The City of Akutan wants to grow.  It has submitted a proposal that would expand its territory by 700 percent if approved by the state’s Local Boundary Commission. 

The proposed annexation is of lands on both Akutan and Akun islands and the water that divides them. 

Current town boundaries don’t encompass the airport that’s being constructed on Akun or a proposed site for geothermal energy development south of town.  According to Akutan Mayor Joseph Bereskin, the city wants more control over development around those sites.

“If it falls under the city boundaries, if the city and the community want to develop a road, they have access to it, they don’t have to go through a lot of hoops to get it.”

Most of the land up for annexation belongs to the Akutan Corporation.  President Darryl Pelkey says the corporation is fully in support of expanding the city’s jurisdiction.  He says if approved, it would allow the corporation to apply for federal funding to build roads on Akun, where the corporation has a 700-head herd of cattle.

Since all the landowners agree to the annexation, the process will move pretty quickly.  The petition is up for public comment through December 30, then the Boundary Commission staff will make a recommendation on the proposal, followed by a public hearing in front of the Commission.  The whole process is expected to wrap up by early April.

If the petition is successful, Akutan will go from being 18 to 130 square miles.