Five state lawmakers from Southeast sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy Tuesday, urging the governor to fund repairs on two ferries recently removed from service.<\/p>\n
“The recent news that the M\/V LeConte and Malaspina will be laid up is devastating to our region,” wrote Reps. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, Andi Story, D-Juneau, and Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau.<\/p>\n
“The ferry is the only economical means of transportation for many Southeast Alaskans. We know Railbelt residents would feel similar with a simultaneous closure of the Glenn, Parks, and Richardson Highways,” the letter said.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 28, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced the Malaspina<\/a>, one of the Alaska Marine Highway’s oldest vessels, would be placed into long-term layup in Ketchikan. DOT said it could not afford the roughly $16 million needed to repair the decades old vessel.<\/p>\n Shortly after on Nov. 4, DOT announced that it didn’t have the funds<\/a> to complete repairs on both the M\/V LeConte and the M\/V Aurora. Scheduled repairs on the LeConte had been estimated at $1.5 million but upon further inspection of the ship’s hull, those costs rose to $4 million, according to DOT.<\/p>\n The decision was made that whichever ship’s work was cheaper would receive repairs while the other would be placed in layup.<\/p>\n The Alaska Marine Highway System announced it would be canceling service to the cities of Angoon, Tenakee, Pelican and Gustavus, while Haines and Skagway will receive service once a week.<\/p>\n Gov. Mike Dunleavy cut $650 million from the state budget this year, which included deep cuts to the ferry system. The Alaska Legislature voted to provide AMHS with an extra $5 million during the summer’s special session so that winter service could be provided to the city of Cordova<\/a>, but that money was eventually vetoed.<\/p>\n In their letter to the governor, lawmakers said that ending service to placed those Southeast communities in an “existential crisis.”<\/p>\n “The executive branch and the Department of Transportation have a responsibility to the Alaskan people to step up and solve this problem with the utmost haste,” the letter said. “This seems to be a funding priority crisis that can be solved.”<\/p>\n The lawmakers say the Legislature set aside $20 million for just such a situation. The higher-than-expected repair cost “is not a valid reason to hamstring these communities.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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