The City of Unalaska is handing over operation of its local TWIC office to an outside contractor.

"TWIC" stands for "Transportation Worker Identification Credential" -- a qualification that the Transportation Security Administration requires for all employees working in secure maritime facilities.

In 2011, Unalaska set up a temporary TWIC facility at the public library to make the credentialing process easier for dockworkers. Since then, the city has been using its own resources and staff to keep that office open for a half-day every week.

But last summer, after years of lobbying from the city, the TSA announced it would hire an outside contractor to set up a permanent TWIC facility in Unalaska.

That transition is finally underway. Earlier this month, security company MorphoTrust USA relocated the office to its new home at the Airport Business Center.

But the hand-off isn't finished yet. MorphoTrust is still working to train its own staff, and won’t have any agents out on the island until next month. In the meantime, librarian Dan Masoni, who ran the old TWIC office for the city, is filling in at the new location.

And he's been kept busy. Since the move, Masoni says over 60 people have already come by to apply for TWIC cards at the new enrollment center.