Capital Budget Money Coming to the Kenai

6/30/2011

Borough Mayor Dave Carey says the state funds coming to the Kenai Peninsula are welcome. Carey says, while not all projects were approved, and some were reduced, he feels fortunate that many projects were found worthy of the Governor’s approval.

The Borough received nine million dollars for the new solid waste facility, $5 million dollars for the Nikiski Senior Center Multi-Use Facility, $4.5 million for road projects, and more.

Kenai received $1.7 million for bluff stabilization, $1 million dollars for city streets and $200,000 for city hall improvements.

Soldotna received $2 million dollars for Redoubt Avenue improvements, $3.4 million for the library expansion, and over $700,000 for reconstruction of a well house.

While the big winners in the budget were the landfill project, bluff stabilization, and Soldotna library expansion, others lost out. The Homer natural gas pipeline was not funded. State funding for the Bear Creek multi-use facility was vetoed. No state money will be going to a project to protect the habitat at the Kasilof River.

Some projects were partially funded. Homer Electric Association requested $25 million for transmission lines from Nikiski to Soldotna. They received $20 million. The Quartz Creek to Soldotna Transmission and Repair Project received $5 million out of a $10 million request. And, the Seward Power Plant Project received one-half of its $4 million request.