High Tide Ramps
Photos courtesy Rod Morrison

EFFECTS OF LAST WEEK'S SUPER MOON AT HIGH TIDE
Last week's super moon caused the highest tides Valdez has seen in decades.
CLICK HERE for larger photos



CITY OF VALDEZ BUDGET TO BE DISCUSSED AT WORK SESSION TUESDAY
The initial City of Valdez budget was presented to Council October 19th, during the first of nine workshops. The 2017 Draft Budget to be submitted Tuesday incorporates all revisions requested by Council during the budget workshops. The 2017 budget includes 36 million in General Fund expenditures (not including Capital Improvement and Maintenance Projects - See separate story). After budget revisions, the City budget includes six new positions and the elimination of four previously authorized positions. In addition to new staffing, Council directed staff to budget a one-time payment to all FTE (full time equivalent) staff reflecting a $2,000 disbursement per FTE. According to the memo from Ragsdale, "Staff estimates that an operating deficit may be reached as early as 2024, using status-quo staffing assumptions and historic rates of inflation."
CLICK HERE to read Budget Memo
CLICK HERE for 2017 Budget to be presented to Council Tuesday night

TAPS SETTLEMENT REVENUE ENABLES CITY TO EMPLOY AGGRESSIVE
TWO YEAR CIP AND MAINTENANCE PLAN TOTALING OVER 21 MILLION
A memo from City Manager Dennis Ragsdale explaining the 2017 budget philosophy states the "city is now free to deploy these resources (TAPS Settlements funds) to productive use, and so the 2017 Budget contains funding of an ambitious two-year Capital Project and Major Maintenance Initiative. The funds will be appropriated directly from the General Fund balance, rather than from 2017 revenues. The memo states this Capital Project and Maintenance plan will be further developed into a five-year schedule early in 2017 and will be incorporated into the 2017 budget via puget revision, and updated annually thereafter. 

FOUR VHS STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN ALL-STATE CHOIR:
CONCERT TO BE TELEVISED THANKSGIVING DAY

Ann Norris- Four Valdez High School musicians participated in the ASSA All-State Music Festival. Sophomore Haleigh Ficek and senior Gabrielle Franklin represented Valdez in the All-State Treble Choir. Isaac Fannin participated in the Mixed Choir and Rylee Norris played trombone in the All-State Band. The weekend culminated in a Gala Concert which will be televised at 2pm on Thanksgiving Day on GCI.
Read full story and see larger photo HERE

BUC SKIERS OPEN SEASON IN FAIRBANKS 

Pete Toye- The Valdez ski team took to the road this weekend for their first race of the season at Birch Hill. The chilly temps and sparse snow made for some tough conditions, but the team was able to get in some very valuable on-snow time in a, thus-far, sparse snow year.
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