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Assembly seeks federal funds to redesign Central Peninsula Landfill; approves excavator purchase for Homer transfer facility
Summary
The assembly adopted a federal legislative priority asking for funds to redesign the Central Peninsula Landfill and approved a sole-source purchase of an excavator for the Homer transfer facility; public commenters urged repairing recycling equipment rather than ending programs.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved a resolution designating a federal legislative priority to seek funds for redesign and replacement work at the Central Peninsula Landfill, and it approved a sole-source purchase of a Doosan 140 excavator for the Homer Transfer Facility.
The landfill resolution — listed on the agenda as the borough’s single congressional spending request for fiscal year 2026 — was framed by staff and the mayor as a response to ongoing equipment failures, including a broken baler that has disrupted recycling operations. The resolution requests a congressionally directed spending request to replace the landfill baler and support redesign and recycling improvements.
Separately, the assembly authorized a sole-source award for purchase of a Doosan 140 excavator for the Homer transfer facility. The administration and staff reported that repeated fires and difficult waste handling at the Homer site had required extended excavator rentals costing approximately $60,000; a negotiated purchase price of about $110,000 was presented as less than the cost to buy comparable new equipment outright (staff cited roughly $160,000 as a comparable purchase cost).
Public testimony at the meeting urged the borough to repair the existing baler and maintain recycling operations rather than abandon them. Longtime recycling advocates and local residents said the borough’s recycling program has run for more than 30 years and should not be shut down. Borough staff and the mayor responded that recycling at Seward and Homer continues, that the borough is evaluating fit-for-purpose equipment and reuse options, and that the resolution is intended to identify federal funding for a longer-term redesign.
Alaska Waste representatives spoke during public comment to offer hauling and interim recycling options (for example, hauling material to processing facilities in Anchorage) while borough staff evaluate equipment options. The mayor said the borough is meeting with contractors and exploring options including a potential tire shredder and expanded reuse sites to reduce landfill volumes.
The assembly passed the landfill redesign resolution and the excavator sole-source ordinance as part of the consent agenda.
