The City of Soldotna will be directing $150,000 toward the Soldotna High School Track and Field project.
The council approved the funding allocation with five votes in favor. Staff and students from Soldotna High School came out in support.
City Manger Mark Dixson received a formal letter requesting for money from Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre to help close a funding gap for the project’s final costs.
The funding shortfall came after the Kenai Peninsula Borough did not receive an expected $200,000 grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Navarre said in the letter. However, the bids for the project contract came in higher than the engineer’s cost estimation, he said in a previous interview with the Clarion.
Linda Murphy also spoke about the last Chamber of Commerce meeting, where the possibility of a implementing a borough-wide bed tax was discussed. She said Seward would be the only city exempt because they already have a 4 percent bed tax.
Mark Dixson said all revenue from the tax would go directly to the municipality in which it was collected. The Kenai Peninsula Borough would only receive revenue from the tax from the unincorporated areas. No action was taken.
