North Slope Borough approves $5M water and sewer increase after Point Lay freeze-up

A village-wide freeze-up in Point Lay that has persisted since late December 2025 helped drive the North Slope Borough Assembly to approve a $5 million increase to its area-wide water and sewer contract Monday, bringing the total value of that contract to $32.45 million.

The assembly voted 10-0 to approve the change order to contract 2022-031 with UIC Municipal Services LLC. The resolution cited a severe 2025-2026 winter that strained borough water and sewer infrastructure, including extended crew deployments and the ongoing Point Lay freeze-up. A separate village-wide freeze-up in Anaktuvuk Pass from December 2024 through February 2025 was also cited as part of the pressure on the contract.

Assemblywoman Eva Kinevac pulled the resolution before the vote to ask for a village-by-village spending breakdown. Director Bernadette Adams said her staff would produce a spreadsheet of task orders broken out by community. "We do have a spreadsheet of task orders that we give to the contractor," Adams said. "I can have project staff work on breaking it out by village and the amount that is spent in each village."

Other Contract Actions

The assembly also approved a $1.87 million change order for design and construction of the Point Lay fire station, using what the administration described as an atypical design-build contract format intended to speed up the project. The change order included funding for a personnel camp to support construction and provide a training area for the Point Lay Fire Department during the build. Two assembly members abstained because of ties to the contractor, ASRC Builders LLC.

A $650,000 change order for the Point Hope school kitchen remodel passed unanimously. The additional funding addresses unforeseen plumbing and soffit problems discovered during construction. Adams flagged that the soffit work will likely require another change order. The priority, she said, is getting the kitchen finished before school opens, with the soffit work to follow.

The assembly also approved $1.75 million for the Arctic Slope Native Association's Medical Travel and Funeral Assistance Program. The assembly president noted the borough's share of that program has grown from roughly $300,000 about 25 years ago. The mayor signaled a future request to increase the borough's contribution toward a $2 million match with ASRC.