City Council Looks at Big Picture in Federal Funding Requests

Jay Barrett/KMXT

At last week’s Kodiak City Council meeting, the annual federal wish list was approved. As City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski explains, the request for capital funding help from Washington D.C. was in a different form, on the advice of city lobbyist Brad Gillman.

“He and I have been back and forth on what would be the best approach for the coming year at the federal level. And so what you see before you and what we’ve talked about is it’s much more of a list of issues that we’d advocate for rather than the traditional list of capital projects.”

She said such an approach still reflects the city’s needs and has been successful before.

“And I think it’s important that we rely on Brad’s expertise and advice. We were successful if you’ll recall, we spent a couple years requesting considerations for set aside funding for small ports in the Pacific Ocean Division in Alaska. That was successful, and this is a similar approach, so.”

And under than plan of broader advocacy, Kniaziowski said transportation funding is especially important to the city.

“Priority number one on the resolution is advocating for a consideration of our delegation to support a set-aside type funding so that it could go to smaller communities for road repairs and sidewalk repairs and so forth. And we all know we’re trying to get money to repair, rehabilitate Mill Bay Road. So what that first priority is sort of a general statement of some set-aside funding and then it identified those transportation-related projects that have been our top three projects for this coming year, certainly with the state.”

Councilman John Whiddon said he was pleased with the CIP request approach.

“It’s one of the first ones I’ve seen with all three or four, however many requests, weren’t fund-based requests. I think this really reflects the needs of the community. The Karluk Lake enrichment project which we’ve been talking about to our delegation for the last coupel years now, as has the borough, is really critical to the West Side setnetters. The sea lion impact on the ferry dock is really a great issue to bring forward to our delegation. Also, the two EPA issues I think are criticle to maintain the viability of our harbor and our fishing fleet,” he said. “So I really applaud you for this.”

The resolution passed unanimously.