Juneau businesses argue against ‘Ship-Free Saturday’ ballot proposition

A sheet of members of nan Protect Juneau’s Future defense group speak to nan Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce connected Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)

An defense group is telling Juneau residents to ballot nary connected a proposition group to look connected nan section ballot this fall. It’s astir whether ample cruise ships should beryllium banned connected Saturdays starting adjacent year. 

The Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce hosted a forum Thursday featuring a sheet of executive members of nan group Protect Juneau’s Future sharing why they judge nan proposition is bad for nan section economy.

McHugh Pierre is nan president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated, a section Alaska Native corporation. The institution owns celebrated tourer attractions for illustration nan Goldbelt Tram downtown and has invested millions into a gondola task astatine Eaglecrest Ski Area. 

“I don’t want to beryllium told erstwhile to do things and erstwhile not to do things, because erstwhile does it extremity and start? Is it conscionable visitors connected Saturdays? Is it motortruck drivers connected Tuesdays? Is it taste storytellers connected Wednesdays?” he said. “I don’t for illustration immoderate of it. It’s bad, and we conscionable request to ballot against it.”

Protect Juneau’s Future has been actively campaigning against nan inaugural from nan get-go. They person orangish signs hanging astir municipality and ads connected societal media that discourage group from voting for it.  

Pierre and different members of nan group, for illustration Holly Johnson pinch Wings Airways & Taku Glacier Lodge, said their businesses rely on tourism. 

Johnson said moreover conscionable taking distant 1 time retired of nan week would beryllium a awesome financial rustle for her. And, it could get nan metropolis into basking h2o legally.

“This is not astir Saturdays. It will ne'er beryllium bully enough. All days of nan week would ne'er beryllium bully capable for nan group that are really pushing this,” she said. “But they tacked connected to thing that was really emotional.”

But, nan proposition does person support — it made it onto nan ballot aft a group of local activists gathered much than 2,300 signatures in favour of it this spring.  

Karla Hart is 1 of nan activists who led nan effort. In an question and reply successful July, she said nan number of signatures shows really overmuch group successful Juneau want to limit nan maturation of tourism. 

“I deliberation it says that Juneau really earnestly wants immoderate difficult stops connected cruise manufacture impacts successful their lives and that they haven’t received that from nan metropolis Assembly. And that they don’t deliberation that those difficult stops are coming unless citizens return action,” Hart said.

Local predetermination ballots will beryllium mailed to residents connected Sept. 12. The past time to ballot successful Juneau’s by-mail predetermination is Oct. 1.