(Sage Smiley / KSTK)
Wrangell’s borough government has been working toward an expansion of its in-town trail system for almost a decade. But when it put the project out to bid, even the sole bidder came in hundreds of thousands of dollars over-budget.
At its regular meeting on Tuesday (September 26), Wrangell’s Assembly will consider whether to reject the offer and go back to the drawing board, or negotiate with the bidder (Ketchikan Ready Mix) to rein in the projected costs to below $850,000. Most of the money for the project comes from a federal grant.
The new trail would extend the existing Mt. Dewey trail to connect with Airport Loop Road, descending the small mountain and laying trail across woodland and muskeg for around three-quarters of a mile.
Another issue the Borough Assembly will take up at the meeting is a proposed sale of borough tidelands to the local tribal government. The Wrangell Cooperative Association wants to buy an unused portion of the old Lions Ballfield – which also houses the community garden – to build a year-round community greenhouse. The assembly will be taking testimony about it during a public hearing.
In other business, over the past months, Wrangell Municipal Light & Power workers have been replacing old electrical meters throughout town with new ones that run on a smart-metering system. To finish the project, the assembly will consider approving an additional $70,000 for spare meters and other related equipment.
And the assembly will move forward with a project to continue the decommissioning and replacement process for two underground fuel storage tanks – one at the Public Safety Building and one at Wrangell High School. Assembly members are set to consider a contract amendment with RESPEC Engineering for almost $175,000, which will go toward the decommissioning process and environmental monitoring.
Other agenda items include considering a brewery license application from local tour company Alaska Waters, the first reading of an ordinance that would clarify the borough’s process for leasing public land, and final approval of an update to the borough’s employee handbook.
View the full agenda for the meeting here.
KSTK will air the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26 on 101.7 FM and online at KSTK.org.
Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting can sign up on the “Persons to be Heard” sheet located at City Hall.
Get in touch with KSTK at news@kstk.org or (907) 874-2345.
