Kenai City Council will hear an ordinance introduced to request $13,500 to put towards the purchase of a new fire and rescue boat.
The funds would be used in addition to the $90,000 which Kenai received from the state in a grant.
City Manager Rick Koch stated in the memo that the costs had changed due to the findings that a 25 foot SAFE boat would have far more capabilities in the Kenai River and Cook Inlet than the 21 – 23 foot rigid hull inflatable boat the city had originally requested.
Vice Mayor Brian Gabriel said this boat would be a little bit different from the boat Kenai borrowed from Central Emergency Services last year to help patrol the dipnet fishery.
Gabriel: “It’s a little bit bigger boat, it does have an enclosed wheelhouse on that boat which the boat we used last year did not have that.”
We asked if this one would also be used to help increase Kenai’s presence during that busy season.
Gabriel: “And I presume it will be, I’m not sure what the fire department has plans for but as far as training it is a good opportunity for the firefighters and police to actually utilize in those conditions where there’s not an emergency but they get used to running the boat, so obviously there’s some value to that.”
That ordinance is set to be introduced at tonight’s council meeting which will begin at 7 pm in the Kenai City Hall.