Wrangell’s assembly is moving forward with a new option for trying to sell the former community hospital site: a commercial realtor.
The borough has been trying to sell the site for much of this year, to no avail. If the assembly approves a proposed ordinance at its meeting today (November 22), the borough may list the property for a reduced rate – the land value ($470,000) instead of the land and property value ($830,000).
The assembly will hold a public hearing on the sale of the old Wrangell Medical Center building and site at its December 20 meeting.
It’s not the only proposed land sale on the agenda for Tuesday evening. After a public hearing earlier this month (November 8), the borough is moving forward with the sale of three lots at the end of Cassiar Street (Lots 36-38). They’ll be sold to a resident with adjacent property for $33,000.
At the Tuesday evening meeting, Wrangell’s assembly will also consider two items related to the ongoing improvements to the community’s drinking water treatment plant.
One is a $125,000 contract with a Canadian company, AWC Water Solutions. That’s for shop drawings that will aid in the plant design process by making sure designs will accommodate the exact equipment Wrangell will have in the new water plant. Later, the contract will also allow for AWC to be the pre-selected supplier of equipment for the new plant.
The other is a $140,000 contract amendment for DOWL, the Anchorage-based engineering firm designing the new plant. The contract amendment will allow DOWL to assist Canadian company AWC with shop drawings and move the design process further toward completion.
Wrangell’s Harbor Department has been working to install security cameras at harbors around town, as well as at City Dock. It’s an expensive project – estimated to cost over $800,000 – funded by state and federal grants. The borough was awarded an additional $427,000 state homeland security grant towards the project earlier this month, which the assembly will need to formally accept.
Assembly members may also make an appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission, one of three vacant spots on local advisory boards. There are two other open spots on borough committees: one on the Economic Development Committee and one on the Investment Committee.
The assembly is also set to sign off on updates to Wrangell’s Employee Handbook for borough staff, as well as an updated professional services agreement with a lobbyist who works at the Alaska State Legislature for Wrangell interests.
Other potential assembly actions include an amendment to last year’s property taxes since a church in town was improperly charged, and a replat of land out the road to allow a resident to expand a gravel pit.
View the full agenda packet for the November 22 meeting here.
Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting can sign up on the “Persons to be Heard” sheet located at City Hall before the meeting.
KSTK will broadcast the meeting starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday on 101.7 FM and online at KSTK.org.
Get in touch with KSTK at news@kstk.org or (907) 874-2345.
