JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - A second year of catastrophic Mendenhall Valley flooding, as well as tourism overcrowding concerns, were just some of the key issues incumbent Mayor Beth Weldon and former Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation CEO Angela Rodell addressed during this this week’s 2024 League of Women Voters candidate forum, as both seek Juneau’s mayoral seat for the coming term.

“Pretty good,” was how Weldon characterized the overall city flooding response, crediting her staff’s combined work with tribe members, state leaders and volunteer agencies.

In addition, Weldon said the city manager and deputy city manager traveled to Anchorage in September to work with multiple groups, including the Army Corps of Engineers, to brainstorm short- and longterm solutions.

“One of them is sandbags, but these are six-foot-high sandbags,” Weldon explained. “The other thing we’re doing is, I’m leaving on a plane tomorrow to go to Washington, D.C.”

There, she said, she hopes to learn more about possible solutions for the Southeast city.

The widespread damage left behind from the Mendenhall Glacier flooding, which United States Geological Survey data shows crested at 15.99 feet on Aug. 6, prompted the mobilization of the Alaska Organized Militia (AKOM) — including the Alaska Air and Army National Guard, the Alaska Naval Militia, and the Alaska State Defense Force.

Calling the flooding the most significant issue facing Juneau right now, Rodell said it is “probably” the most important thing for voters to consider, and said that, moving forward, the city has to address both short-term and long-term solutions.

“Ways to force the federal government’s hand, to make a lot of noise, to just push and push and push, on a long-term solution,” Rodell said. “But we can’t lose sight of the short-term pain that people are feeling, and the fear that people are feeling. We have 300 families right now who are very nervous about the fact that Suicide Basin is refilling, and that they’re not sure what to do with their homes or how to protect their property.”

This year’s crest was more than one foot higher than 2023′s destructive flooding and occurred just a few days after water began to run over the top of Suicide Basin.

The candidates were also asked how to address city tourism – and subsequent overcrowding problems related to the cruise ship industry – while balancing potential revenue loss if cruise ship numbers were to be reduced.

Weldon said solutions are in motion, pointing to leaders from Juneau and major cruise lines agreeing to a five-large-ship-per-day limit, which took effect this year.

They more recently signed a pact, set to take effect in 2026, that seeks a daily limit of up to 16,000 cruise passengers on certain days, with a 12,000-person limit on Saturdays.

Weldon also mentioned plans to construct a fifth cruise ship dock, in downtown Juneau, located along the Gastineau Channel and next to the U.S. Coast Guard station.

“Our tourism industry is one of our growing segments of our economy, so we have to be careful that we treat it carefully because, as said, we need money to do things,” Weldon said. “At the same time, we have to balance that with how the residents are feeling.”

Rodell focused on the importance of constructing a fifth dock.

“It doesn’t add cruise ships at all,” she said. “It’ll create movement and less congestion downtown, which I think will be really important to utilizing the tourism industry. A lot of the jobs are really key to the economic development of Juneau.”

The candidates, however, did not mention the so-called ‘Ship-Free Saturdays’ measure on Tuesday’s ballot. If passed, that initiative would ban cruise ships with 250 or more passengers from docking in Juneau on Saturdays.

The candidates were also asked how the city can better protect both people experiencing homelessness and property owners.

Weldon said the city has spent almost $5 million on homelessness and has created a three-phase Housing First program.

“We’re down from 100 difficult people on the street, difficult to deal with, to about 20 to 25. But they’re very evident,” Weldon said.

Rodell said $5 million is a lot of money to devote to the cause, considering there are hundreds of Mendenhall Valley families worried about their homes and whether they will have housing due to flooding concerns.

“As a town of 30,000, we have to think long and hard about where we commit resources,” Rodell said. “And so one of the things I want to commit to is making sure that we take care of our residents and that they have the tools that they need to take care of their property.”

At the forum, the candidates also discussed workforce issues at community hospitals and government spending at the municipal level.

Assembly candidates also spoke at the forum on Tuesday. There are three open seats this year; two candidates are running for mayor. Two candidates are running for District 1, and five people are running for District 2.