The City of Kenai is joining a group of municipalities trying to make changes in direct response to Governor Mike Dunleavy’s Thursday call-to-action for municipalities to respond to rising COVID-19 numbers. Kenai’s mitigation plan already mandated temporary closures to many city buildings, but on Friday afternoon, City Manager Paul Ostrander’s office issued a release stating that many of those mandates are now effective until at least November 30. It also includes at least a couple of new closures.
One new announced change is that the Kenai Community Library is closed to the public from Saturday, November 14 through November 30. Similar to the Soldotna library’s plan that went into effect today, Kenai’s library will exclusively offer curbside service. In addition, book drops will still be allowed.
Also, the Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center will be closed for the next three weeks, while the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center has not strayed from their plans to hold outdoor activities, including the highly-anticipated Christmas Comes To Kenai event.
Finally, City Hall is officially closed to the public until November 30. Payments for utilities using personal checks or money orders for water or sewer can still be made by using the drop box in front of City Hall. Customers who pay with cards or other electronic transfers can continue using Xpressbillpay.com, the Xpressbillpay app, or by calling (800) 720-6847. Payments for citations should be made by contacting City Hall at (907) 283-8200.
In a continuation of closures that had already been in effect, the Senior Center is set to remain closed to the public while the staff provides meals and services to seniors. The Kenai Municipal Airport Terminal will remain open to the public, while administrative offices within the terminal will be closed to the public until further notice. Also, the Kenai Ice Rink remains open to use by Central Kenai Peninsula participants only. Kenai parks, open spaces, and trails remain open.
Critical operations such as police, fire, and utility departments will remain in full operation. All city offices may still be reached by mail, e-mail, or telephone