FY2014-26 Adopting a Federal Capital Improvement Program and Identifying Federal Program Priorities for Federal Year 2014 } 1 Introduced by: Manager Cassidy
2 Requested by: Borough Assembly
3 Drafted by: Special Projects Support
Introduced on: 02/06/2014
(� 4 Adopted on: 02/06/2014
5
6 KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
7 RESOLUTION NO. FY2014-26
8
9 A RESOLUTION OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH ASSEMBLY
10 ADOPTING A FEDERAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND
11 IDENTIFYING FEDERAL PROGRAM PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL
12 FISCAL YEAR 2015
13
14 WHEREAS, a capital improvement program has been adopted by the Kodiak Island
15 Borough Assembly that identifies the needs of the community over the next five years; and
16
17 WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough has identified a capital improvement project to
18 submit to the Alaska Congressional Delegation for funding consideration; and
19
20 WHEREAS, the Alaska Congressional Delegation has requested the views of the Kodiak
21 Island Borough on which federal programs should be considered priorities for rural Alaskan
22 communities and their residents.
23
24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND
25 BOROUGH that:
26
27 Section 1: The Kodiak Island Borough's federal capital improvement project priorities for
28 federal fiscal year 2015 are as follows:
29
30 1. Landfill Wastewater Treatment
31 Total Estimated Cost of the Project: $32,000,000
32 Funding Sources: local and state $28,600,000
33 Federal Funding Request: $3,400,000
34
35 The Kodiak Island Borough's landfill is near the limits of its permitted capacity. To
36 address this problem a lateral expansion project constructing new cells adjacent
37 to the existing landfill is underway. Current Alaska Department of Environmental
38 Conservation regulations implementing the federal Clean Water Act require the
39 new cells to be fully lined to capture all leachate or fluids produced by the waste.
40 The captured leachate will be processed in a newly constructed treatment facility
41 on-site. This treatment represents an unfunded federal mandate. Federal
42 assistance to communities to comply with this federal mandate has been
43 available in the past through EPA's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Program
44 (the "STAG" Program). The Kodiak Island Borough is seeking the Alaska
45 Delegation's assistance to restore funding for the STAG program so that the KIB
46 can compete for federal matching funds for this project.
47
48 Section 2: The Kodiak Island Borough's views and recommendations on priority federal
49 programs are as follows:
50
51 1. Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes: There are over 2.8 million acres removed by the
52 Federal Government from taxation within the boundaries of the Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. FY2014-26
Page 1 of 3
53 Borough. This is land that would otherwise be available to the private sector to
54 develop, creating jobs for the residents of Kodiak and the rural Kodiak Island
55 communities. This in turn would create tax revenues for the Kodiak Island /
56 Borough. PILT was enacted by Congress to help offset the loss of revenues to
57 municipal entities caused by federal land withdrawals within local government
58 boundaries. The KIB uses these funds to provide basic social services, including
59 medical facilities, emergency fire and rescue services, roads, and schools. The
60 Kodiak Island Borough is seeking the Delegation's assistance in reauthorizing the
61 program for three to five years.
62
63 2. Refuge Revenue Sharing: The National Wildlife Refuge Fund is a critical source
64 of replacement revenue to communities like ours who have the presence of a
65 large Federal wildlife refuge within their boundaries. That presence removes
66 substantial amounts of property from the local property tax base. The share we
67 receive from the Fund is based on a formula that partially compensates us for our
68 tax losses due to the existence of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. The
69 Refuge is over 1.9 million acres in size and therefore has permanently removed
70 from private ownership, development and taxation over half the property on the
71 island. The Kodiak Island Borough is seeking the Alaska Delegation's assistance
72 in providing level funding for this program.
73
74 3. Karluk Lake Enrichment Project:
75 The Karluk Lake system on the west side of Kodiak Island is the largest producer
76 of sockeye salmon in the Kodiak area and supports a large portion of the area's
77 commercial and subsistence sockeye fisheries. Since 2007, returns of adult
78 sockeye to the Karluk system have been extremely poor, most likely due to over
79 escapement of spawning adults in earlier years. Continuing low returns will not
80 only deprive local fisheries, low spawning escapements will also reduce the
81 supply of marine derived nutrients to the lake system. Thus, the system may —J
82 remain in a low state of productivity indefinitely into the future.
83 In order to bring the Karluk Lake ecosystem back to its earlier, higher level of
84 production, the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association (KRAA) proposes to
85 apply nutrients over the course of up to five years. This lake enrichment project
86 follows established protocols for rehabilitating sockeye salmon rearing
87 environments. However, because Karluk Lake is within the Kodiak National
88 Wildlife Refuge and a pre-statehood withdrawal, it appears that approval is
89 required from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Refuge compatibility reviews
90 and environmental assessments by the USFWS have been protracted and are
91 not yet complete.
92 It is vitally important that the USFWS approve this lake enrichment project without
93 delay. It would additionally helpful if the local federal refuge staff were to act as a
94 cooperating agency in the project, provide logistic support, and help monitor the
95 results. The Kodiak Island Borough supports local facilitation and approval of this
96 important project that has a direct impact to the community's economic base.
97
98
99 4. Groundfish Surveys: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has
100 raised concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about
101 what appears to be slippage in the winter and summer groundfish surveys for the
102 Gulf of Alaska. The diminution in these surveys will eventually come back to
103 haunt Kodiak fishermen and processors should the North Pacific Council turn
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No, FY2014-26
Page 2 of 3
104 precautionary in the establishment of annual groundfish quotas due to insufficient
105 stock assessment data. A reduction in federal groundfish quotas for pollock, cod,
106 and rockfish would result in lost economic opportunities for Kodiak residents and
] 107 lower raw fish tax receipts over time. The Kodiak Island Borough recommends
108 that the Alaska Delegation add the groundfish surveys to the list of programs to
l J 109 be protected in the budget process.
110
111 5. Federal Subsistence Management And Rural Determination: The Borough is
112 concerned that the review being conducted by the Departments of Interior and
113 Agriculture could result in a change in the definition of rural communities that
114 would eliminate the ability of Borough residents to harvest fish and game on a
115 subsistence basis. The Borough opposes use of a population threshold in
116 making rural determination decisions that would overlook Kodiak's remote
117 location; transportation access limitations; distance and difficulty accessing
118 commercial food stores, particularly in inclement weather; and the long-standing
119 reliance of many of the community's residents on subsistence harvest to feed
120 themselves and their families, among other factors. We request that the Alaska
121 Delegation closely monitor the subsistence management review and at the
122 appropriate time convey these concerns directly to the Departments.
123
124 6. Federal Fisheries Observer Program Funding: The Kodiak Island Borough
125 encourages the Secretary of Commerce to provide sufficient federal funding for
126 NOAA to offset the costs of the 100% observer coverage requirement
127 implemented by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council in 2013. While
128 the Borough recognizes the value of the real time data gathered by human
129 observers placed on local fleet vessels, the cost of the program to small vessel
130 owners and operators is excessive. In addition to cost, space and safety become
131 complicating factors when human observers are required to travel and work on
132 the smaller vessels in Kodiak's fleet, especially those less than 30 feet in length.
133 The Borough urges the Secretary of Commerce to provide NOAA with federal
134 funding for this program similar to the way in which observer costs are covered in
135 other regions.
136
137 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kodiak Island Borough administration is hereby
138 instructed to advise Congress and the appropriate agencies of the United States Federal
139 Government of the Capital Improvement Program and priorities adopted by the Kodiak
140 Island Borough Assembly.
141
142 ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
143 THIS SIXTH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2014
144
145 KODI •KIS • ' D :esOUGH
146 r `
147 if i
0 148 1
Iv.
149 ATTEST: J= rol Frie" Borough ayor
150
151
152
153 Nova M. Javie MMC, Borough Clerk
J
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. FY2014-26
Page 3 of 3