[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6677357,"mediaKeyId","2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393","parentId",2220235,"title","Assembly committee hears federal request for landfill redesign, discusses tire-shredding and excavator purchase for solid-waste operations","audioSeconds",386,"startMs",2199000,"endMs",2585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393&start=2199&end=2585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393/thumbnail_2199000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6677357/Kenai-Peninsula-Borough/Alaska/Assembly-committee-hears-federal-request-for-landfill-redesign-discusses-tire-shredding-and-excavator-purchase-for-solid-waste-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677357-da707a0b05dd8078d00d45fd0a69f63d/orig.mp4?Expires=1776670307&Signature=JKncQgIp0JtzmYP472dz0H~BwEhWncC~klHSn1We7jc56lzeznc6ER~GLHTThoSUsGoLeW07ryKtQ1biaa1HXSHkLzPqxBsK19MNO6V5amXu17dagais53YZMVH~d7WTGISzuQgpQ9vErJblTfZer0V32pZkV3hUjPGbvq6suIRSD3jWEeQW8J1v9dOPsOvn5Px9yEBPEstqk3XOCUz7pNc3NQBDxRhrsr3jxcaCkFRdl6cYONG6xTYerLTza3TiwbFgYZQ2yEawAx5wrJhfKv~J44Gho8fT5rgpp0A0Jy~UFETm3GqBhGojWuVqmZ9UQw5US4S4oViLv0LrSIe~Kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kenai Peninsula Borough","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","The finance committee reviewed Resolution 2025-05-011, which would authorize the borough’s fiscal year 2026 federal legislative priority project: a redesign of the Central Peninsula Landfill’s solid-waste and recycling operations. Staff said the request would be submitted to the congressional delegation as a single, congressionally directed spending request tied to redesigning the county landfill after failure of a cell increased pressure to improve operations.

Miss Hardy explained the request is intended to be the borough’s single federal spending priority and that, if federal funding does not materialize, the borough would pursue state or lower-cost local options. Several assembly members asked to be added as cosponsors for the federal request to demonstrate assembly support.

Committee members and the mayor also discussed options to reduce landfill waste and improve operations, including a tire-shredding system that would reduce tire storage volumes and could produce material reusable for borough projects. Mayor Michicky said removing tires from cells would reduce waste and that a shredder’s output could be reused in local projects; members remarked they had researched tire-shredding technology and its potential uses.

Separately, staff presented Resolution 2025-012 to authorize a sole-source purchase of an excavator for the Homer transfer facility. Hedges explained the borough rented an excavator during response to a long-running fire in the Homer inert cell and negotiated a purchase with the rental vendor (Craig Taylor Equipment) after concluding the borough would incur more expense continuing to rent the machine. Staff said competitive price comparisons were collected from nationwide auction data and a local vendor; because of procurement code limitations and prior emergency rental, staff recommended a sole-source award to the rental vendor to purchase the excavator. No final committee votes were recorded on the resolution at the meeting.

Staff said the landfill request, tire-shredder discussion and equipment purchase are part of ongoing efforts to reduce landfill operating costs and improve long-term waste handling.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kenai Peninsula Borough - Finance Committee on 2025-02-04 3:45 PM - Meeting ID: 835 6358 3837 Passcode: 606672 - Feb 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee heard a resolution designating the redesign of the Central Peninsula Landfill as the borough’s federal legislative priority and discussed tire shredding and a sole-source purchase of an excavator used to fight the Homer cell fire; several assembly members asked to be added as cosponsors on the federal request.","taxTitle","Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska","taxId",27490,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6677362,"Finance committee reviews several grant appropriations and design funding for school and emergency assets",73,1772000,1845000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393&start=1772&end=1845","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393/thumbnail_1772000.jpg","/articles/6677362/Kenai-Peninsula-Borough/Alaska/Finance-committee-reviews-several-grant-appropriations-and-design-funding-for-school-and-emergency-assets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677362-26dd5651ab7236a395a4093cf981d8d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776670307&Signature=nwVhk2KX3OV9cwoYlWGUIszQgeG7wGJZfndNwJDN9JaDGe2aSf88mKzNDidSw33ezgsW-HmQl4IhMR5o8CBood42zb~ccjkkK6p7CRJaOlsmeHhefRWJO~GYkC48pLszLPoUhKBPgnZwZjFiJFMCTS6a36lk83YE6VhE~lbWySOGP4io38NsOlpO59GGmUStFJBmD5hQUhIWFHQ4w5a3ZppqAq1Ax920PKmxIVh3cJ1mhK7YZP9wEBcFwhQtAVvgL51nrv8a2yifBMf4bExhgxbZFqGdwPLvg6MCy7IKPZdddclrSc5puq9Ap2z31IhCQ-g3WyAvKOyj8FEaSmdhNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Kenai Peninsula Borough finance committee meeting the panel heard three separate funding ordinances related to emergency services and school facilities.

Ordinance 2024-19-25 would accept and appropriate $45,000 in grant funds from Southern Region Emergency Medical Service Inc. on behalf of the Bear Creek Fire Service Area toward the purchase of an ambulance. Finance staff identified that amount would be added to $244,000 previously appropriated by the service area for the vehicle purchase; Miss Hardy answered committee questions and said the ordinance is intended to add the grant to the service area funding for an ambulance asset.

Ordinance 2024-19-26 would accept $76,000 from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to purchase a building automation system for Port Graham School. Committee members asked whether the automation system would improve field diagnostics and operational efficiency; Miss Hardy confirmed the system is intended to help monitor and improve the building’s heating and related systems and that the energy-efficiency purpose made the project eligible for the grant.

Ordinance 2024-19-27 would appropriate an additional roughly $28,000 for design work to repair a failed roof truss at Kenai Central High School’s vocational education facility. Hedges told the committee the borough settled an insurance claim and received one proposal for design work; the supplemental appropriation would bring the design authorization to about $201,000 and include project management costs with borough staff.

Each ordinance was presented, questions were answered, and no final committee vote was recorded during the session. Staff said the items would proceed through the borough’s normal ordinance and appropriation processes.

Also during the meeting, staff presented Resolution 2025-05-010 designating the Peninsula Clarion as the borough’s newspaper of record for publication of foreclosure and delinquent tax lists; the estimate for publication this year is $9,403, up roughly 5% from the prior year.","Committee heard ordinances to accept a $45,000 EMS grant for Bear Creek Fire Service Area ambulance, a $76,000 energy grant for Port Graham School automation, and a $28,000 supplemental for Kenai Central High School vocational facility design; all items were presented for committee consideration with no final votes recorded.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6677366,"Kenai Peninsula Borough considers $1.2 million purchase of 80 acres in Seward to study road access to Blueberry Hill",1198,576000,1774000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393&start=576&end=1774","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220235-81f46fdcab317052095a08825d897393/thumbnail_576000.jpg","/articles/6677366/Kenai-Peninsula-Borough/Alaska/Kenai-Peninsula-Borough-considers-12-million-purchase-of-80-acres-in-Seward-to-study-road-access-to-Blueberry-Hill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677366-2da6fe65fd79741dc6120ec41ee37f66/orig.mp4?Expires=1776670307&Signature=Q1jXgroUjsb8EgUCeskeYmOFN~OC6efozrpb~aXNdiIRK5AeF3t7afPCLqWCZ6X0rXr5BxKIABPvCg3uLYyWYBeyeXF818tBDHpfczhV92Y4qy8fTg~uHfd3wTjDMAZZ4SI3jJo9WwMslhP6DA1FZMisxinpHJz-KdzYRKKe9akZ8ONyBWwe5p-kkQ1bSXytBNIMDsuOebQre8zxLWhmoAwA8xgypFNiHgHuXfwQmjypNxwzzsW2CUN-u5wbmQPNtJw12XuF3ABZlWSbObqPtKU7r6SSjPd6hS~GeqLwn~3JdhD~eu0Ab1A4etUGPS4xqUt0KO7YnANYLfBytA0A8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kenai Peninsula Borough finance committee on Tuesday held a public hearing on Ordinance 2024-19-24, which would authorize the borough to acquire 80 acres in the Blueberry Hill area of Seward for $1,200,000 and to enter a memorandum of agreement with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to share costs for a road-access feasibility study. The purchase, the ordinance says, would be funded from the Land Trust Investment Fund and due diligence/feasibility expenses from the Land Trust Fund, and would be contingent on a successful feasibility study covering the subject parcel and adjacent borough and trust lands.

Land management staff member Aaron Hughes told the committee the study would evaluate potential road access to the top of Blueberry Hill and to adjacent borough lands, and that if successful the acquisition could provide vehicular access to about 2,300 acres of contiguous borough-owned land. Hughes said the parcel’s proposed classification is “rural,” consistent with surrounding unclassified borough lands, and that there are no immediate plans to subdivide the property; any future development would go through public processes involving the city and other stakeholders. The planning commission unanimously recommended approval at its Jan. 27 meeting, Hughes said, and the packet includes a letter of support from the City of Seward.

The proposed transaction includes an offer negotiated from an earlier asking price of $1.4 million down to $1.2 million, Hughes said. He also said the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority has agreed to share study costs; committee members referred during discussion to a $25,000 contribution toward the road-access feasibility study from the trust authority. Hughes said the Land Trust Investment Fund (LTIF) permits using up to 10% of the fund balance annually to acquire non–income-producing assets such as land, and that proposed purchase funding would come from that mechanism, with due diligence costs from the Land Trust Fund.

Public commenters and several assembly members raised concerns about access and site constraints. Speakers noted proximity of railroad tracks to the highway, the condition of a nearby bridge, narrow roads, flooding of Queijack Creek, bedrock and steep slopes on parts of the parcel, and potential tsunami and regulatory floodway constraints shown on maps provided to the committee. One commenter said that only about 9 acres of the 80 might be suitable for a typical house site and that larger portions have significant bedrock and limited buildable area; another said the estimated cost to build a road up the hill could be high relative to the value of buildable lots.

Mayor Michicky told the committee addressing Seward-area housing shortages — including lack of rental housing and difficulty retaining employees for local employers — has been a high priority of his administration. He said moving development out of flood and tsunami zones is important for the community’s resilience, that the borough has evaluated multiple properties for suitability and cost, and that this parcel, combined with adjacent borough and Alaska Mental Health Trust lands, may present the most feasible option for higher, safer development options in the Seward area. The mayor said any sale of borough parcels for housing would be phased and not placed on the market all at once.

Hughes confirmed the study requested by the ordinance would be limited to road-access feasibility and would not include detailed road design or a comprehensive cost estimate unless the committee directed staff to add those elements. The ordinance text makes the acquisition explicitly contingent on “the successful completion of the feasibility study.”

No final vote on Ordinance 2024-19-24 was recorded at the committee meeting; the item remained at the hearing stage pending the study and any further public input or assembly action.

Next steps: if the assembly later approves purchase authorizing language and the feasibility study shows viable access, the borough would move forward under the LTIF appropriation and follow up publicly on classification, potential surplus determinations and any future sale or subdivision steps.","At a finance committee public hearing, borough land management presented an ordinance to buy 80 acres near Seward for $1.2 million and to partner with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority on a road-access feasibility study; the purchase would be contingent on the study’s success.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Assembly committee hears federal request for landfill redesign, discusses tire-shredding and excavator purchase for solid-waste operations

Finance committee reviews several grant appropriations and design funding for school and emergency assets

Kenai Peninsula Borough considers $1.2 million purchase of 80 acres in Seward to study road access to Blueberry Hill