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Assembly urged to expedite landfill fence repairs after DEC letter and rising public attention
Summary
Assembly members pressed borough staff to accelerate repairs to the landfill fence after recent bear activity, a DEC letter and growing social-media attention; staff said parts of the repair are ready but lack an active facilities contract and hope to complete repairs by Oct. 31.
Assembly members on Sept. 11 urged Kodiak Island Borough staff to treat repairs at the borough landfill as urgent after staff reported penetrations in the fence, installation of a new energizer and a DEC letter raising concern about bears.
Manager Amy Williams told the assembly that a new fence energizer was installed and small fence penetrations were being repaired but that the borough lacked a current facilities contractor to complete all repairs. "We were hoping to be able to move forward with our new contractor on those fence repairs, but now we don't really have a facilities contract. So we'll have to go out for a new project to get those repairs made, and we're still hoping to get those done by October 31," Williams said.
Several assembly members described the situation as urgent. One said the borough will likely face fines if repairs are not completed and that the issue has been forwarded to Alaska Wildlife Troopers. "We are gonna start getting fined. ... This has been forwarded to the Alaska Wildlife Troopers," the assembly member said, adding that social media was amplifying public attention to the dump and attracting visitors.
Assembly member Scott urged rapid action and suggested the manager be given authority to proceed with emergency appropriations or expedited procurement if needed. "If that requires an emergency appropriation, let's give the manager the authority to do that," he said. Members also noted staff and the borough have been communicating with DEC and that measures already taken include the new energizer and plans to repair fence penetrations.
Williams also warned that delayed repairs could create public‑safety hazards for staff and residents and said the borough is coordinating with stakeholders to identify contractors for fence work. She reported the borough hopes to have repairs completed by Oct. 31 but that the timeline depends on procuring a contractor and securing funds.
No formal appropriation was adopted at the Sept. 11 work session. Assembly members asked staff to prioritize repairs, explore emergency procurement or appropriation options, and return with a status update and cost estimate at an upcoming meeting.
