Unalaska, AK – City Council will gather tonight to potentially amend this year's budget and discuss the status of the wastewater facilities plan.

The meeting will open with a public hearing on an ordinance that would fund a variety of different items this fiscal year. This budget amendment ordinance would accept grants monies for the library collection, fund survey work connected to a tideland lease request made by OSI, and authorize the purchase of an asphalt reclaimer. The ordinance would also amend the FY11 budget to factor in the money won in the PCB settlement with the federal government, up the funding for capital projects and maintenance involving the power house and the cooling water intake pipe clean-out, and approve electrical upgrades to the Bering Fisheries plant. Additionally, the ordinance would also permit some improvement to the employee 8-plex lot, allow for the replacement of light fixtures at the light cargo dock, and enable the city to go ahead with some improvements to the airport. This ordinance will receive a second reading from council during the unfinished business portion of the meeting.

Following the public hearing, council will open its work session and hear a presentation about the tsunami warning exercise. Council will also talk about the wastewater facilities plan and receive an update on capital projects during this part of the meeting. Council will close the work session by hearing a presentation on the proposed Fishermen's Memorial. A directive was issued by city council during a December meeting to study the possibility of building a memorial at the new Carl E. Moses Small Boat Harbor. However, due to space constraints, the city is considering making an improvement to Memorial Park instead.

Council will then reconvene to regular session. On the consent agenda, council will consider a resolution that would permit the city to accept a grant of over $700,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for construction costs related to the water treatment facility.

During the new business portion of the meeting, council will consider a resolution that would authorize the city to make a loan application to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to help fund the landfill expansion project. The loan could not exceed $8.8 million. Council will also address a resolution that would provide support to a House bill that would amend the Alaska Little David Bacon Act. That act requires strict regulation of construction and maintenance projects undertaken by municipalities where the cost exceeds $2,000. The bill's supporters argue that this is burdensome to rural communities, and that the threshold should be brought up to $50,000.

Council will also discuss travel by the mayor to the American Pilot's Association Conference, which will be held in April in Anchorage. Mayor Shirley Marquardt has been invited to speak at the meeting.

Lastly, council will wrap up in executive session to talk about change order claims involving the contractor SKW and to discuss the status of an EPA permit.

The meeting will take place in the city hall council chambers at 7pm, and it is expected to last two hours.