It was a relatively light meeting of the Wrangell Port Commission last Thursday evening, May 7. There was only one agenda item for the commission to consider, a request by GCI to relocate the landing for a submarine cable. The telecommunication company currently has a submarine cable come onto the beach next to the community garden area, near City Park. From there, according to the meeting's agenda packet, the cable hits aerial lines and goes to its hub building, and also leaves the beach area and runs towards Petersburg. However, there is a current need to relocate the cable to a different beach.
"The incoming line crosses over the SEAPA power line out towards Five Mile Island," the agenda packet reads. "SEAPA will be doing some repairs to its line in that area so GCI is looking to redirect the incoming line to a new location. Their plan is to come through Chichagof Passage and come ashore at the Institute Beach area. From there it would hit the aerial lines and to the hub building."
As this beach is a recreational area, the packet reads, GCI will need to do their best to minimize the cable's impact on the area. Otherwise, the packet reads, there was little reason for the Port Commission to reject this request. Marisa McComas, with the City and Borough of Wrangell, confirmed that this request was approved.
During the meeting, the commission also heard the harbormaster's report. Wrangell's boatyard is still receiving business during the COVID-19 pandemic, the report reads, but traffic is slower than usual. As things stand currently the yard is open for business and taking vessels from anywhere. The vessels must be traveling for essential business and following other guidelines laid out in state health mandate 17. Out-of-state vessels or owners who fly into Wrangell from out of state to get to their vessels must also quarantine for two weeks.
"Early on the city was very protective and proactive in making sure people and or boats that were out of towners were as low as possible when it came to being a possible threat to the local population," the report reads. "During that time we did turn down 2 boats from Ketchikan because at that time Ketchikan was getting a new COVID case daily. Since then mandates have come out and things are different."
In other news from the harbormaster's report, all large cruise ship sailings to Wrangell have been cancelled until July 23. Some smaller ships are still wanting to visit but, as they are not "essential," they are restricted by current state mandates. This information is subject to change, as new information and new mandates are coming out regularly.
Greg Meissner, the harbor master, also announced that he would not be retiring this summer as originally planned. With the current situation being what it was, he said in his report that he offered to stay employed through September, as this summer would be a bad time for a transition.
Reader Comments(0)