Powell looks to new ideas to help town's economy

After 58 years in Wrangell, nine years on the assembly and two separate stints as vice mayor, David Powell decided now is the time to run for Wrangell's highest elected position.

And while he is up against incumbent Patty Gilbert, Powell wants it known that he is not running against Gilbert in a typical fashion. When asked why voters should check the box next to his name on Oct. 1, he hesitated to give a response - not because he wasn't sure why people should vote for him - but because he didn't want to seem like he was vilifying his opponent.

"Man, that is tough. I have a lot of respect for Patty (Gilbert), but I feel that I can push things harder. ... But why would you check the box for me? Because my heart is in Wrangell," he said.

Initially he joined the assembly to promote the sale of borough land, hoping it would prompt construction of much-needed housing in town.

Twenty lots at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.'aan) subdivision, where the Wrangell Institute once stood, will be up for sale in the spring of 2025. Additionally, the borough has plans to make eight small industrial lots available for purchase just off Bennett Street.

These land sales are just the start, Powell said. He also hopes to get the former sawmill property at 6-Mile off the borough's books and supports moving the barge ramp and staging area out the road to open up the downtown waterfront for tourism opportunities.

In his mayoral campaign, Powell's priories have evolved. This time around, he wants "to fund the schools no matter what," work collectively with other Southeast communities to revitalize the state ferry system and find "out-of-the-box" ways to help boost Wrangell's economy.

Powell also wants to see a data center come to town. Data centers are large-scale server farms that provide computing power and storage for cloud-based service providers.

Powell said one advantage Wrangell offers over other potential host sites is that "we have very low-cost power; that's what these companies need."

He also suggested that Wrangell expand its mariculture industry. Powell said there are people in town who have already acquired permits to grow kelp. He believes encouraging and supporting similar projects is crucial to bringing more money into the community.

He also pointed out that Juneau residents will vote in October whether to ban cruise ships on Saturdays. "Well, those ships have to go somewhere," Powell laughed. "Maybe we can get a couple of them."

As for improving state ferry service, he is certain the demand is there. The vice mayor, who has been the manager of the Bay Co. for over 20 years, said he had boat trailers on standby to board the ferry five times in the past three months alone, none of which were able to get space on the vehicle deck.

On the two questions on the Oct. 1 ballot, he will be voting yes on both measures. Powell said the only alternative to repairing and renovating the Public Safety Building would be the construction of a new building, a solution the borough cannot afford.

He is also advocating for a change in the municipal charter to allow assembly compensation.

"I'm 100% for it, but I'm thinking about it in terms of the future when I'm not there. I know that our assembly is primarily older people. I would like to entice young people too," he said.

Beyond the confines of the mayoral race, Powell encouraged folks to attend assembly meetings as frequently as they can.

"I cannot say it enough. If people show up to the meetings, it makes our job so much easier. Our meetings work really well, but what we're missing is people telling us what we're doing wrong and what we're doing right. Too often we hear it after the meetings."