Chapter 4.05
MARINE PASSENGER FEE FUND

Sections:

4.05.010    Establish fund.

4.05.020    Use of proceeds.

4.05.030    Procedures.

4.05.010 Establish fund.

A special revenue fund is established to accept the proceeds of the commercial passenger excise tax collected by the state of Alaska and passed through to the city and borough of Sitka. The proceeds shall be placed in the marine passenger fund. (Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)

4.05.020 Use of proceeds.

The proceeds of the marine passenger fund shall be appropriated to address the impacts caused by the marine passenger ship industry including:

A.    Design, construction, operation, or maintenance of capital improvements to relieve impacts of marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

B.    Operating funds for personnel, training, commodities, rentals, services and equipment for services provided, made available to, or required as a result of marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

C.    Projects and programs that promote safety, environmental improvements, or enforcement of laws caused or required by marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

D.    Acquisition of land required to execute the activities listed in this section;

E.    Beautification and enhancement of the facilities listed in this section;

F.    Surveys, analyses, polls, plans, monitoring, and similar efforts to measure, describe or predict, or manage the impacts of marine passenger ships and marine passengers, for items listed in this section.

(Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)

4.05.030 Procedures.

A.    Preparation of List. The administrator shall annually solicit for marine passenger fee project requests. The solicitation will be posted on the city and borough of Sitka website and published in a newspaper of general circulation no later than December 1st. The administrator shall annually, no later than January 1st, prepare a draft list of projects and programs proposed for funding in the city and borough budget for the following year by revenues from the passenger fee.

B.    The draft list shall be posted on the city and borough of Sitka website and forwarded to the cruise line industry, the Sitka convention and visitors bureau, the tourism committee, and the port and harbor committee not later than January 15th, providing an opportunity for the public, cruise line industry, and the three boards to review and comment on the draft list. The comment period shall close on February 15th. The administrator’s final recommendations will be posted on the city and borough of Sitka website and published in a newspaper of general circulation no later than March 1st.

C.    The administrator shall forward all submittals, cruise line industry comments, the three boards’ comments, public comments, and the administrator’s final recommendations to the assembly for consideration. The assembly will approve the recommendations during its deliberations on the annual city and borough budget.

D.    Funds shall be transferred or expended from the marine passenger fund only to the extent authorized by the assembly by ordinance.

(Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)