Unalaska
RSSNews from Unalaska, Alaska
Unalaska raises the audit threshold for its nonprofit grant recipients
Unalaska has raised the audit threshold for nonprofit grantees to $40,000, after one grantee said audit costs ate roughly 13 percent of its city award.

Unalaska is paying $800,000 to keep its emergency room open around the clock
Unalaska City Council adopted new grant guidelines on Aug. 25, but the exact changes remain unclear because city records do not include the full resolution text.

Unalaska keeps awarding more grant money than its formula produces
Unalaska's grant program keeps awarding more than its funding formula produces. The council eased the audit rules and left the formula alone.

Unalaska approves airport gate power line, with the state covering the cost
Unalaska City Council approved a power line extension to supply new airport access gates, with work due by August 2027 at an estimated cost of $1 million to $2.5 million.

A health center's request to Unalaska grew nearly six-fold in a year
A health center's grant request to Unalaska grew from $180,000 to more than $1 million in a year, pushing the city's grant program past its own guideline.

A $2.5 million geothermal training grant for Unalaska sits 3 percent spent
Unalaska abandoned its Makushin geothermal project in May 2025, but a $2.5 million federal training grant tied to it remains open and largely unspent with only $75,000 spent so far.

Unalaska paid for library internet for three years before the council approved it
Unalaska ran a library internet contract for three years without the council vote its code required. The council approved it this month, going back to 2023.

Five Alaska bridges are getting new lights, above and below
Five Alaska bridges are getting new lights, for the aircraft passing above them and the boats passing below. The whole project costs $170,000.

A little Unalaska park keeps its tax break one last time before the lease runs out
A small community park in Unalaska keeps its property tax exemption one last time before the city's lease runs out, joining the tax rolls in 2027.

Unalaska council ratifies a library internet contract three years late
Unalaska's library ran internet for three years on a contract the council never approved. The council ratified it Tuesday, 5-0, without discussion.

EPA proposes $5,859 UniSea settlement over Dutch Harbor stormwater
EPA says UniSea's Dutch Harbor plant went years with a stale pollution plan and unpermitted flows toward Iliuliuk Harbor. The proposed penalty is $5,859

Unalaska council retroactively approves a three-year-old library internet contract
Unalaska City Council approved a five-year internet contract for the public library at $108,876 yearly, with federal E-Rate funding covering about half the cost.

Unalaska moves to rebuild its harbor, with sea otter safeguards for the pile driving
Unalaska is set to rebuild moorage at Robert Storrs Harbor, with standard safeguards for nearby sea otters. The projected effect is minor. Comment to Sept. 10.

EPA proposes a $5,859 penalty over Dutch Harbor discharges
EPA wants $5,859 from UniSea over discharges into a Dutch Harbor bay that Unalaska residents use for subsistence. Public comment closes August 19.

Nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — Alaska's lifeline to the Aleutians
Alaska's about to spend nearly $350 million to replace one ferry — the 60-year-old Tustumena. A genuine Aleutian lifeline, but the low bid went to a Louisiana yard.

FBI, Troopers Arrest Unalaska Man on Two Child Sex Abuse Counts
Arresting one Unalaska man on child sexual abuse charges took two teams and Coast Guard and FBI aircraft, landing on two Aleutian islands at once.

Federal fishery disaster relief of $99M headed to Alaska after years of waiting
Alaska took four of every five dollars in the nation's fishery-disaster aid — and none of it has reached anyone yet, with 13 more disasters still in line.

Unalaska Council advances FY27 budget, certifies tax roll
Unalaska City Council advanced its fiscal year 2027 budget ordinance and certified the 2026 property tax roll at its May 26 meeting, though final vote outcomes were not confirmed in available materials.
Unalaska Council meets as city manages $50M fund, air travel crisis
The Unalaska City Council holds its regular meeting May 12, 2026, as the remote fishing community manages a $50 million infrastructure fund and ongoing air travel reliability issues.
Unalaska council to hear appeal in TSYS business dispute May 12
Unalaska City Council will hold a public hearing May 12, 2026, on a TSYS business appeal that could affect payment processing and merchant services in the Aleutian port community.
House committee advances bill recognizing dispatchers as first responders
HB 234 would classify emergency dispatchers as first responders, opening access to federal grants and addressing staffing challenges in rural Alaska.