Tag: KPB
Clean up and repair of SBE’s school shop after November fire
by Jenny Chissus
Today, Julie Cisco, Risk Manager from the Kenai Peninsula Borough was accompanied by Tim Vlasak from the Kenai Peninsula School District and Kevin Lyons with the Kenai Peninsula Borough to update the community about the process ahead regarding the clean up and repairs to our school shop after the fire on November 24th. I appreciate Julie taking a moment to visit with me to share with the community the plan for our shop’s renovations. There has been concern over the future of the structure, and the good news is that it is a sound building, and though there is a lot of clean up to do – we will have our shop back!
I also had an opportunity to visit with our principal, Alan Haskins after the meeting to go over a few more details and to gain his insight – which we wanted to share with the community.
Jenny: Who reported the smoke that was visible at the site that morning? How long was from the time it was reported to the time of the fire department on the scene? How much time did it take to contain the fire?
Alan Haskins: Tyler Tucker from the city noticed and reported the fire to 911. The fire call came in at 5:45 am, and the fire department was on scene at about 6:00am. Fire was contained in about 1/2 an hour.
Jenny: Please give us a brief description of the damage that was caused?
Alan Haskins: The majority of the damage is cosmetic, but there is some roof damage and damage to the old gym floor from the water. With lots of asbestos exposure.
Jenny: Realizing that we don’t know the timing, but we’re thankful that the process has begun, and that the borough will start cleaning up shortly, what are your hopes for the completion of this project?
Alan Haskins: Here is my analogy there are a 100 steps to the process and we are on step 3. I hope to see that the building would be open at the start of next school year.
Jenny: Julie mentioned that there will be more public input and participation and up coming meetings, what do you feel the community can do to support this project?
Alan Haskins: I will keep the community informed about the project as I receive information. I will request meetings with all parties as we reach major steps in the process.
Jenny: I’m sure you want to give a big thanks to Tyler and to the fire department for a job well done!
Alan Haskins: Yes I want to thank the volunteer fire department and Tyler for making great decisions on the morning of the fire. Their quick response kept the damage to a minimum.
Jenny: Do you feel that with the opportunity to make upgrades and improvements on this building, that there will be different spaces created, or classroom changes to enhance opportunities for student learning in Seldovia?
Alan Haskins: I do see this event as a way to make improvements for the students at Susan B English.
Jenny: It appears that there’s a lot of involvement between the borough, school district and the city, can you elaborate on that any further?
Alan Haskins: The district, borough and city are working together to move the process along smoothly. I want to thank everyone who came to the meeting, it really shows that everyone cares about the education of our young people.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission Public Hearing
by Bruce Wall, Planner
Public notice is hereby given that a conditional land use permit application has been received for material extraction on a parcel in the Seldovia area. This notice has been sent to landowners or leaseholders of property located within the required one-half mile notification radius of the subject property. All members of the public are invited to comment. The project under consideration is described as follows:
Applicant: Kenai Peninsula Borough
Landowner: Kenai Peninsula Borough
Parcel ID#: 191-130-67
Legal Description: Government Lots 9, 10, 17, 19, & 20, E½ NW¼ NW¼ SE¼, S½ NW¼ SE¼, NE¼ NW¼, and the portion of S½ SE¼ lying west of Rocky Road, Section 6, Township 9 South, Range 14 West, Seward Meridian, State of Alaska.
Location: The extraction area will be on the west side of Rocky Road one mile south of Seldovia, adjacent to the existing Borough landfill.
Proposed Land Use: The applicant wishes to obtain a permit for a material extraction site on approximately 13 acres within the parcel listed above.
KPB Code: Conditional land use permit applications for material extraction are reviewed in accordance with KPB Code 21.25 and 21.29. Copies of these ordinances are available from the Planning Department or on the KPB website at: borough.kenai.ak.us
Public Hearing: A hearing will be held by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission to consider the application on Monday, August 11, 2014, commencing at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as business permits. The meeting will be held in the assembly chambers of the borough administration building located at 144 N. Binkley Street, Soldotna, Alaska.
Public Comment: Those wishing to comment may come to the above meeting to give testimony or may submit a written statement addressed to: Planning Commission Chairman, 144 N. Binkley, Soldotna, Alaska 99669. A statement addressed to the chairman may also be emailed to: bwall@kpb.us, or faxed to (907) 714-2378. Please provide written statements by Friday, August 8, 2014. Persons, who participate in the public hearing, either by written or oral statement, may appeal the Planning Commission’s decision within 15 days of the date of notice of the decision.
For additional information about this application, please call the planning department at (907) 714-2206, or 1-800-478-4441 (toll free within the Kenai Peninsula Borough).
Being Prepared
by Dan Nelson
As residents of the Kenai Peninsula, we know that disasters can happen at any time. September is National Preparedness Month, and it is a good time to prepare yourself and those in your care for emergencies and disasters. In just the past week we have seen disasters in Colorado as the result of flooding, which we saw locally here last fall. Combine that with volcanoes, earthquakes, and winter weather and we have a high likelihood of experiencing emergencies here on the Kenai.
Communities like Seldovia that are off the road system have additional considerations because of the logistics of receiving supplies and a smaller resource pool of responders to draw from. Police, fire and rescue may not always be able to reach you quickly in an emergency or disaster. The most important step you can take in helping your local responders is being able to take care of yourself and those in your care; the more people who are prepared, the quicker the community will recover.
Borough Mayor Mike Navarre recently proclaimed September as Disaster Preparedness Month on the Kenai Peninsula. We would encourage everyone to Continue Reading
Tsunami Warning System Testing – Wednesday 27th at 9:45am
by Dan Nelson, Citizen Corps Program Coordinator, KPB IC-III Planning Section Chief
OFFICIALS TO CONDUCT TEST OF THE ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM
NOAA’s National Weather Service and Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in cooperation with local emergency management offices and the Alaska Broadcasters Association, will conduct a test of the tsunami warning communications system on Wednesday, March 27 at 9:45 a.m.
The test is part of Tsunami Preparedness Week, proclaimed by Gov. Sean Parnell as March 24 to 30. The week coincides with the anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake – a devastating 9.2 magnitude earthquake that triggered deadly tsunamis in Alaska on Good Friday, March 27, 1964.
The communications test will involve NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, the emergency alert system and other state and local communication links. Radio listeners should hear the familiar alerting tone followed by an audio message describing the test, similar to the routine monthly tests of the emergency alert system. Residents of some communities may hear sirens, and the siren audio may not contain the word “TEST.”
It is important to note that some television systems are programmed to scroll a standard message based upon the emergency code received. In some cases, the message may not contain the word ‘TEST’. An audio message will say that it is a test, but if the volume is turned down or otherwise unheard, viewers may not realize the warning is a test.
The general public can participate in the test by monitoring NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, commercial radio, cable TV or local television for the emergency alert system message. Local emergency management may use the test to help increase preparedness for the tsunami hazard. If there is excessive seismic activity on March 27, the test will be canceled.
The public can provide feedback online at http://ready.alaska.gov/
Click here for answers to frequently asked tsunami-related questions.
Seldovia Time
