Safety cameras along the Juneau Seawalk, a covered bus stop in the Mendenhall Valley and public Wi-Fi downtown are some of the new projects that could be funded by the fees paid by cruise ship passengers this year.
Every season, the City and Borough of Juneau collects a $5 fee from each cruise ship passenger who comes into port. That money is pooled together and can go toward paying for projects in Juneau that serve visitors or ease tourism impacts on locals.
This year, the city expects to generate about $21.5 million in revenue from the 1.65 million passengers anticipated to visit Juneau.
The money helps fund basic city services like emergency response support and a crossing guard program, but it also helps pay for new projects. The city released a list of projects last week that were recommended by both city officials and Juneau residents. The city is taking public comments on the recommendations until May 7.
Typically, the projects funded by the fees are downtown near the waterfront. Other parts of town, like the Mendenhall Valley near the glacier, can get projects funded, too, but they need to be connected to the visitor industry.
That’s because in 2019 the city made a settlement agreement with Cruise Lines International Association Alaska, which put limits on how the city uses the funds were put into place, and some projects require approval by the tourism industry.
Other potential projects include a funding boost for public transit, street cleanup and repair and the electrification of city docks.
People can submit comments to the city’s visitor industry director at alexandra.pierce@juneau.gov or by visiting the Marine Passenger Fee Program website.