The City and Borough of Sitka issued a Request for Information seeking vendors to help manage its largest cruise passenger season on record, with 480,000 visitors projected for 2022.

The city wants market information on costs and capacity for traffic management, custodial services, and communications support to handle the influx. Responses are due December 15, 2021, and will inform Assembly budget decisions for fiscal year 2022-23.

The Assembly tasked the Planning Commission in April 2021 with developing a logistics plan focused on dispersion, transportation, traffic, and infrastructure needs for the 2022 season. The planning effort began in May 2021 and was scheduled to conclude with a final draft in mid-December and Assembly presentation in mid-January 2022.

"Sitka is slated to have its largest cruise passenger season on record with 480,000 passengers forecasted for the 2022 season," said Amy Ainslie, Planning Director for the City and Borough of Sitka.

The Request for Information differs from a formal bid or contract. "We're just seeking information, and the responses that we receive are informational only," Ainslie said. "They're not a bid or a contract or anything like that."

The city wants vendors for specific services including traffic conductors at key intersections, crossing guards, shuttle systems, daily litter pickup in high-demand public areas, and maintenance of public restrooms during peak visitor days. A preliminary cruise ship calendar included with the request uses color coding to indicate total daily passenger volumes.

"So primarily we're looking at traffic management, custodial services, and communications," Ainslie said.

Vendors are not required to bid on all services. The city welcomes responses from organizations, businesses, or individuals interested in providing any combination of the listed services, from single items like crossing guards to comprehensive packages.

"This will be really valuable information as the Assembly considers adoption of the plan and the budget for the upcoming fiscal year," Ainslie said.

The planning effort also includes preliminary plans for street closures on Lincoln Street during high-volume days, though those plans remain subject to Assembly adoption in January 2022.

Responses can be submitted by email to [email protected] or delivered in person to the planning department. Interested parties can request email updates on the planning effort by contacting the same address.