Ketchikan’s borough offices are located in the White Cliff building. (Maria Dudzak/KRBD)
Ketchikan’s borough could receive nearly $750,000 in state funding for COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Members of Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly will be asked to ratify the request for state funding at a regular meeting Monday evening.
Borough Manager Ruben Duran says that the borough would act as a pass-through for local nonprofits, hospitals, schools and government agencies working to get more vaccines into arms. At least 10% of the funding is earmarked to promote health equity — that is, to improve outcomes for groups hit especially hard by the pandemic.
In other business Monday, Ketchikan’s assembly will be asked to extend the borough’s contract with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 for another year.
Borough officials say they hope to negotiate a longer-term contract next year when they have a firmer sense of the borough’s financial situation. Sales tax revenues were down sharply last year as the pandemic canceled last year’s cruise season and there’s increased uncertainty looking ahead.
Assembly members approved one-year contract extensions with three other labor unions in October.
Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday by videoconference. The full agenda is available online. The meeting is broadcast on local cable channels and live-streamed on the borough’s website. Members of the public are able to address the assembly at the beginning of the meeting, but they must register by 3 p.m. Monday by calling 228-6605. Written comments can be emailed to boroclerk@kgbak.us.
