Borough discusses capital projects for 2013

The City and Borough of Wrangell are talking about capital projects for 2013 – with a large emphasis resting upon utilities and other new projects in downtown as city officials and the public look ahead to a new year and new development.

To that end, a workshop on proposed capital improvements for the borough was held Tuesday, Dec. 4 at City Hall, with Borough Manager Tim Rooney, and members of the Borough Assembly present. During the workshop session 12 priority projects were discussed as key to what the Borough would ask for in the coming year and was balanced against hopes of what they might receive.

The first project discussed by the workshop group was the new carving shed tentatively set for construction adjacent to the SNO Building in downtown and the building was ranked No. 6 in priority among the twelve considered by the Borough.

“What you have before you is the priority list that was approved by the Borough Assembly in February of this year,” Rooney said, continuing, “For this year, coming up, we have a request from (Wrangell Cooperative Association) and this is for funding for the carving shed they want to do. So, that is one of the projects that staff added to this year’s list.”

The proposal submitted to the city by WCA asks for $500,000 in funding from a combination of state and federal sources. The plans for the shed, which were designed by MRV Architects of Juneau, was completed at a cost of nearly $57,000 – with a majority of the money coming from fundraising efforts in the community.

The top priority among the projects, however, went to sewer pump replacement in the amount of a $627,000 request from the state and federal government.

While the carving shed will most likely see funding as a result of the workshop’s recommendation, the top priority identified by the group was replacement of pumps within the city’s sewer system.

Some items proposed for funding, such as a request for new police vehicles, were not included on the priority list.

While making sure to point out that his office was not recommending or promoting the idea of the Byford junk yard being used for such a purpose, Rooney was quick to point out that the city owns plots of land in the area – and that a new cemetery site was something the Borough Assembly should look into.

“As you know, we have been cleaning up the Byford junk yard, so what’s next,” Rooney queried. “We own this land (but) there are restrictions on the land and how it can be used due to the reclamation that has occurred with the soil there. One of the interesting discussions that came up this week (is) we need to identify a new cemetery site. It’s just something to think about.”

Work on the borough’s dam replacement will have to wait according to Rooney, but another water-related project was suggested as a top pick – and received a 5th place ranking among those chosen.

“One of the projects that been on there forever that the city won’t be able to fund is the dam replacement for the water supply,” Rooney added. “But, one of the things that would help us a great deal is a connection to the upper reservoir, the upper lake above the lower one where we take the water out. That would improve our water quality, so it would make sense for that to occur first.”

A number of other projects made the top-12, including funding for the Wrangell Medical Center, boat yard improvements, Weber Street utilities, the fire alarm system for Wrangell High School, power plant projects, and Cassiar Street redevelopment.