MEMORANDUM

TO:                Ron Long, Assembly President

Members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

THRU:           John J. Williams, Borough Mayor

                        Craig Chapman, Finance Director

FROM:          Bonnie L. Golden, Grants Manager

COPY:           Nikiski Fire Service Area

DATE:           August 23, 2006

SUBJECT:    Ordinances 2006-19-21: Accepting and appropriating on behalf of Nikiski Fire Service Area a Volunteer Fire Assistance grant from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources

Nikiski Fire Service Area (“Service Area”) submitted an application for a grant under the 2006 Volunteer Fire Assistance (“VFA”) grant program. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, administers these federal funds. The borough was recently notified by DNR that $4,850 has been awarded to the Service Area under the VFA program.

            Grant funds may be used for equipment purchases or training. The VFA grant program requires matching funds on a one-to-one basis (50 percent of the project total). Expenditures for fire fighting equipment or training made by the Service Area during the 2006 calendar year are eligible costs under the grant program. The Service Area has sufficient funds in its current operating budget to meet the matching requirement. The Service Area Board of Directors will consider acceptance of the grant and the expenditure of the matching funds at their meeting on September 13, 2006. The results of the Board’s decision will be provided to the Assembly prior to public hearing on September 19, 2006.

            The grant program requires that the grant funds and matching funds be spent before December 31, 2006. Therefore, a shortened public hearing date has been requested.

Attachments (Ordinances and Notification Letter from DNR)