There is created within the City and Borough of Juneau a six-member Eaglecrest Summer Operations Task Force. The Task Force is composed of three Assembly members and three Eaglecrest Board members. The proposed members from the Assembly are Gladziszewski, Triem and Bryson and the proposed members of the Eaglecrest Board are Garrison, Dale and Satre.

Assembly member Gladziszewski shall serve as chair. The committee shall elect a vice chair from among its members at its first meeting.

Purpose

The purpose of the task force shall be to research and explore potential business models for the development of Eaglecrest for summer tourism growth. The goal is to better understand the range of business models, costs and potential revenues from possible summer operations investments.

Formation of the task force does not presume that expanding summer operations at Eaglecrest is a decision that the Assembly will make. Continuation of the current level of summer operations shall be further studied and brought forward as a better understood approach.

Duties for the Task Force shall include:

1. Researching examples of summer business investments that have been successful at other similarly sized ski areas, particularly focusing on any ski areas run by public entities or nonprofit organizations.
2. Better understanding the restrictions that are placed on the Eaglecrest Ski Area lands due to prior acceptance of Land and Water Conservation Fund grants.
3. Developing and understanding the pros and cons of business models that allocate the investment, risk and profit between Eaglecrest/CBJ and potential investors and/or tour operators.
4. Further analyze business case scenarios and proof test revenue and expenditure assumptions, including potential visitation levels, staffing levels and pricing approaches.
5. Develop understanding of public process necessary for consideration of possible approaches, including types of legislative authority that would be required for passage the Assembly.
6. Conduct a technical review of possible gondola alignments, tourist adventure rides and conveyance capacities of such systems.
7. Provide a review of pros and cons of provision of various types of adventure rides and amenities.

Timeline

The members shall serve until completion of their tasks and the task force is left to determine the best schedule for timely completion. In any case, the task force shall expire within nine months of this date unless extended. The committee shall report to the Assembly at either the Lands Committee or the Committee of the Whole as is appropriate.

Resources

In the FY20 CIP the Assembly appropriated $50,000 for “Eaglecrest Financial Sustainability Plan” that is available for necessary consulting assistance.

Meetings, Officers, Records, Quorum, Staff Support

The committee shall determine its meeting schedule according to its workload and at the call of the chair. All meetings shall be open to the public and advertised through the Municipal Clerk’s office. A majority of the committee members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business. The committee shall follow the procedures used by the Assembly for transaction of its business, as interpreted by the City Attorney as necessary. The committee shall keep a record of its meetings, transaction, finding, determinations and written public comments received, which shall be filed with the Municipal Clerk and be open to public inspection at reasonable times.

The City Manager and Eaglecrest Manager will provide staff support and assistance to the task force as appropriate and as time and priority allows.

Dated: October 14, 2019.
Beth A. Weldon,
Mayor City and Borough of Juneau