Kenai council enacts grants, contracts, staffing change and adds senior‑housing feasibility funding to CIP

The Kenai City Council convened Jan. 15 and adopted a series of ordinances and resolutions covering grant appropriations for the Kenai Senior Center, an airport restaurant concession, capital transfers for dock float replacement and ramp repairs, a new part‑time police administrative position, contract awards and an amended capital improvement plan that adds a senior‑housing feasibility study.

Nut graf: The council approved multiple consent and action items in a single session. Several measures carried by unanimous or recorded roll‑call votes, and the council amended its proposed FY26–30 Capital Improvement Plan to add a $300,000 feasibility study for senior housing (fiscal 2029), to be funded with $200,000 in grants and $100,000 in general funds.

Votes at a glance (key actions adopted Jan. 15) - Ordinance 3446‑2024: Accept and appropriate grant from Alaska Food Coalition to Kenai Senior Center (shelving, supplies). Motion to enact moved by Vice Mayor Nackstedt; roll call yielded 7 yes; outcome: enacted. - Ordinance 3447‑2025: Accept and appropriate grant from State of Alaska Division of Senior & Disability Services for Kenai Senior Center disaster emergency planning and supplies (short procurement timeline; 6‑month spend window). Motion to introduce and enact carried; outcome: enacted (7 yes). - Resolution 2025‑01: Authorize city manager to enter restaurant concession agreement for Kenai Municipal Airport (new concession to take effect March 1; anticipated opening by April 1). Adopted by unanimous consent. - Resolution 2025‑02: Budget transfer to municipal roadway improvements capital project fund; reallocate remaining balances from completed projects to fund city dock float replacement and concrete ramp repairs. Adopted by unanimous consent. Staff said float replacement bidding and purchase will start within a month; concrete ramp work likely deferred until after dip‑netting season. - Resolution 2025‑03: Amend authorized staffing table to add one part‑time Administrative Assistant I in the Police Department (primarily evidence/electronic file handling). Adopted by unanimous consent. Finance noted FY25 funds available; estimated FY26 cost ~$21,040. - Resolution 2025‑04: Adopt goals to guide preparation of FY26 annual budget. Adopted by unanimous consent. - Resolution 2025‑05: Authorize contract award for Microsoft Enterprise Agreements; council later reconsidered and amended the contract amount from $33,375.92 to $36,375.92 before final adoption. Adopted as amended by unanimous consent. - Resolution 2025‑06: Adopt FY26–30 Capital Improvement Plan; council amended the CIP to add a general‑fund project in fiscal 2029 for a senior‑housing feasibility study in the amount of $300,000, to be funded with $200,000 in grants and $100,000 from general funds. Amendment carried and the CIP was adopted as amended. - Resolution 2025‑07: Request the governor designate the Eastside setnet area of Upper Cook Inlet as economically disaster‑impacted for 2024 and support a recovery plan (response to ~99% reduction in traditional harvest). Adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 3445‑2024 (G1): Increase estimated revenues and appropriations across municipal roadway, water/sewer, public safety and airport capital project funds to transfer residual balances from completed projects and fully fund FY25 projects. Ordinance enacted as amended (roll call 7 yes). - Consent‑agenda confirmations and introductions: Council confirmed mayoral nominations to the Harbor Commission (Dominic Sarte) and Parks & Recreation Commission (Marty Pepper and Bridget Grama), and introduced Ordinance 3448‑2025 to amend Kenai Municipal Code section 14.22.010 to allow airport as a principal permitted use in the airport light industrial zone (public hearing set 02/05/2025). These items were approved as part of the consent agenda.

Discussion highlights - Senior‑center grants: Council thanked staff (notably Red, an administrative employee) for preparing a last‑minute grant application. City manager and senior‑center staff described grant uses: emergency food for home‑delivered meal clients (six months–one year shelf life), AED supplies, first‑aid kit replacement and professional services to develop a site‑specific senior‑center emergency plan. The grant had a short 10‑day application window and must be spent within six months. - Dock and ramp funding: Public works staff said float purchases will be bid within a month; concrete ramp repairs may be deferred until after dip‑netting season. Administration noted about $355,000 remaining from the original state grant (initially for alternative beach access and related projects) and an earlier allocation of $150,000 that was previously to fund a restroom at a Little League field had been reallocated to this dock project. - Senior‑housing feasibility: Council discussed options and cost estimates. Staff and council cited prior studies (1988) and estimates that a full feasibility and programming study could cost $250,000–$300,000; a narrower market analysis might run around $15,000. Council ultimately amended the CIP to include a $300,000 feasibility line item in FY29 and specified funding assumptions ($200,000 grants, $100,000 general funds), with staff to pursue grant opportunities. - Airport restaurant concession: Staff explained utilities and meters for the concession (separate gas meter for kitchen/cooking loads; the city pays for terminal electrical and water/sewer during operating hours). Agreement starts March 1; anticipated opening by April 1. - Police administrative position: Chief described the role as Administrative Assistant I to handle time‑consuming evidence file transfers (electronic file uploads to Department of Law) and routine data work. Finance said existing budget vacancies allow FY25 funding; FY26 continued cost estimated at $21,040. - Microsoft contract: Council reconsidered and amended the contract sum to correct an error in the resolution amount before adoption.

Actions (structured) [{ "kind":"ordinance_adoption", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E1","ordinance_number":"3446-2024"}, "motion":"Enact ordinance 3446-2024 accepting and appropriating grant from Alaska Food Coalition to the Kenai Senior Center", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "vote_record":[], "tally":{"yes":7,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "legal_threshold":{"met":true}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Roll call: 7 yes votes; used for senior center shelving and supplies"},{ "kind":"ordinance_adoption", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E2","ordinance_number":"3447-2025"}, "motion":"Introduce and enact ordinance 3447-2025 accepting and appropriating grant from State of Alaska Division of Senior & Disability Services to Kenai Senior Center for disaster emergency planning", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":7,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Short application window; 6 months to spend"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E3","resolution_number":"2025-01"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution authorizing city manager to enter into a restaurant concession agreement for Kenai Municipal Airport", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Adopted by unanimous consent; agreement starts March 1; expected open by April 1"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E4","resolution_number":"2025-02"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution transferring remaining project balances into municipal roadway improvements capital project fund for city dock float replacement and ramp repairs", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Floats to be purchased after bid; concrete work likely post‑season"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E7","resolution_number":"2025-03"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution to add part‑time Administrative Assistant I to Police Department staffing table", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"FY25 funding available; FY26 estimate ~$21,040"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E?","resolution_number":"2025-04"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution adopting goals to guide FY26 annual budget", "mover":"Vice Mayor Maxton", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Adopted by unanimous consent"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E?","resolution_number":"2025-05"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution authorizing contract award to supply Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (amount later amended)", "mover":"Vice Mayor Nackstedt", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved_as_amended", "notes":"Amount amended from $33,375.92 to $36,375.92 by reconsideration"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E?","resolution_number":"2025-06"}, "motion":"Adopt FY26–30 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) as amended to add a senior‑housing feasibility study in FY29 for $300,000 (funding: $200,000 grants/$100,000 general fund)", "mover":"Vice Mayor Maxton (motion to amend)", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved_as_amended", "notes":"Amendment carried by unanimous consent; CIP adopted as amended"},{ "kind":"resolution", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"E?","resolution_number":"2025-07"}, "motion":"Adopt resolution requesting governor declare economic disaster for Upper Cook Inlet Eastside setnet area for 2024 and support recovery plan", "mover":"Council member Raskin", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Supported by borough and city of Soldotna; cites ~99% reduction in harvest"},{ "kind":"ordinance_adoption", "identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"G1","ordinance_number":"3445-2024"}, "motion":"Enact ordinance 3445-2024 increasing revenues and appropriations across capital project funds to transfer residual balances and fully fund FY25 projects", "mover":"not specified", "second":"not specified", "tally":{"yes":7,"no":0,"abstain":0}, "outcome":"approved", "notes":"Amended per memorandum to correct numeric line items"}]

Provenance: Every action above is recorded in the Jan. 15 council transcript; roll calls and unanimous‑consent statements are included in the recorded sequence of the meeting.

Ending Councilors closed the public‑hearing portion after adopting the items. Several commission reports and administrative updates followed, including updates on tree‑mitigation work using federal/state funds, the visitor and cultural center exhibit reopening, and responses to public comments.