The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday night to hold a public hearing on a Community Development Block Grant. In 2018, according to the meeting's agenda packet, the borough received a block grant for the purchase of a new fire truck. The grant was for $337,500, with the total estimated cost of the fire truck at $450,000. Per the requirements of the grant, two public hearings were held about the grant, one for the public to suggest projects and another to serve as a status report on the grant project. This public hearing was the second of the two.
Tim Buness, Wrangell's fire chief, said that construction on the new fire truck would be getting underway very soon. He added that, once they have the new truck, they will be surplussing one of the old engines, No. 25.
"They're anticipating a November start for building the fire truck, and a completion towards the end of February," said Buness.
During the meeting, Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen shared information she believed was important for the assembly and the public to be aware of. She announced that the city has recently been advised by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that they have exceeded the allowable limits of HAA5 in Wrangell's drinking water source. Von Bargen explained that HAA5, or haloacetic acids, is a result of chlorine mixing with organic compounds in the water. An excess of HAA5 is rare, Von Bargen said, but it has happened before in Wrangell's past. In 2016, she said, this happened twice.
"It often comes with increased runoff creating more turbidity in the water," Von Bargen said. "What has happened this year is we have seen a higher than normal increase in the organic compound loading, and at an earlier time of year. I think that's due to the wetter season we've had this year."
Von Bargen said there is no reason to panic about this news. HAA5 is bad for you, she said, but it takes years of exposure beyond the maximum allowable levels to be dangerous. The city's water treatment staff is working with ADEC for a more robust testing schedule and will be making operational changes to reduce organic loading prior to chlorine being added to the disinfection process.
"Although you can continue to drink the water, continue to use the water for all regular purposes right now, they do say that people who are immunocompromised, which is folks who may be on chemotherapy or on an immunosuppressant, folks who are pregnant, and the elderly, may want to consult their doctor about drinking water and you may want to take steps," Von Bargen said. "In the meantime, for those of you who are concerned, you can drink bottled water, or something like a Brita water filter with charcoal in it will help reduce the HAA5."
Von Bargen added that they intended to send out a public notice regarding this the day of the meeting, but that was delayed as they wanted to make sure the notice was drafted with the proper ADEC language. So, she wanted to let the public know during the meeting.
CARES Act funding for the Wrangell School District was also on the agenda for the meeting. In August, the assembly voted to rescind $250,000 in CARES Act funding that was originally allocated for the school district, to aid them in mitigating their risks while operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was rescinded, however, after concerns were raised about how the money was being used and a lack of oversight for the borough to make sure the funding was being used correctly.
The revised plan, according to the agenda packet, provides an initial allocation of $125,000 for the school district. If necessary, the district can request additional funding. Before any expenditures are made, at least once a week, the district is expected to submit a list of planned purchases to the borough's finance director for review. The finance director, in turn, will respond within three business days on whether or not the desired purchases met eligibility and federal procurement requirements under the CARES Act. The district will provide the finance director with receipts or invoices, and a spreadsheet summarizing all expenditures, on a biweekly basis. Additionally, all purchases of $25,000 or more must be approved by the assembly. This item was approved.
Other items covered in the assembly meeting include an amendment to a memorandum of understanding with the Forest Service regarding the M/V Chugach Ranger, and plans to hold a special assembly meeting on Oct. 8 to certify the upcoming Oct. 6 election. They also approved several amendments to the FY 2021 budget for capital improvement projects.
They also held a discussion about potentially returning to in-person meetings. This was only a discussion item, so no formal action was taken. City administration did not recommend returning to in-person meetings, Von Bargen said, as city hall did not have accommodations for the assembly and the public to meet and maintain six feet of separation. Other proposed suggestions include having the assembly meet in person, but have the public participate virtually, or to hold meetings in the Nolan Center where there Is more space. This option, she said, would require a significant investment in equipment. The general consensus amongst the assembly, upon discussion, was they would like to get back to in-person meetings in the future, and would like to see more suggestions.
The assembly was planning to hold a work session prior to the meeting, on the water treatment plant improvement project, but this was postponed. Borough Clerk Kim Lane said in an email that she did not yet know when it would be rescheduled.
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