Love INC to pitch Kenai shelter

After a failed attempt to build a homeless shelter in Soldotna, representatives with Love In the Name of Christ plan to pitch the idea to the Kenai City Council tonight.

Ingrid Edgerly, executive director of Love INC, is scheduled to make a presentation on homelessness on the Kenai Peninsula and on her organization's progress toward establishing what would be called the Family Hope Center, a transitional living facility "to meet the needs of intact and single-parent families."

In addition to creating the residence, Love INC would like to establish a central location for providing social services to families, helping with mentoring, education and case work.

The council also is slated to consider changing the pay range for a city public works director.

According to City Manager Rick Koch, the city currently has two managers instead of one public works director. With the recent decision of Jack LaShot to retire after 27 years with the city, Koch said he would prefer having one director over the department in the future.

Under the proposed ordinance, the duties of the two managers would be consolidated and the pay range for the director would be one range lower than currently listed in city code.

A resolution setting a public hearing for March 19, is scheduled for tonight on a proposal to pave streets in the Thompson Park subdivision.

Public hearings also are to be set for March 19 closing out street improvement special assessment districts created to pave other Kenai streets last year.

Streets that were paved include Aliak, McCollum, Japonski, Set Net and Angler drives.

"(Property owners) should be pretty pleased," said Koch, adding that the projects came in at approximately 40 percent below the original estimates.

Having received only one bid, a lease contract is expected to be awarded to Copper River Seafoods for Kenai city dock stations 2 and 3 from May 15 this year to May 14, 2011, and for boat storage areas 2 and 3, from June 1 this year to May 14, 2011.

The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.