Borough officials are moving forward with their wish lists for millions of dollars in state and federal funding for construction projects aimed at rebuilding Wrangell’s aging infrastructure.

The borough is managing two separate priority lists. The annual compilation is sent to elected officials: one for the state and one for the federal government.

The assembly approved the lists on Jan. 7.

“It’s a pretty rough list that we put together based on the assessed needs throughout the year,” Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad said in a Jan. 13 interview. “I think, roughly speaking, when you total everything together from the master list of all the projects, you’re looking at about $164 million worth of projects.”

Wrangell has had a lot of success of late in winning state and federal funding.

During the Jan. 7 assembly meeting, Borough Manager Mason Villarma highlighted the borough’s recent successes, noting that Wrangell has brought in more than $50 million in state and federal funding over the past two years. He told the assembly that such a high level of financial support is rare for a community of this size.

“I hope the community sees the value in that,” Villarma said. “It provides the infrastructure that we otherwise couldn’t afford here.”

The top priority for state funding is to add to federal money for rebuilding the downtown harbor. The borough is requesting $5 million from the state to supplement a $25 million federal grant already secured for the project.

Estimates from early 2024 placed the total cost of the harbor work at approximately $28.5 million. If the state funding falls through, the borough may have to look at other ways to cover the gap.

“If the borough is unsuccessful at receiving funds from the (state) Harbor Facility Grants Program … we would need to seek those necessary funds from a revenue bond that would be paid by the port and harbors fund revenues,” Al-Haddad said.

The harbor grants program depends on legislative appropriations. The Alaska Legislature started work on Jan. 20.

The borough’s other requests for state funding include:

McKinnon Street: A $1 million project to replace aging water and sewer mains and repaving between Front and Church streets.

The Nolan Center: Repairs for the 20-year-old museum roof, which has developed several leaks.

Public Safety Building: Funding for a new elevator.

On the federal side, the top priority is dredging the downtown harbor basin. Because the Army Corps of Engineers lacks the budget for the work, Wrangell is seeking direct federal assistance to dredge the basin before the borough puts in new floats and pilings.

Officials are also focused on the town’s water supply, specifically replacing the metal flume that diverts creek water into the upper reservoir. This requires significant preparation, including conceptual designs and environmental assessments.

“A lot of work goes into applying for these grants,” Al-Haddad said. “Depending on the grant, the number of man-hours could range anywhere from 40 hours to hundreds of hours.”

She noted that many grants require projects to be “shovel-ready,” with finished designs before an application is even considered.

One of the most pressing federal requests is money for an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant. The town is required to add a disinfection system to the plant’s effluent discharge by 2030 to meet environmental standards, but lacks full funding for the work.

Wrangell this month received a $10 million congressional appropriation for the treatment plant, but does not have a cost estimate for the full project.