https://juneau.zoom.us/j/91515424903 or 1-253-215-8782 Webinar ID: 915 1542 4903
We would like to acknowledge that the City & Borough of Juneau is on Tlingit land, and wish to honor the indigenous people of this land. For more than ten thousand years, Alaska Native people have been and continue to be integral to the well-being of our community. We are grateful to be in this place, a part of this community, and to honor the culture, traditions, and resilience of the Tlingit people. Gunalchéesh!
Public Request for Consent Agenda Changes, Other than Ordinances for Introduction
Assembly Request for Consent Agenda Changes
Assembly Action
In 2024 the Juneau School District suddenly discovered a current year structural deficit of approximately $9.5 million dollars as a result of years of insufficient state funding, over projecting enrollment, and financial mismanagement. The Board of Education took immediate action to make cuts to the 2024 budget; however, the magnitude of the deficit is too great to address through cuts in the current school year. This ordinance, along with a companion general fund ordinance, appropriates approximately $4.1 million dollars from the restricted budget reserve as a loan to enable the school district to complete the current school year. These funds will be used to pay for instructional costs while the companion general fund ordinance will be used to pay for non-instructional costs.
Due to when this issue became apparent and the timing requirements associated with the CBJ, JSD, and DEED budget/review processes, decision making and public input has been necessarily expedited. The Assembly and Board of Education have each held numerous public meetings in recent weeks. The Assembly has expressed a desire for additional opportunity for public testimony and the Board of Education has expressed a desire for certainty on the outcome of these ordinances. A cover memo outlining options to reconcile these two needs is included.
The City Manager recommends the Assembly choose one of the three options for public input on this ordinance as outlined in the cover memo and set it for public hearing at the next Regular Assembly meeting.
In 2024 the Juneau School District suddenly discovered a current year structural deficit of approximately $9.5 million dollars as a result of years of insufficient state funding, over projecting enrollment, and financial mismanagement. The Board of Education took immediate action to make cuts to the 2024 budget; however, the magnitude of the deficit is too great to address through cuts in the current school year. This ordinance, along with a companion loan ordinance, appropriates approximately $3.9 million dollars from the general fund to enable the school district to complete the current school year. These funds will be used to pay for non-instructional costs while the companion loan funds will be used to pay for instructional costs.
Due to when this issue became apparent and the timing requirements associated with the CBJ, JSD, and DEED budget/review processes, decision making and public input has been necessarily expedited. The Assembly and Board of Education have each held numerous public meetings in recent weeks. The Assembly has expressed a desire for additional opportunity for public testimony and the Board of Education has expressed a desire for certainty on the outcome of these ordinances. A cover memo outlining options to reconcile these two needs is included.
The City Manager recommends the Assembly choose one of the three options for public input on this ordinance as outlined in the cover memo and set it for public hearing at the next Regular Assembly meeting.
In 2024 the Juneau School District suddenly discovered a current year structural deficit of approximately $9.5 million dollars as a result of years of insufficient state funding, over projecting enrollment, and financial mismanagement. The Board of Education took immediate action to make cuts to the 2024 budget; however, the magnitude of the deficit is too great to address through cuts in the current school year and will continue to be challenging in FY25. This ordinance appropriates approximately $1.65 million dollars from the general fund to support JSD in FY25 by covering non-instructional facilities maintenance costs in FY25 as CBJ and JSD plan for the potential transition of these services to CBJ.
Due to when this issue became apparent and the timing requirements associated with the CBJ, JSD, and DEED budget/review processes, decision making and public input has been necessarily expedited. The Assembly and Board of Education have each held numerous public meetings in recent weeks. The Assembly has expressed a desire for additional opportunity for public testimony and the Board of Education has expressed a desire for certainty on the outcome of these ordinances. A cover memo outlining options to reconcile these two needs is included.
The City Manager recommends the Assembly choose one of the three options for public input on this ordinance as outlined in the cover memo and set it for public hearing at the next Regular Assembly meeting.
INSTRUCTION FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The public may participate in person or via Zoom webinar. Testimony time will be limited by the Mayor based on the number of participants. Members of the public that want to provide oral testimony via remote participation must notify the Municipal Clerk prior to 4pm the day BEFORE the meeting by calling 907-586-5278. For in-person participation at the meeting, a sign-up sheet will be made available at the back of the Chambers and advance sign-up is not required. Members of the public are encouraged to send their comments in advance of the meeting to BoroughAssembly@juneau.gov.
ADA accommodations available upon request: Please contact the Clerk's office 36 hours prior to any meeting so arrangements can be made for closed captioning or sign language interpreter services depending on the meeting format. The Clerk's office telephone number is 586-5278, TDD 586-5351, e-mail: city.clerk@juneau.gov.