This week we’re heading to the Prince of Wales community of Coffman Cove. Misty Fitzpatrick is the city administrator for Coffman Cove.
“Ok, Misty Fitzpatrick, I am the city administrator from Coffman Cove, Alaska.
We are an ocean front community. A set-back, tranquil, little cove spread out community. About twenty-miles of city roads that connect to the rest of Prince Wales Island; which has about fifteen-hundred miles of drivable road.
We have a lot fisherman in Coffman Cove. Fishing here is fabulous, so it attracts lots of boaters. It’s inside waters, which means it’s fairly calm most of the time; lots of people here ah…they enjoy boating.
We have a somewhat of a timber industry left. Road construction, building construction the school district employees some folks as well as we have some city government jobs and then others commute to the larger communities on the other side of the Island, such as Craig, and there is healthcare.
There’s been a lot of cuts. You know State operating grants and Federal operating grants. We’re looking at timber recites ah… going away, which we have been depending-on to maintain our streets and roads and then Hilt also paying into taxes. So, with those two funding sources um…going away it’s leaving out a lot communities and a kind a in the search and having to figure-out a way to fill those voids with other sources of funding ah…and its proving to be ah… quite challenging.
You know who live here are our biggest asset and one of the main comments we get when people visit the community is “how nice” and “friendly” and “accommodating” the people are and they are very hard working and industries. They can do um…“jack of all trades.” So, um … that’s, I think in my opinion, people are the most unique thing about our community and that’s what makes…they make the community great.”
