The resolution (2023-67) would authorize a contract award and would allow Phase Two of the 2023 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Mitigation to proceed.
Within this plan, the city will mitigate wildlife hazards on approximately 120 acres of property in Kenai. This is after the Kenai City Council received an award contract for this plan.
“This is 118 acres. This is a drainage area known as Cemetery Creek that extends from the float plane basin, the airport down through cemetery across the highway near the Lee Shore center. I see the size and price $177,000,” said Councilmember Baisden during the meeting.
The $177,000 was the lowest of three bids that were presented to the Kenai City Council. Doug Koch Professional Tree Service was awarded the fund. In regard to funding, it will come from grants that the city received from the Alaska Department Natural Resources and from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Given that this was a generous grant award, the project was given 3 years to be completed, instead of the typical 12 months.
Within this time frame, the hope is to fell all the trees that have been killed by spruce bark beetles. Trees that have been affected by the beetles are extremely dangerous in wildfires, and are known to fall over high windstorms.
According to City Manager Terry Eubank, the goal of this project is to fell and remove trees. However, the contractor is not permitted to fell trees in steep terrains.
After a unanimous vote, the resolution was adopted.