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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2019-76Sponsored by: Administration CITY OF KENAI RESOLUTION NO. 2019-76 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, IDENTIFYING THE PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED THROUGH STATE OF ALASKA GRANT NO. 15-DC-078 FOR PERSONAL USE FISHERY RELATED IMPROVEMENTS ON NORTH AND SOUTH BEACHES. WHEREAS , each year tens of thousands of visitors participate in the Personal Use Fishery in the City of Kenai; and, WHEREAS, the City does its best to accommodate the visitors and fishery and mitigate the impacts to local residents, sensitive environmental areas and City infrastructure; and, WHEREAS, in 2014, the City Council appropriated $1,900,000 of State Grant funds (Grant No. 15-DC-078) via Ordinance No. 2771-2014 for the purpose of designing and constructing a new roadway for access to the South Beach and related improvements to help alleviate such conflicts; and, WHEREAS, the City purchased seven parcels of land for the purpose of constructing a new road with minimal wetland disturbance through Resolution No. 2015-50 (Substitute); and, WHEREAS, the City only needed a portion of the properties purchased for the purpose of road construction and the utilization of Grant funds for the purchase of the property was conditioned on proceeds from the sale of the unneeded property and improvements thereon going back into the grant for the City's use for South Beach access and related improvements ; and , WHEREAS, the Council approved the sale of Tract A, Dragseth Subd ivision 2016 Addition including all improvements thereon, to PRL Logistics Inc. providing the proceeds of the sale be provided to the State of Alaska for Grant No. 15-DC-078 for the City's use for South Beach access and related improvements; and, WHEREAS, Grant funds totaling $786,209.94 remain in the account; and , WHEREAS, during the 2019 legislative session , a change to the grant language was approved that allowed for these grant monies to be spent on projects that benefit both the north and south Kenai beaches; and , WHEREAS , City administration identified a number of capital projects that meet the intent of the grant and developed a scoring matrix that considered the operating expense of the project once completed , how the project would improve safety, how the project would increase revenues, how the project would improve the quality of life for residents, and how long the proj ect would take to complete; and, Resolution No. 2019-76 Page 2 of 2 WHEREAS, based on this scoring matrix a selection committee identified and recommended for funding the three projects that scored the highest and also recommended funding for a fourth project due to its relative low cost and identified need; and , WHEREAS, those projects in priority order are vault restrooms , Spruce Campground , Little League permanent restrooms, and South Beach shack replacement; and , WHEREAS, at a joint meeting of the Harbor Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission on November 25, 2019 , the joint commissions recommended all four projects be approved for funding; and, NOW , THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI , ALASKA: Section 1. That the City of Kenai identifies vault restroom construction , Little League permanent restrooms, and South Beach shack replacement as three of the proj ects to be funded through State of Alaska grant 15-DC-078. Section 2. That this resolution takes effect immediately upon passage. PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this 4th day of December, 2019. BRIANGABRIEL SR., MAYOR ATIEST: --- 'litff~ «1/t!fl a Pair~ Ct'tff «1/t!fl a hi.tu.fl," 210 Fidalgo Ave , Kenai , Alaska 99611-7794 Telephone: (907) 283-7535 I Fax: (907) 283-3014 www.kenai .city MEMORANDUM TO: THROUGH: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor Gabriel and City Council Paul Ostrander, City Manager Dan Castimore, IT Manager November 26, 2019 Resolution 2019-76-Personal Use Fishery Capital Projects In 2013 the City received a grant from the State of Alaska to construct a new access road on South Beach. This grant was in the amount of $1.9 million. In order to complete this project, the City acquired a large parcel of land, which also consisted of several structures. Upon completion of the road, the remaining land and structures were sold , with the resulting revenue returning into the grant account. As of today, a total of $786,209.94 remains in this account. During the 2019 legislative session, a change to the grant language was received that allowed for this grant money to be spent on projects that benefit both the north and south beaches rather than only the south beach as originally intended. As a result, the City Manager directed me to put out a call to all departments seeking proposals for projects. These projects were received and scored based on a matrix. Enclosed is the result of this process. Several projects clearly scored higher than others, and as a result, additional time was spent to develop the project proposals. A basic narrative for each project is included below, ranked in order of the scoring matrix. Vault Restrooms This project would install four new vault-type restrooms, each with two additional toilets . Currently, one of the larger operating expenses each year is in contracted services. By installing three additional vault restrooms on North Beach , the City should save $6,381 per year. These restrooms would also be available for the remainder of the year for use by residents. Installing a vault restroom on South Beach would save the city $325 per year, and for the first time , provide for permanent restrooms for users of this recreational area. In 2010 three vault restrooms were installed for a total cost of $96,000. We have engineered drawings available, and construction could likely be completed for the 2020 season . The estimated cost of this project is $180,000 Page 2 of 4 Subject: Personal Use Fishery Capital Projects Spruce Campground Prior to the opening of Walmart in 2010 , the City previously maintained two different campgrounds. Kenai Municipal Park was operated as a campground as recently as the 1980s, closing due to complaints from the residents of the adjacent Redoubt Terrace Subdivision . In the late 1990s, a campground was constructed in the area that is now Walmart. With the closure of this campground, Kenai became the only municipality on the Peninsula without a public campground . A two-acre parcel was identified on South Spruce Street that is currently owned by the City. Directly to the south of this parcel is an additional two-acre parcel that is in private ownership. This project would construct a campground with 20 accessible spots , a restroom wi th showers , a small play area, and a pavilion . In the event that the southern parcel was acquired , an additional ten spaces could be added along with a scenic viewing platform. Each of the spaces would be spaced approximately 50 feet apart, providing the privacy and nature experience similar to that of a state park . Each site would include electrical hookups with water and sewer if the budget allows . The estimated cost for the first phase of this project would be $400,000. Little League Permanent Restrooms In 2019 the City paid $4,254 to have portable restrooms installed at the little league fields for the personal use fishery . In addition, each year little league spends an additional $5 ,200 each year to provide restrooms for the spring season. As the current concession stand has water, sewer, and electric, the cost of extending utilities should be minimal. The estimated cost for this project is $125,000 . Kenai Avenue Water and Sewer This project would extend a water and sewer line to the end of Kenai Avenue with the plan of eventually providing running water restrooms. This project would be dependent on having electricity at the end of Kenai Ave. The estimated cost of this project is $1 ,000,000 . North Beach Parking Lot Asphalt Each year the parking lot on North Beach requires maintenance for eliminating potholes , dust control, and temporary striping . Paving the parking lot would reduce the maintenance costs, and allow for better traffic control using permanent striping . The estimated cost of this project is $350 ,000 Kenai Avenue Paving Kenai Avenue is a narrow gravel road that is used by many participants to access the fishery . Currently, the road is narrow, and because it is gravel it is not striped. Due to high usage and weather, the road can develop potholes . Because of the high usage, road maintenance during July can be difficult. Paving this road would reduce these issues . The estimated cost of this project is $250,000. Page 3 of 4 Subject: Personal Use Fishery Capital Projects Anchor Cam pground Similar to the Spruce Campground , another parcel was identified that would be useful as a campground. This is a 5-acre parcel that was previously the Anchor Trailer Park . As this parcel was previously a mobile home park, existing utilities may ex ist. This si te would be laid out similar to the Spruce Campground and feature the same amenities. Because this site has been completely cleared and converted to a gravel lot, development costs would likely be lower than the Spruce Campground. Because this land is private ly held , the cost of land acquisition could be quite high . In addition, the lack of any existing vegetation would also limit the appeal of such a campground. The estimated cost of this project is $350,000 , not including the land acquisition costs. The current Borough assessment of this land is $328 , 100 . South Beach Shack Replacement The current fee shack on South Beach was not constructed for the current purpose . When constructed , the fee shacks were only staffed for a portion of the day and used paper rece ipt books rather than computers. Generators were used when light was needed . Currently, electricity is provided by HEA, computers and other sensitive equipment a re used, and the shacks are staffed 24 hours per day. This project would construct a new shack with large windows for increased visibility, an HVAC system for temperature control, and better lighting . In addition , traffic gates would be added to better control traffic similar to what is being used on North Beach. The estimated cost of this project is $35 ,000. Kenai Avenue Electric This project would extend HEA power to the end of Kenai Avenue . Having electricity would allow for better facilities and more vendor opportunities. The estimated cost of this project is $100,000. South Beach Fence Completion Currently, the City maintains approximately 2,500 feet of fencing along the dunes on South Beach . A private landowner maintains another 1,800 feet of fencing protecting the remainder of the dunes and part of the flats to the north of Royal Ct. There is a rema ining section of approximately 800 feet that would connect this fence to the chain lin k fence on the Hilcorp pad . The estimated cost of this project is $40,000 . South Beach Parking Area Prior to the 2017 season, access to South Beach was via Dunes Rd . Adjacent to Dunes Road . is a small parking lot that was used by fishery participants that didn't have four-wheel-drive vehicles. These participants would park in this lot and drive an ATV down to the fishery. Since the access has moved to Royal Court, there is a lack of parking for participants without four- wheel-drive vehicles. This project would create a parking lot to the north of the Hilcorp pad . The estimated cost of th is project is $100,000 . Page 4 of 4 Subject: Personal Use Fishery Capital Projects Recommendation Based on our scoring rubric , the following projects provide the greatest value to the City. 1 . Vault Restrooms 2. Spruce Campground 3. Little League Permanent Restrooms 4 . South Beach Shack Replacement At a joint meeting of the Harbor Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission on November 25, 2019, the joint commissions recommended all four projects be approved for funding . Thank you for your consideration .