A plan for using the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s tobacco tax proceeds is on the agenda for Monday’s regular assembly meeting.
The plan was developed by PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center at the borough’s request. It would provide tobacco cessation education and programs, and tobacco-related healthcare services.
The proposal calls for spending $550,000 from the tobacco tax over three years. Prevention services would include $85,000 for a media campaign, and on-site education programs to help keep people from smoking in the first place.
Cessation services would use $340,000 on classes to help people quit smoking, including school-based programs.
Health-care services would use about $88,000 for screening and diagnostic care for patients who might have tobacco-related diseases. The remaining approximately $36,000 would be spent on administrative activities.
Also Monday, the assembly will consider a request from the City of Saxman for $199,000 in CPV funds to re-carve two totem poles. The borough receives a share of state cruise-ship head-tax, or CPV funds, every year and must spend that money on tourism-related projects.
The overall cost of the totem-pole project is estimated at $220,000, according to information provided to the borough. The borough has $200,000 in CPV funds appropriated for this year.
In other matters, the assembly will consider a request from Alaska Bio-Tour Adventures to build a commercial trail for tours near the Pipeline Trail. According to the borough, the Pipeline Trail and the proposed new trail would be open to the public, but the new trail would not be open to other commercial users.
Monday’s meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in borough assembly chambers at the White Cliff Building. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
