The Wrangell Borough Assembly set the date to interview two borough manager applicants. On Tuesday, the assembly rescheduled its Feb. 14 meeting to the following day in order to hold face-to-face interviews. The remaining applicants are Bradley Hanson and Ann Capela.

The panel also chose how to conduct the interview process. The three options included an assembly-only executive session followed by a community reception, including “community professionals” and borough staff in the interview process, or just an assembly-only executive session.

Assembly Member Stephen Prysunka initially asked for the first option, but later agreed with the rest of the panel in choosing option three.

“Given that the assembly is the people that will be supervising and moving forward with this person, it would be nice to just have the assembly,” Prysunka explained. “I feel it can clutter things up if we have a whole bunch of people in an executive session asking questions.”

The assembly unanimously voted to hold a closed meeting and provide a community reception after a candidate is chosen.

In other business, a loan from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation was approved to replace an ozone generator at the water plant. The loan is approved for $322,650, but Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch said the borough expects to spend less.

“Although we’re accepting it for that, we believe the total amount we’re going to spend is about $230,000. The generator is $190,000, then there’s some engineering and installation,” said Jabusch.

The borough replaced one of two generators in 2016 with its own funds. Jabusch explained that the requested amount is higher because the installation costs were underestimated when the latest generator was replaced.

The borough will pay a 1.5 percent interest rate over 15 years and will only be liable for what it spends. Jabusch said the water plant’s oldest generator is out of date and slows the treatment process.

The assembly also finalized the sale of the borough’s belt freezer to Trident Seafoods.

“This was kind of already approved by the assembly, and this is the formal action that’s required,” said Jabusch. “The attorney has drafted a draft sales agreement contract. So we’re ready to finalize this.”

Trident will pay $950,000 for the facility and property.