A bevy of capital improvement projects are underway in Wrangell, with the city dock undergoing rehabilitation, The Marine Service Center seeing a lot of pavement work, and underground electrical work on the Front Street redesign in full swing.
In a July 24 supplemental report to the Borough Assembly, Borough Manager Tim Rooney brought the group up to date on those projects and others underway on the island.
According to Rooney, while working on the city dock, crews found a number of improperly installed piling.
“Several piles were discovered to have been installed in a manner that conflicts with the standard design for corrosive protection,” Rooney states in his report. “The contractor has been proactive and solution oriented, utilizing dive surveys to assist the engineer to make corrective determinations for these problem areas.”
Work at the dock is still underway and on schedule.
At the MSC, which is also on schedule, contractors achieved the required 80 percent compressive concrete strength in Area 1 and the borough has been using the area since the beginning of July.
“As of July 16, the concrete placement in Area 2 and Area 4 are complete,” Rooney added. “The (borough) will begin utilizing these areas as soon as their compressive strength requirements are confirmed.”
The underground electrical work on Front Street is also a major project – and one that Rooney said will probably make customers at Sentry Hardware happy.
“We removed the power pole near the stores, which has been hit a number of times,” Rooney said. “Completing these portions of the new electrical infrastructure allowed for removal of the (power pole) as well as two overhead spans along Front Street and the overhead street crossing to the power pole in City Market’s parking lot.”
Three projects are also being handled under the Community Gardens grant administered by the borough: the community greenhouse, and research and development of a grid-connected wind turbine.
Regarding the greenhouse, Rooney stated that the borough is currently waiting for word on an extension of funding for the project. Rooney’s office, along with staff of the Wrangell Medical Center, requested that extension.
“To date, USDA, Alaska Rural Development office, is awaiting the decision regarding the extension request from the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C.,” Rooney stated.
According to Rooney, a six-month extension of terms between the USDA and the Southeast Alaska Power Agency for a wind turbine has been granted.
“The Farmer’s Market Promotional Program, a division of the USDA, has granted a six-month extension in order to complete the terms of an agreement with SEAPA, for a grid-connected wind turbine to be used as a research and development project,” his report states. “The agreement with SEAPA is pending notification from the USDA’s Alaska Rural Development division that a time extension will be granted.”
The borough has also received a grant award for a feasibility study into the use of electric vehicles from the Alaska Energy Authority.
“Staff and WHPacific engineers are scheduled to meet (this) week to initiate performance of the work,” Rooney stated. “The goal of the project is to prepare a reconnaissance report to project the feasibility of using electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Wrangell, given the availability of hydroelectric power generation from the SEAPA grid.”
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