Skagway Assembly Approves USACE Cooperation Agreement for Skagway River Levee; Manager Authorized to Sign

The Skagway Municipality Assembly voted Aug. 28 to approve a cooperation agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for work on the Skagway River levee and authorized Manager Dietrich to sign the agreement on the municipality’s behalf.

Manager Dietrich introduced the item and described it as "a pretty standard agreement." He said the Corps is funding the project, that the Corps is in the design phase and hopes to advertise for construction bids in the fall, and that the municipality’s portion is limited to a short stretch of the levee from the bridge down toward the waterfront roughly near 18th–19th Avenue. "Generally, the project is a 100% funded by the Army Corps of Engineers," Dietrich said.

Dietrich told the Assembly the borough would need to perform a hazardous materials evaluation (HTRW) before construction on the municipal portion; he said the borough has money in the levy-maintenance and engineering lines to cover the work and estimated the cost at about $10,000. Assemblymember Hanson asked for clarification about the location; Dietrich pointed to the map in the packet and confirmed the municipal responsibility covered a relatively small section near the airport side of the overall levee.

Vice Mayor Potter moved to approve the cooperation agreement and to authorize the manager to sign; the motion was seconded and passed on a 5-0 roll call. No amendments or conditions were attached at the meeting.

According to the manager, the Corps will continue design work and expects to put the project to bid in the fall; the borough’s next steps include completing the HTRW evaluation and executing the cooperation agreement so Corps work can proceed.