Wednesday
July 07, 2004

To Whom it may concern; (7/01/04)

I am Philip Stage, and I am acting at the request of my neighbors in Loring Alaska (NaHA Bay) to inform your committee of our efforts to form a Service Area there.

Many of our projects, though modest, have been over-looked in the past due to various factors (ie: Funding, logistics, etc.), and have only now reached a critical point. One of these critical points is the condition of our community lifeline, and the key component of our infrastructure, the FLOAT.

The State of Alaska has historically provided our community with the parts required for maintaining the float as well as the connecting access ramps. The majority of the labor involved with that, has been contributed by various Loring volunteers for over 40 years. This symbiotic relationship has served both our community and the state well these many years. However the state, due to it's present day financial situation ,can no longer provide this service, and wishes to discontinue not only the parts for repair, but any future interest in the float and through attrition remove any and all floats deemed beyond repair... permanently. This effectively cuts Loring off from any safe," all tide access or evacuation, any economic development, as well as greatly hampering the daily lives for those that live there. This brings us to the heart of the matter. The State of Alaska has offered us the option of rebuilding the Float, access ramps, and pilings if they can relinquish interest to an appropriate and responsible body, and therefore forever be relieved of any future involvement. One of the ways suggested by the Ktn. Gateway Borough is for us as a community to form a SERVICE AREA . This has been discussed at length with various members of the Borough (ie. Susan Round, Steve Reeves, Scott Brandt-Erickson ,and others) as well as the State Harbormaster Vic Winters, Roy Eckard, and the state attorney. They all seem to agree that this course would culminate in an advantageous situation for the State, Borough, and the community of Loring, and would see it through. The Service Area would be set up in accordance with KGB Code of Ordinances Title #50 .05
Some of the application requirements for the service area, and may also be of interest to your committee ,are as follows .....

#1 DEFINITION OF BOUNDARIES.... The SA area of Loring would include all Lots within the Loring Townsite (USS 2109, USS 4569 , USS 20972, USS 2098 and USS 08). The dock, boardwalks, and right of ways within those boundaries would in the future be maintained and supported by a community assessed mill rate added on to our annual Borough tax. All of the accounting and billing would be in cooperation with the borough.

#2 POPULATION ...Loring has 14 different households . At least seven of those households being three quarter to year round residences, and we are expecting that number to increase.

#3 ASSESSED VALUE... According to the KGB tax role as of 2003, There is a combined total of $821,000.

We as the community of Loring respectfully submit this letter to your committee in hopes that it will be included in your consolidation plan. We ask that you contact us if you have any suggestions or comments on our plans and especially how any future consolidation plans might affect us and our plan to become Loring service area .

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME,

Philip Stage (aka Rich)
c/o 237 Brown Way
Ketchikan ,Alaska 99901
(907)225-5859

NOTE; Please send a copy of any correspondence to
Judy Hundly (Secretary ISA)
PO Box 7763
Ketchikan ,Alaska 99901