A majority of the Kenai City Council recommended that initial design funding for an outdoor event space be included into the proposed 2017 budget during a work session with administration Saturday.
Vice Mayor Brian Gabriel has been the chair of the Kenai Outdoor Opportunity Location Committee which was tasked with determining the feasibility and best location for the venue. The initial design funding included in the budget would be $35,000.
Gabriel: “What that would do is that would generate a 35 percent design drawings and that would give council a starting point. And what that does additionally is it drills down further into the actual overall costs of the project. So it gives something more definitively that council can work with and look at funding sources from there.”
Council member Terry Bookey voiced concerns about the funding being included, saying with shrinking budgets around the state the initial design might be shelved after spending $35,000 on it. Bookey suggested putting the decision to the voters.
Gabriel says the Committee deliberated over putting the funding decision to the voters also, but it will be more helpful to present residents with a more developed plan for the space in Millennium Square by going through with the initial 35 percent design.
Ultimately Mayor Pat Porter gave City Manager Rick Koch the recommendation to add the $35,000 to the draft 2017 budget. The fiscal year 2017 package will be presented to Kenai City Council sometime this month.