. or so’, does schedule Berth 4.  They also schedule, or did in my time, Berths 1, 2 and 3.  The Port Director has the ultimate authority to do that but, over the years we’ve more or less jobbed it out - at no cost to the City.  That’s control. Sales taxes, docking fees, jobs. That’s gain. 

Next is the process.  The RFP review committee is to be composed of a bunch of staff plus the Mayor and 2 Councilmembers appointed by the Mayor.  This leaves 4 current Councilmembers standing outside the door. In fairness, nobody can keep them out of the meetings but they can be excluded from the decision on which proposal gets presented to the council and public.  Personally, Satan would be buying ice skates before I would allow myself to be removed that far from the game.  I think it should be pointed out that the RFP idea started before the Ward Cove thing was announced.  Not a done deal but it does bring into question of “what’s the rush” now that Norwegian has decided to move out?

Finally, back to misinformed.  It seems that the phantom letter writer is uninformed as to the goal of Our Port which is to stop a 30 year deal for our biggest asset for a short term gain.  It’s our port.

Charlie Freeman
Ketchikan, Alaska

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Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

Received December 22, 2019 - Published December 23, 2019

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