The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly met via Zoom video conferencing Tuesday afternoon to make adjustments to how it distributes federal CARES Act funds received from the State of Alaska.
Among other items, the change will reimburse single audit fees for awardees, provide funds to install air purification systems in all borough and school facilities, and increase funds for the 911 backup dispatch center project. Cities will get an additional $8.1 million to divvy up.
One amendment made by Assembly President Kelly Cooper will redirect $650,000 to senior citizen centers around the borough to the tune of $50,000 each. Another boosts funding to a handful of small volunteer fire departments by about $40,000 each.
A significant change was made to protect proprietary sales revenue figures of businesses applying for funds. Instead of awards based on three-and-a-half percent of revenue, businesses will be lumped into one of five award ranges that go from $1,750 to $35,000, and be given the maximum amount in each range.
Borough Finance Director Brandy Harbaugh says the change would increase the borough’s expenditures from about $4.5-to-$5.2 million to a range of $5.8-to-$6.5 million.