MEMORANDUM

TO: Pete Sprague, Assembly President

Members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

THRU: Dale Bagley, Borough Mayor

Scott Holt, Finance Director

David Gibbs, Emergency Management Coordinator

FROM: Bonnie L. Golden, Grants Manager

DATE: May 20, 2004

SUBJECT: Ordinance No. 2004-19-53: Accepting and appropriating a grant from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in the amount of $724,924 for the purchase of communications equipment

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has funding available through its State Homeland Security Grant Program ("SHSGP") for equipment to effectively prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. They encouraged applicants to request funding for dual-purpose equipment - equipment that could be used to enhance our ability to respond to terrorist attacks as well as enhance our ability to respond to other man-made or natural disasters.

Last summer, the Borough's Office of Emergency Management worked with borough, local and state response agencies to prepare and submit a borough-wide proposal. The proposal was developed cooperatively by all of the public safety response agencies serving the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Their efforts resulted in a request for $5.7 million to construct a radio communications system that would (1) provide radio coverage for most of the populated areas in the borough, (2) upgrade dispatch center radio consoles, and (3) purchase mobile chemical decontamination shelters for borough hospitals. The proposed radio system would provide a seamless VHF radio connection from Seward to Homer. In addition, it would be completely compatible with the Alaska Land Mobile Radio system, which is expected to be built on the peninsula in the near future. Grants totaling $1.7 million were awarded to the borough and cities in the borough under the FY03 SHSGP.

Subsequent to the grant award, the borough hired a consultant to develop a Public Safety Communications Strategic Plan. Included in Section 5 of the Plan are recommendations by the consultant that will improve the public safety communications in the borough. The Assembly, through adoption of KPB Resolution 2004-031, approved those recommendations.

Based upon the recommendations in the Plan, the borough submitted a second application for funding under the FY04 SHSGP. That request was for a total of $2.7 million for borough-wide communications improvements. The borough was awarded $724,924 for the purchase of radio equipment for borough service areas and communities as identified in the attachment hereto. Additional funding in the amount of $25,503 was awarded to the City of Kenai.

/bg

Attachments: Notification letter, equipment budget detail, ordinance