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Assembly approves consent agenda including ballot‑measure outreach and several grants
Summary
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved its agenda and consent agenda by unanimous consent Sept. 2, adding and approving several ordinances and a resolution, including $34,000 for informational materials on two ballot propositions and grant appropriations for community projects and equipment.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly unanimously approved its agenda and the consent agenda during its Sept. 2, 2025, regular meeting, advancing a package of ordinances and a resolution that includes funds for public information about two voter propositions and several grant appropriations.
The consent vote, approved by unanimous consent, added Ordinance 2025‑19‑08, which revises the effective date for a commercial passenger vessel tax distribution to Seward and Homer; Ordinance 2025‑19‑09 (as amended), which authorizes $34,000 for informational and promotional materials about ballot Proposition 1 and Proposition 5; Resolution 2025‑037 authorizing an agreement with Central Peninsula General Hospital, Inc., for dispatch services for the mobile crisis team; and several grant‑fund appropriations and budget actions that will be heard or take effect as noted below.
Why it matters: The packet items collectively fund public information about two ballot measures, advance a mobile crisis dispatch agreement intended to define cost‑sharing for mobile behavioral‑health response, and accept grants to support local projects and emergency equipment. The ordinance to revise the passenger‑vessel tax effective date is retroactive to allow municipal expenditures to qualify for state receipts.
Key items approved or advanced on the consent agenda
- Ordinance 2025‑19‑08: Amends Ordinance 2024‑19‑36 relating to commercial passenger vessel tax proceeds received from the State of Alaska to the cities of Seward and Homer to provide a revised effective date (added to consent by Chair Tunsett). The ordinance was placed on the consent agenda and approved by the assembly’s consent action.
- Ordinance 2025‑19‑09 (as amended): Approves the use of funds for distributing informational and promotional materials about ballot Proposition 1 (hand counting of in‑person ballots) and Proposition 5 (changing the borough election date to align with the State of Alaska). The amended ordinance appropriates $34,000 from the general fund balance to account 10011110.26149999 for an informational/promotional campaign and adds several "whereas" clauses describing logistical concerns if the borough election date changes. The amendment was offered by Assembly Member Jared Hanseth and Vice President Cooper moved unanimous consent; the amendment and the ordinance as amended were included in the consent approval.
- Resolution 2025‑037: Authorizes an agreement with Central Peninsula General Hospital Inc. for dispatch services for the mobile crisis team (sponsored by the mayor and cosponsored by the assembly). The resolution was placed on the consent agenda and approved by unanimous consent.
- Ordinance 2025‑19‑10: Accepts and appropriates $18,200 in grant funds to the Kenai Peninsula Borough for the River Center Access and Restoration Demonstration Project (sponsored by the mayor). Hearing set for Sept. 16, 2025.
- Ordinance 2025‑19‑11: Accepts and appropriates grant funds for the purchase of three slip‑on tanker units (approx. $98,844 plus a 1% administrative service fee; sponsored by the mayor). Hearing set for Sept. 16, 2025.
- Ordinance 2025‑19‑12: Appropriates funds from the insurance and litigation fund balance for additional insurance premiums and claims reserves (sponsored by the mayor). Hearing set for Sept. 16, 2025; staff indicated some aspects will be discussed in executive session due to claims.
- Ordinance (packet reference) 2025‑??‑21 (listed as "Repealing and reenacting KPB Chapter 5.12 relating to real property tax; enacting new KPB Chapter 5.11 relating to personal property tax; new KPB Chapter 5.13 relating to tax exemptions, credits, or deferrals; and new KPB Chapter 5.15 relating to tax appeals"). The ordinance was introduced by the mayor; a hearing and a work session were scheduled for Oct. 14, 2025. The assembly indicated the ordinance is lengthy and would likely require a one‑ to one‑and‑a‑half‑hour work session.
Procedure and vote: The chair added items to the consent agenda and members requested unanimous consent to add and approve specific ordinances and amendments. The assembly approved the agenda and the consent agenda as amended by unanimous consent; the clerk recorded that the consent items would be approved or set for public hearing as described. The transcript records unanimous consent and does not show a roll‑call tally for these items.
What the record does not show: The transcript does not include a roll‑call vote tally for the consent items, only that unanimous consent was requested and no objections were raised. For items set for hearing, the assembly will take formal votes at those future hearings.
Next steps: Items scheduled for hearing on Sept. 16 will appear again on the assembly agenda for formal votes at that meeting. The tax code rewrite was scheduled for a work session and hearing on Oct. 14.
