The Kenai City Council enacted an ordinance that would increase estimated revenues and appropriations in the general fund and public safety capital project fund to provide supplemental funding for the Kenai Fire Department Flooring Replacement Project.
Kenai Fire Chief Tony Prior tells the council:
“This is to replace the old carpet bits in there with tile, something we can wax and keep cleaner and additional appropriation was needed because there was asbestos found for abatement to get rid of the glue on the floor.”
A hazardous material assessment was conducted by Engineering, Health & Safety Consultants, Inc. at a cost of $4,112 to determine the potential presence and extent of asbestos containing materials within the project area.
Based on the age of the facility, it’s been known that asbestos containing materials have been found within both the Kenai Police and Fire sides of the building. As a result, sampling was conducted within the project area and asbestos containing materials were identified within the drywall taping compound and the existing flooring mastic within the medical storage area of the station.
The drywall taping compound, according to memo documents, is the primary issue with the removal of over 600 linear foot of cove base required. Abatement is only removing a small section sufficient to complete the flooring project and isn’t requested to remove all the drywall to the ceiling, which would prove to be a much more intrusive construction effort, however, additional abatement projects will be necessary as future removal work is proposed within the Public Safety facility.
$20,000 was requested to cover the costs of the abatement and to allow the project to be completed as it was a priority project for the Fire Department. The current Capital Improvement Plan has a project set for FY26 for $750,000 to address abatement within the remaining areas of the facility.
