Assembly and staff weigh options as Dark Lake illegal‑dumping pile grows; contractor cleanup planned
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Summary
Assembly members and borough staff discussed persistent illegal dumping at the Dark Lake dumpster site, a contractor cleanup and possible longer‑term measures including moving the dumpsters, fencing, cameras and a billing mechanism to cover cleanup costs.
Kodiak Island Borough officials on Sept. 25 flagged worsening illegal dumping at the Dark Lake dumpster site and discussed short‑ and long‑term fixes after staff said regular cleanup is straining the landfill fund.
Borough manager Amy Williams told the Assembly that the borough has tried signage, storm fencing and periodic staffed enforcement but the problem persists and the pile has grown "embarrassingly large." She said a contractor will clear the current pile over the coming weekend and staff will track cleanup costs.
"One of the best solutions, it's not the cheapest solution, but I think is moving those dumpsters out of there," Williams said. She said the borough will consider building a fence, moving dumpsters to more visible sites (for example near Bayside Fire), or placing the dumpsters at historical/managed locations and that a fee spread among ratepayers could be used to fund regular maintenance.
Assembly discussion covered enforcement options, camera surveillance and fines. Assembly member Larry asked about the fine schedule; staff summarized that fines are progressive (examples mentioned in the meeting included $100, then $300, then $1,000 for repeat violations). Assembly member Dave proposed investigating modern video surveillance and license‑plate recognition as a tool to identify repeat dumpers; others suggested moving the collection points to locations with better visibility and access control.
Borough staff noted practical limits: current staffing levels do not support daily enforcement at the site; the landfill fund has limited capacity to absorb recurring contractor cleanup costs. Williams said the borough previously assessed an annual fee across ratepayers to pay for a major cleanup; staff is tracking costs now and will return with a funding proposal.
Ending: Staff will proceed with the immediate contractor cleanup, track costs, and bring back options (including relocation, fencing, citation/enforcement approaches and potential ratepayer fees) for assembly consideration.