unalaska city council

The City of Unalaska has a new plan to develop public parks, recreation and cultural infrastructure and programs through at least 2035. The city council unanimously approved the 121-page master plan on March 11.

Unalaska first responders and clinic staff helped save a man’s foot that was mangled in a fishing-related accident late last month. On Jan. 23, an unidentified crewmember on a commercial fishing vessel was entangled in fishing material. M. Lynn Crane is the board chair of the local health clinic Iliuliuk Family and Health Services. She said local EMS responded to the incident and transported the man to the clinic. She applauded the care providers’ quick response at last week's Unalaska City Council meeting.

Unalaskans will go to the polls Oct. 1 to vote on two City Council seats: Seat G and Seat F. This year, just one of those is contested. Incumbent Shari Coleman is facing challenger Abe Palmer for Seat G, and councilmember Alejandro “Bong” Tungul is running for reelection for Seat F.

The Unalaska City School District is set to get an extra chunk of money from the state this year.According to Superintendent Kim Hanisch, the district expects over $500,000 more in state funds than they originally planned. That comes after Gov. Mike Dunleavy recently chose not to veto a one-time boost for Alaska schools.

Brian Rankin won the race for School Board Seat B during a runoff election held in Unalaska Oct. 30 — he received 55% of the 140 total votes.

The Unalaska City Council will weigh the city’s internet service provider options at its meeting Tuesday night, after unanimously deciding to postpone the discussion earlier this month.

The City of Unalaska has a balanced budget for the 2024 fiscal year. On Tuesday, city councilors voted 5-0 to adopt the roughly $35 million general fund spending plan.

King crab and snow crab fishery closures, the Makushin Geothermal Project, and developing Dutch Harbor as an Arctic port: Unalaska has big things in the works, both in terms of opportunities and challenges. And the steps local leaders take in the next few years could change the community’s path for decades. Each year, representatives from Unalaska travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of the city’s interests. Unalaska City Councilmember Shari Coleman was on the latest lobbying trip in December. She sat down with KUCB to talk about Unalaska’s priorities.

The City of Unalaska has a candidate for city manager, nearly three months after Erin Reinders’s contract expired. Stephen Jellie is meeting with city officials and the community this week, and the Unalaska City Council plans to interview him for the position Friday.

The Unalaska City Council debated allowing all-purpose vehicles on the street at its meeting Tuesday night. Unalaska currently prohibits the use of all-purpose vehicles – like four-wheelers and all-terrain vehicles – on city streets. But a state law that went into effect this year opens the door to allow use of these modes of transport on public roads, so the city is debating if they want to make it possible on the island, too.