City staff say the grant for the Iliuliuk River doesn't cover the cost of its own requirements. (Annie Ropeik/KUCB)

City council will consider giving back a quarter of a million dollars in grant money for cleaning up the Iliuliuk River at their meeting tonight. 

The grant requires the installation of a certain amount of riverbank revegetation, stairs and walkways, plus a fish weir to count salmon at the church hole in the lower river. The state has said they won’t fund the project unless all those elements are completed.

But in a memo to council, city staff say the grant is based on outdated information and not enough public input. And they say it’s ”significantly underfunded” -- that they can’t do it all for less than $350,000.

So they’re proposing giving back the money, and finding other ways to complete the projects the public says they want to see in the river. That could include partnering with the Qawalangin Tribe on a three-year plan for clean-up projects.

But assistant city manager Patrick Jordan says he's not sure if the city could finance a fish weir on its own. Residents said that was their top priority during months of public input. Jordan says council will talk about prospects for the weir tonight. 

He's more optimistic about the half-million dollars they have left for stormwater management projects in Unalaska Lake. The city want to kick in about $100,000 from the general fund for permitting and design costs. That would leave enough money to train roads crews in reducing runoff, and to install some sediment controls around Overland Drive and Steward Road Bridge. 

Assistant city manager Patrick Jordan says they've been told that extra state funds for additional projects won't be available after all. Still, he hopes they can use the wish-list from the grant planning process to encourage future restoration work with city funds.

Council will discuss those plans tonight, for a potential vote at a future meeting.

They’ll also talk about some additional ways to encourage housing development in town, focusing on property tax exemptions and utility upgrades. Tonight’s work session will cover local improvement districts, tax breaks and deferrals for landowners, and the cost of platting.

Council will also take a first look at rules for recreational marijuana use in public places at tonight's meeting. It's at 6 p.m. at City Hall.