Water Treatment Tops City’s Funding Wishlist

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Again this year, the Kodiak City Council approved its annual Capital Improvement Projects list early. It was unanimously passed at the Thursday night meeting. The CIP is a wish list of projects the city would like the state legislature to fund during the session starting in January.

At the top of the list again this year is $3.5-million to help complete the ultra-violet secondary water treatment facility. The city has already spent one-and-a-quarter-million on designing the facility and on the UV "reactors," which kill and sterilize germs in the drinking water. Since the city has an open water source for its drinking water, it is mandated to have two purification systems in place.

The total cost of the project is $9-million. Governor Sean Parnell vetoed the funding last year, even though the full legislature approved it.

City Manage Aimee Kniaziowski says the city needs the funding this session, as construction is scheduled for the spring:

— (CIP 1 9 sec "We’re hoping we can be … for that project.")

Number two on the list again this year is a half-million dollars to design a new public library:

— (CIP 2 51 sec "If we can do this … local contributions from the city.")

Number three on the list is an additional million dollars from the cruise ship tax fund to pay for improvements between Pier Two, where cruise ships dock, and downtown.

— (CIP 3 29 sec "And these are very preliminary … that traditional parking area.")

Making Shelikof Street more pedestrian-friendly for cruise ship passengers would have the added benefit of accommodating locals, who walk to work on Cannery Row year-round.

Councilman Tom Walters explained why many of the requests are only for partial funding of projects:

— (CIP 4 17 sec "Even though we know … our legislature representative.")

Two-million dollars for Baranof Park Improvements – including a new synthetic track and artificial turf on the football and baseball fields – is item four on the CIP. Number five is new this year – it’s a$384,000 request to design a path from Pier Two out to city limits at Deadman’s Curve.

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