Assembly Lines Up Boat Project Funding

Details

Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 14:54

Hits: 614

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Assembly at its regular meeting Tuesday accepted $336,475 in salmon disaster relief funds, and agreed to dedicate it to the boat haulout project at Gary Paxton Industrial Park.
    Shortly afterward, members voted 6-1 on first reading to dedicate the funds, and allocate more city funds, for a heated concrete washdown pad and contingencies. The ordinance includes $350,000 from the GPIP enterprise fund and $163,525 from the general fund, and will be up for final approval December 17.

Bill Spivey. (Sentinel Photo)

    “This is an absolute necessity for this project,” said Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz, disagreeing with an earlier comment that the heated concrete washdown pad was a “nice to have” item. “I know there are other options where you can Band-Aid it; that’s not what the community needs, it’s not what the community wants.”
    The ordinance calls for dedicating the salmon disaster relief funds from the 2020-21 season, plus another $163,525 from the general fund, to cover the cost of the project. The Assembly was largely in agreement that the item was needed, even though the original scope of work called for a temporary membrane, which isn’t heated.
    “I guess it’s about building the future, in a way,” said Assembly member Tim Pike. He argued in favor of spending more at this time, instead of installing a temporary washdown pad, and potentially a permanent one later in separate construction projects. “We can pay for this three times or we can pay for it once, and I think we should pay for it once, pay for it now and get it over with so this becomes a functional facility,” he said.
    “It’s going to get more expensive if we put this off,” said Chris Ystad, who joined Eisenbeisz, Pike, Kevin Mosher, Scott Saline. and Thor Christianson voting in favor. JJ Carlson voted against.
    “I think I’m going to have to say no because a lot is being asked, and there’s so many ‘what-ifs’ still out there,” she said. She said she was in favor of the contingency portion of the ordinance, and would have liked the contingency appropriation separated from the washdown pad decision. Carlson clarified today she would have favored an unheated concrete pad.
    The Gary Paxton Industrial Park Board recently voted to recommend spending money from the city for a permanent concrete washdown pad which may be used year round. The original scope of work included a temporary unheated membrane to catch paint and other contaminants that are washed off boats. That option is cheaper but would potentially need to be replaced every five to seven years, the Assembly was told.
    City Engineer Michael Harmon said one comment he heard from the former Wrangell harbor master was that the community regretted not having heat in their existing concrete washdown pad at its busy haulout facility.
    The $500,000 washdown pad is one of several items in the now $10.1 million project, on which in-water construction started Nov. 21. The $350,000 contingency will come out of the GPIP enterprise fund.
    GPIP director Garry White said today he’s pleased that the Assembly voted in favor of the heated concrete washdown pad, which will allow the haulout to be more functional.
    The rest of the meeting will be covered in next week’s Sentinel.