Committee approves $138,678 for West Creek subdivision engineering to be included in manager’s budget

The Skagway Municipality Public Works Committee voted to request that the borough manager include $138,678 for engineering and design of the West Creek Subdivision in the manager’s budget. Committee members discussed the project’s scope, estimated total cost and next steps, including levee construction, permitting and phased delivery.

Emily Deach summarized updated drawings and a rough order-of-magnitude cost for the project and said staff had removed required building pads to reduce costs. “These are just the updated drawings and rough order of magnitude costs for this project,” Deach said. Committee members questioned whether lot sale proceeds would recoup project costs; one member estimated that breaking the estimate over eight lots would leave a substantial shortfall versus a $2.9 million total.

Tyson, the public works director, said key next steps include designing and constructing a levee to protect the subdivision area and preparing bid-ready construction documents before major construction begins. He also provided an estimate for engineering design at $138,678. A motion requesting that the manager include the engineering and design amount from Respeck Engineers in the manager’s budget carried by roll call vote.

Committee members discussed potential funding strategies, including phased engineering and continued pursuit of grants; staff noted the borough previously applied for a hazard mitigation grant that was not awarded. The committee instructed staff to include the engineering item in the capital projects list or manager’s budget to enable future bidding and construction when funds are available.