At a work session last week, the Wrangell Borough Assembly discussed possible funding requests it will make to the State to help pay for city wide projects.
Requests for $1 million to pay for road construction and utility improvements at the future medical campus, and $3.8 million for the Wrangell Medical Center to help build a new hospital, top the list.
The Assembly has not approved the list of capital budget requests. Assembly members will once again review and then vote on the list at its regular Feb 14 meeting. If approved, it will then be forwarded to the State.
Borough Manager Tim Rooney told Assembly members the hospital project is approximately $1.8 million under budget. While members of the project team are trying to determine how to trim the budget, Rooney said they are also looking into using a site-built plan for the hospital, which could add $2 million to the cost of the project.
“Knowing that, we thought we would ask for as much as could be needed,” Rooney said, “and that would be $3.8 million.”
The State asks communities to prioritize the projects on their funding request lists, Rooney said.
“What we try to do, as far as the ranking of the projects, is we try to look at ongoing projects and ongoing commitments…,” he said.
The new hospital currently sits at number two on the un-approved capital budget request list. Wood Street construction and utility improvements for the future medical campus holds the top spot.
Wrangell did not receive the $1 million requested for that project last year. Rooney told Assembly members the State did not grant Wrangell the money because it was under the impression the Denali Commission would. The commission is an independent federal agency that provides funding to Alaska communities for infrastructure projects. Until Wrangell receives that funding from the Denali Commission, Rooney said the Wood Street project would remain on the capital budget request list.
Rooney also said the city will have to move forward with the project even if construction of the new hospital continues to be delayed.
“Regardless of whatever happens with the hospital, we have a commitment to build that road,” he said.
Other projects Wrangell plans to seek State funding for include the Downtown Revitalization Project, which currently sits at number three on Wrangell’s budget request list, followed by the Wrangell Boat Yard improvement project.
If the capital budget request list is approved next week, Wrangell will ask the state for $1 million for the revitalization project, and $8.5 million to finish paving the boat yard.
Wrangell will also ask for $1 million to improve Cassiar Street, $500,000 to replace the city’s faulty sewer pump and $300,000 for improvements to Webber Street, according to the unapproved funding request list.
Other infrastructure projects sit in the top ten spots on the list, including a request for $5.2 million over the next three years for paving Evergreen Road from the ferry terminal to the airport and installing sidewalks at Petroglyph Beach.
The list currently includes requests for funding of 38 projects.
Borough Mayor Jeremy Maxand said he thought the list had a fair mix of city projects, including those to improve infrastructure to aiding economic development.
“I think it looks good,” Maxand said.
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