The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly enacted an ordinance amending borough code for road improvements to adjust applicable deadlines regarding an application and review of a road improvement assessment district. In accordance with state law, KPB 14.31 sets the Borough’s process for initiating and assessing a Road Improvement Assessment District. Applications must be submitted by July 1 of each year for construction in the following year.
Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce at a recent committee meeting:
“This ordinance amends the code to change the dates to application deadlines to May 1 of each year. The review by the service area board review by July 1 gives them more time to do their work which is what they’re trying to do. It’s a timing issue here in the review process versus application process deadlines; amending the codes so that the process works better.”
RIAD projects are managed by the special assessment coordinator, who is employed in the Assessing Department. In 2019, departmental duties for RIAD projects, including the public bidding process and awarding of contracts, transferred from the Road Service Area to the Purchasing and Contracting Department. The Borough’s Assessing Department, Road Service Area, and Purchasing and Contracting Department have determined that additional time is necessary to complete an approved RIAD and to ensure construction is completed the year following application.
The amendments to Kenai Peninsula Borough Code will change the RIAD application deadline to May 1 of each year and change the deadline in which the Roads Service Area Board must review the applications to July 1.
According to Adeena Wilcox, Director of Assessing, the Borough’s best interest would be served by amending code to change the RIAD application deadline to May 1, and the deadline for the Roads Service Area board to review all RIAD applications by July 1.
