Kenai Peninsula Borough

In a decision handed down Tuesday, the court found that the borough’s 2016 rewrite of its policy allowing certain people to open assembly meetings with a blessing to be in violation of the Establishment Clause in the constitution.

The Kenai city council approved new rules for gravel and other surface material extraction at its meeting this week.

Hurricane Florence has an unintended impact this week — a planned, nationwide emergency alert system test is being postponed to not confuse people during ongoing response efforts in the Carolinas.  

Thursday was supposed to be the day for a test of the nationwide Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. This includes the Emergency Alert System, which makes those test tones you hear periodically on TV and radio stations — including KDLL, and Wireless Emergency Alerts, which sends alert messages to cell phones.

Plans to relocate Central Emergency Services Station One in Soldotna are on hold for now. The borough assembly was supposed to vote on an ordinance approving the purchase of property near the intersection of the Sterling and Spur highways at its meeting last week. But that ordinance was withdrawn after the borough was unable to come to terms with one of the property owners.

The AK LNG project got a slight boost from federal regulators this week. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, will release its draft environmental impact statement a month ahead of schedule, in February next year.

Ballots for this fall’s municipal elections have been finalized, and most of the heated campaigning will be left for elections further up the political food chain.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly could be offering some opinion on annexation proceedings in Soldotna when it meets next.

The ordinance authorizing the purchase of land for a new Central Emergency Services station gets its next public hearing next week before the borough planning and zoning commission.

Nikiski is identified as the best terminus for the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline Project submitted by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough wants to keep it that way.

At its meeting Tuesday, the borough assembly gave the administration the green light to apply for intervener status with the Federal Regulatory Commission as it considers AGDC’s AK LNG project. Having the status to intervene means the borough can weigh in on the project proposal with FERC. The deadline to apply to intervene is long past — May 1, 2017 — but the borough didn’t think that step was necessary at the time.

Now, though, other municipalities in the state are telling FERC the terminus should be somewhere other than Nikiski. John Quick, borough Mayor Charlie Pierce’s chief of staff, says the borough wants to be able to counter those claims.

Tobacco users could be a source of additional revenue to the Kenai Peninsula Borough if the assembly approves an ordinance coming up for consideration.

Borough Assembly Member Willy Dunne, of Homer, would like to impose an excise tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The measure came before the assembly’s Policies and Procedures Committee on Tuesday. Committee Chair Hal Smalley summarized the proposal.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will meet in special session in Homer Wednesday. The assembly will hold another public hearing on an ordinance to move the boundary between Central and South Peninsula Hospitals.

The AK LNG project seems to be picking up some steam. A former partner in the project, BP, came back aboard last week with an agreement to supply North Slope gas to the 800-mile trans state pipeline.

The weather is finally warm and nearly dry enough for the annual rite of spring cleaning. While the Kenai Peninsula Borough solid waste department usually receives all manner of used goods, this weekend, it will specifically be taking in electronics.

Oral arguments were supposed to be heard this week in Anchorage Superior Court regarding the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s invocation policy. But as has been the pattern since the suit was initially filed more than a year ago, this will have to wait.