There’s been a change in this week’s borough assembly meeting. Wrangell’s regularly assigned Tuesday Borough Assembly meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18.
A lot is on the agenda but some of what the assembly will discuss is addressing unfinished business on what the Code Review Committee modified regarding sales tax-free day in the municipal code. The assembly may approve the ordinance change to allow one, two or no sales tax-free days every fiscal year.
The committee also included allowing the public to talk about tax-free day at a public hearing on or before the second meeting in April each year. If approved, the city clerk will request the Chamber for one sales tax-free day in May 2026. The clerk will also ask to submit requests for tax-free days in October 2026 and May 2027.
The proposals about tax-free days are in response to the borough finding a 6.9% reduction in sales tax revenue in 2023.
They believe that this is due to a material sales tax lien on residents’ property in 2006, as well as a decrease in consumer spending and cruise traffic.
New mixed-use zoning district
In new business, the assembly will discuss establishing a new mixed-use zoning district along Zimovia Highway. This will create a blend of residential and low-impact light industrial use zones. The recommendation says it will address a variety of needs in the area while eliminating contract zone agreements. The change was brought on by property owners who want to rezone their parcel from residential to light industrial so they can open up a storage unit business.
Other residents objected to the change in July saying it will be a disruption to their neighborhood. The zoning amendment would affect multiple properties along Zimovia Highway between Wood Street and Bloom’s Trailer Court.
Depending on how the discussion goes, the assembly would change the zoning map to match the amendment.
Tune in for live coverage of the borough assembly meeting starting at 6 p.m. on KSTK. You can also stream it online at kstk.org.
