Kodiak Island Borough Assembly to vote on snow contract that drew a single bid

Only one contractor bid on the Kodiak Island Borough's snow removal work this year — and the reason is a bit unusual: the school district decided to start plowing its own parking lots.

The borough assembly votes Thursday on awarding the facilities snow, ice and sweeping contract to MK Enterprises LLC, the sole bidder, through mid-2028. Two contractors showed up to the required pre-bid meeting, but only one followed through.

Borough Manager Aimee Williams told the assembly the school district's plans thinned the field. "The interesting part of the contract is that the school district wants to do their own snow removal. They've never done it before, and so they want the backup that if they need help, they can call and get help," Williams said. The second interested contractor lost interest once that was announced — the schools have long been the biggest, and costliest, ground to clear, averaging about $63,000 a year over recent seasons.

A single bid doesn't stop the award; borough staff judged the price fair, and the contract guarantees the company no minimum amount of work. It covers sanding, de-icing and snow hauling as needed, with the contractor required to respond within an hour of a call-out — and a priority order that puts the fire halls first and the landfill, remaining lots and bike path last.

One assembly member used the moment to argue Kodiak is doing this the hard way. Jeremiah Gardner said the borough, the city and the school district should stop running three separate snow contracts. "I find it ridiculous," he said.