HomeMy WebLinkAbout12072017 City Council Laydowns 12/7//1SSCAcri
NPENINSULA P9
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777
144 North Bunkley Street Solcotna Alaska 99669-7520
loll-free within the Borough' 1-800-478-4441
PHONE: (907) 262-4441 • FAX (907) 262-1892
www,kpb.us
CHARLIE PIERCE
BOROUGH MAYOR
December 7. 2017
VIA EMAIL bill.walker'ci>alaska.uov
Governor Bill Walker
Office of the Governor
State of Alaska
P.O. Box 110001
Juneau, AK 99811-0001
RE: Local Disaster Declaration
Dear Governor Walker:
The City of Seward has provided LIS with a local disaster emergency declaration effective at I 1
a.m. today due to serious erosion damages and loss of armor rock sustained primarily to Lowell
Point Road. which is the second highest travciled road in the area during the summer. This was
caused by a storm surge combined with an unusually high tide and high winds on Monday.
December 4. 2017. According to the city. the assessment of damages. let alone the repair. far
exceeds the city's resources. The city has asked the borough to issue a local disaster emergency
declaration as well.
Enclosed please find the Kenai Peninsula Borouuh's local disaster emeruency declaration with a
request for state assistance relating to this damage. The borough is providing basic resources to
monitor conditions and coordinate efforts, but lacks the authority and capacity to provide
sufficient funds or resources to the City of Seward and any private parties sustaining damages to
address the problem.
We appreciate your consideration of this disaster emergency declaration with request for state
assistance.
Sincerely.
Charlie Pierce
Borough Mayor
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Mike Sutton. Deputy Director. DI IS&FM Mi.kt si tton tr alaska.uov
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DISASTER EMERGENCY DECLARATION
FOR THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH
December 7,2017
WHEREAS, on December 4, 2017, Lowell Point Road suffered severe damage caused
by an exceptionally high tide and storm surge; and
WHEREAS, Lowell Point Road provides the only land access to the Village of Lowell
Point and the Lowell Point State Recreation Site, and critical City of Seward infrastructure
including city sewer and electric infrastructure is embedded within it; and
WHEREAS, much armor rock and road bed has washed away from the Bay-side of the
road and erosion has occurred along the full length of Seward's 6,640-foot easement along this
road to the Village of Lowell Point; and
WHEREAS, the City of Seward is managing the situation as well as it can and also
continues to remove mountain debris as it falls from above onto the road;and
WHEREAS, the City of Seward has stated that the assessment of the severity of damage
is forthcoming, however, a permanent solution and repair is far beyond the city's financial ability
and expertise, and in the event of another southerly storm, the severity and range of this
emergency could escalate; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula Borough is a second class borough of the State of
Alaska; and
WHEREAS, the damage to public facilities for which the City of Seward is responsible
is certain to exceed the City's financial ability to provide repairs although complete damage
assessments have not been made at this time due to the extent of damage and limited available
personnel resources; and
WHEREAS, the city has stated both public and private property has suffered damage
due to the storm and tidal damage; and
WHEREAS, on December 7, 2017, the Kenai Peninsula Borough received a disaster
emergency declaration from the City of Seward, Alaska, and the city has requested that the
Kenai Peninsula Borough declare a disaster emergency to exist and to request that the Governor
of Alaska declare a disaster emergency to exist as described in AS 26.23 and provide disaster
assistance to the City of Seward in its response and recovery from this event;and
Kenai Peninsula Borough Disaster Emergency Declaration Page 1 of 2
December 7,2017
pl 33
WHEREAS, as a second class borough, the Kenai Peninsula Borough does not have the
authority to provide financial support to private parties or to the cities in the borough to repair or
replace their damaged facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula Borough continues to provide basic resources to
monitor conditions, to coordinate emergency and health or environmental responses as needed,
but does not have sufficient funds or resources to assist the City of Seward and other agencies
and residents affected by this disaster;
THEREFORE, I declare a Disaster Emergency per AS 26.23.140 to exist in the Kenai
Peninsula Borough in the areas of the City of Seward, along Lowell Point Road, and any other
areas of the Borough outside the City of Seward that are determined to have been damaged by
the high tide and storm surge and as such have activated the emergency response plan of the
Kenai Peninsula Borough in order to address the speedy recovery from the substantial damages
which exceed the resources and capacity of the Kenai Peninsula Borough to recover.
FURTHERMORE, the Kenai Peninsula Borough requests that the Governor of the State
of Alaska declare a disaster emergency to exist as described in AS 26.23 and provide disaster
assistance to the City of Seward in its response and recovery from this event and to provide
individual assistance for affected property owners including homeowners and business owners
with property damaged as a result of this storm and tidal surge, and to provide immediate
damage assessment assistance, technical expertise, guidance, and resources to better understand
the engineering and repair options with attention to geotechnical stability and related conditions.
FURTHERMORE, the Kenai Peninsula Borough requests that the Governor of the State
of Alaska direct State agencies with direct ownership or responsibility in the mapping, debris
location, debris removal, permitting, reconstruction and other processes, to convene as soon as
possible to develop a plan to address mapping, debris location, debris removal permitting, and
other processes, and to coordinate local assistance regarding infrastructure protection and repair,
permitting, in-water mitigation, debris removal, and mapping with the Army Corps of Engineers
and the U.S. Coast Guard.
DATED this 7th day of December 2017.
Charlie Pierce
ATTEST: Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor
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Kenai Peninsula Borough Disaster Emergency Declaration Page 2 of 2
December 7, 2017