Whittier council votes to seek federal block grant for a fire tender truck

The Whittier City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to seek a federal Community Development Block Grant for a fire tender truck. Council members directed city staff to prepare the application, which is due Dec. 4. The state program caps awards at $850,000 per community, and about $2.5 million was available statewide for competitive grants in the most recent federal fiscal cycle, as Alaska News reported Sept. 11.

The tender would carry water to fight fires in parts of Whittier without enough water pressure or water, including the head of the bay and Shotgun Cove Road, where the city expects future development, according to the record of an Oct. 13 special meeting. The program doesn't pay for vehicles other than firefighting equipment. It requires that at least 51% of a funded project's beneficiaries have low or moderate incomes. Whittier qualifies because 61% of its residents fall into that category, the meeting record shows.

Resident Kelly Bender said only 20 people answered the city's online poll on project priorities and asked the council to reopen it. "I find that the fire truck being number 1, I think if we open this up, that that might change," Bender said. She said sidewalks matter in a town where harbor and fish plant workers walk.

Tom Wagner, whom the council elected mayor earlier in the meeting, said he agreed with Bender. Council member Jamie Loan said $850,000 would not complete any of the poll's top projects except the fire truck. Council member David Pinquoch said he favored clinic and transportation services, but "it's going to take months for us to figure that out probably." He said transportation to health appointments might top his list next year, and that he was ready to move forward with the tender.

Council member Victor Shen said the grant favors projects that are "shovel ready" and urged staff to build a rolling list of projects for future years.

Finance Director Kristin Erchinger said that without direction Tuesday, Whittier might not file a strong application and could lose funding for the year. A resolution approving the application is expected at the November meeting.