Kenai council funds $110K roof shortfall, sets Oct. 31 deadline for Senior Center and shelter work

Roof replacement work at the Kenai Senior Center canopy and the animal control shelter can move forward after the Kenai City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to add $110,000 to the city budget, covering a funding shortfall on the bundled projects.

City Manager Eubank told the council the two projects were bid together. The animal control shelter roof came in under the engineer's estimate, but the Senior Center canopy exceeded it, creating the gap. The council handled the appropriation in a single meeting under Kenai Municipal Code 1.15.070D because of time-sensitive construction conditions.

Orion Construction, the only company that bid on the bundled projects, was awarded the contract. The firm must reach substantial completion on both roofs by October 31, 2026.

Before the vote, Council member Timothy Petty asked "if this passes and moves forward, when is the estimated time that the projects would be started and what's the projected time that they would be completed?"

The $110,000 addition closed the gap between available funds and the contract amount. Existing funds had already been sufficient to cover the animal control shelter roof. The additional appropriation addressed the Senior Center canopy shortfall and allowed the award to proceed.