The Patrol Vessel Stimson in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. KUCB/John Ryan photo.

The Patrol Vessel Stimson sailed out of Dutch Harbor Monday morning, marking the end of an era for Unalaska and for the Stimson.

After 17 years based in Dutch Harbor, it’s heading to Kodiak, where the state of Alaska’s biggest patrol vessel will be based.

“I will certainly miss Dutch Harbor,” said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Sergeant Robin Morrisett, one of six Department of Public Safety employees who are leaving Unalaska with the Stimson. “I’ve got a lot of friends here, and so does everybody else on the boat. We’re all going to miss Dutch Harbor.”

In the past year, a team of planners visited Unalaska to hear from the community about local land use. Since then, the planning department has been working to put together a land use plan. Anthony Grande is the city’s Planning Administrator. He said the new document outlines a long-term vision for Unalaska.

“The plan talks about what the land uses are right now as we speak today and makes recommendations about what the land use should be in the future," said Grande.

 The Unalaska City council meets Tuesday for a regularly scheduled meeting. 

The council will sear in a new officer to the police force. Taylor Carlson comes to Unalaska from Pulaski, Wisconsin where he attended a police academy.  He will take part in an Alaska specific law enforcement training program sometime in his first year in the Far North.

 Also on the agenda under new business is a resolution in support of funding for the sponsorship of the Alaska Arctic Council Host Committee.

The Unalaska City Council passed a budget amendment during a regular meeting last night that increases funding for the Wastewater Treatment Plant project by more than $3.4 million dollars.

City Manager Don Moore told the council the money was necessary to continue work on the project.

“This money is absolutely necessary to finish this project and not finishing it is not an option," he said.

The Unalaska City Council will consider an amendment during their regular meeting Tuesday that could increase funding for a new wastewater treatment plant by more than $3.4 million dollars. If there is a quorum, the city council will hold an executive session on the matter before they vote.

When the ordinance was introduced as new business two weeks ago, City Manager Don Moore reminded the council Unalaska’s wastewater treatment project has been fraught with problems since construction began in 2013.

Unalaska’s city operating budget for Fiscal Year 2016 is up for public hearing during a regular city council meeting Tuesday. 

The budget includes $32 million in expected revenue and $25 million in general fund spending. 

The surplus is only half as large as city administrators expected, In part because of shrinking state allocations.

Also up for public hearing is an ordinance that would including more than $294,000 in funding for the Museum of the Aleutians in the FY2016 city budget.

Coe Whittern owns this vacant 11-acre parcel in the Valley. (Annie Ngo/KUCB)

City councilors narrowly rejected an appeal from a landowner over a major property tax hike during a lengthy meeting as the Board of Equalization Tuesday night.

Coe Whittern’s appeal was for an undeveloped, 11-acre parcel in Unalaska’s Valley that could hold about 30 smaller lots. The land was appraised at $59,000 in the past -- but this year, its value went up to nearly $500,000.

Whittern said all he’s done to the land this year was to add fill dirt, and he felt the raise was out of proportion with other lots in town.

Unalaska’s operating budget for the next fiscal year will get a first reading when city council meets tonight -- with only half as big a surplus as expected.

The budget includes $32 million in expected revenue and $25 million in spending from the general fund.

That’s more spending than the plan originally iincluded. In her memo to council, finance director Patricia Soule says she’s factored in final totals for school funding and shrinking state allocations.

City councilors spent much of a three and a half hour session Tuesday night debating whether they should be allowed to call into their own meetings from off-island.

Mayor Shirley Marquardt wants to allow up to two councilors per meeting to do that through September to start with.

With several councilors traveling this summer, she's worried there won't be enough people present to take important votes.

"And we’ve got ongoing projects that we can’t hold up. So if there’s a budget amendment that needs to be made or something that has to shift, we’ve got to be able to respond to that," Marquardt said.