JUNEAU DAILY NEWS MINUTE
Wednesday, January 15,1997 (c) Alaska Juneau Communications
*With yesterdays announcement by Echo Bay Mines that they are pulling out of the A-J
Mine project, one cause for concern is the loss of tax revenue to the CBJ. City Tax
Assessor Shane Horan says that's about $27,000 per year on property valued at $1.1-
million, plus another million in personal business property. Horan says the actual ore
body is exempt from taxation by State statute. Another concern is the loss of Juneau
jobs. The 400 new jobs that had been projected for future workers in the mine won't be
realized. And, David Stone of Echo Bay says that professional positions such as
Geologists won't be needed during the clean-up phase of the job they will be offered
positions elsewhere with the company.
*Cost-of-living increases for public employees may be targeted by lawmakers looking for
ways to trim the state budget. House budget writers Mark Hanley and Gene Therriault
(TEHR'-ee-oh) say the funds for the increases -- called for in union contracts approved
last year -- are going to be on the budget-cutting table. Union officials say such a move
would rekindle last year's fight over approving the contracts.
*The Legislature's Republican leaders want to set educational standards for students
graduating from high school as part of an effort to improve education in Alaska. House
Speaker Gail Phillips says the public and business leaders are telling lawmakers that
students are not ready when they graduate. Phillips says under the GOP plan, students
will have to pass reading, writing and math standards to graduate.
*Layoff notices started going out yesterday to workers at the Ketchikan Pulp mill.
Federal law requires the company to give two-months notice to employees, in the event
of a plant shutdown. The company announced in October that it would shut down the
mill after it failed to get timber contract concessions from the Clinton administration. The
mill is scheduled to close March 24th. But Amy Sullivan with the mill's personnel
department says more time will be required to finish some tasks. The notices that went
out yesterday to salaried employees had severance dates ranging from March 31st to
August 31st.
*Juneau Representative Kim Elton has been named House Minority Whip by the
Democratic Legislative Caucus. Elton says that his main goal is to do the best job
possible.
*The Juneau Range District has announced the issuance of two prospectuses which will
be used to award special use permits for several commercial opportunities within the
Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Dan Hollenkamp of the Forest Service says
under the plan, guides or tour operators would be authorized to conduct guided tours on
Mendenhall River, Mendenhall Lake, and on West Glacier Trail, East Glacier Trail and
Nugget Creek Trail. The permits will be valid for a five year period ending in 2001.