The Kenai City Council passed a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a memorandum of agreement with the state of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for design, construction and maintenance of the Kenai Bridge Access Road Pathway project. A grant in the amount of $2,971,354 has been allocated for the construction of 1.2 miles of pedestrian path beginning at the intersection of the Kenai Spur Highway and Bridge Access Road. It would end at the intersection of Beaver Loop and Bridge Access Road.
City Manager Paul Ostrander:
“I just want to say I discussed the agreement with Councilmember Knackstedt earlier today. He had a suggestion that I actually already reached out to DOT and did get some additional language added to this agreement. On section 3 under Planning, Design and Construction, we’re going to be adding language that states that the city reviews the design documentation at the 35% and 65% completion. So, we’ll have an opportunity to do both those. I already talked to DOT today and they said they were good with that language change. I just wanted to let council know that there’s going to be a slight difference favorable to the city that’s going to be added to the agreement.”
The grant requires a local match which was originally estimated to be $216,560, but increased to $294,947 as the project progresses and the total cost of the project is estimated to be $3,266,301.
Some councilmembers were curious about a warranty. Ostrander said:
“I would expect the process to be almost identical to Beaver Loop as far as us signing off on the completed project. There is some language in here under the Indemnification clause that does talk about any action that occurs more than six years after the city assumes maintenance duties that there is still some liability in the part of the state. It’s not specifically a warranty, but it does protect the city for a period of years after if there’s negligence on the part of the state.”
Passage of Resolution 2021-53 authorizes the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement that provides the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities the authority to begin work on the project.