The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly enacted an ordinance that provides for an exception to borough code and authorizes the mayor to execute a no-charge agreement with the City of Kenai for hard rock resource extraction from borough-owned land in support of the Kenai Bluff Stabilization Project. The project requires a large amount of hard rock materials and the Borough is choosing to utilize resources adjacent to the Rocky Ridge Landfill that serves Seldovia. The community which aims to expand the landfill and, as such, stands to benefit from the expansion by the removal of hard rock from the site.
The City of Kenai is working to stabilize the bluff in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which requires a large amount of rock to be placed along the bluff, according to City Manager Paul Ostrander:
“There’s inherent benefit to both the Borough and the City for utilization of that quarry. That would help the bluff stabilization project significantly if that rock is of a quality that we can use. We’re excited that the Assembly approved that.”
The scope of hard rock removal needed for the project fits with Seldovia’s long-term landfill expansion needs and would provide finer material that is useful for landfill cover and processing into aggregate for local uses.
Ostrander also talked about the sum of money that the state is appropriating for the project:
“That $6.5 million is in the Capital budget right now. It’s critically important to the city and for us to be able to afford the project. The governor has been very supportive of this project from the beginning. He included it in his budget when it was incorporated into the GO bond that he proposed. The governor’s office has been really supportive of this project, again, from the beginning and with the support of our local delegation.”
Borough administration negotiated a no-borough-charge material sale contract with the city, allowing them to leverage in-kind value towards the project. No fees, charges, or royalties will be required by the Borough as part of the agreement between the parties.