Second-largest island in the United States and one of Alaska's most productive commercial fishing ports. Home to Kodiak bears, a Coast Guard base, and a processing fleet for salmon, pollock, and crab.
Kodiak Island Borough, AK, USA
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Scott Smiley
“So up next we have a contract to consider, contract number FY2027-15 for KIB facility snow removal, ice control, and sweeping with MK Enterprises, LLC. Mr. Smiley, move to authorize the borough manager to execute contract number FY 2027-15 for KIB facility snow removal, ice control, and sweeping with MK Enterprises, LLC.”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Scott Smiley
“OK. Hearing none, I will close public hearing and open it up for Assembly discussion. Mr. Smiley. I think the changes are really good here. I think that one of our jobs is to review the code and to bring them up to date.”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Jerry Griffin
“Motion passes 6-0.”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Scott Smiley
“Move to adopt Ordinance Number FY2027-08.”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Jeremiah Gardner
“I thought— I see on page 2 it says all schools. I thought the school district was doing their own snow removal. Anybody have any information?”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Scott Smiley
“I think this does a really good job of it. It is a housekeeping thing, and I don't think there is anything to argue about.”Kodiak Borough: Assembly Regular Meeting of September 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
Kodiak weighs sounding its tsunami sirens the moment a warning hits
A draft Kodiak policy would sound the island's tsunami sirens immediately on any federal warning, and let dispatch activate them on local signs before an alert arrives.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak boats have nowhere legal to store hazardous waste
Kodiak marine businesses have no permitted local storage for antifreeze and hydraulic oil between the borough's twice-yearly hazardous waste collection events.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
ADEC proposes final discharge permit for Kodiak landfill leachate plant
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued a proposed final APDES permit Monday authorizing the Kodiak Island Borough to discharge up to 288,000 gallons per day of treated landfill leachate into wetlands draining to Monashka Bay, with strict limits on mercury, copper, and ammonia that must be met at the end of the discharge pipe.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago1 min readAI
Roald Amundsen brings 530 passengers to Kodiak on August 2
Discover Kodiak has posted a welcome event for the Roald Amundsen, which is scheduled to dock August 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., giving downtown merchants, restaurants, and shops a nine-hour window to capture spending from 530 passengers and crew.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Bayside fire chief wants new career position but warns against a rushed hire
Chief Scott Ellis told the Kodiak Island Borough Fire Protection Area No. 1 Board on Tuesday, June 30, that Bayside Fire Department needs a new career firefighter but urged the board to move carefully, warning a poorly structured position could fracture the department's career-volunteer culture.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Four candidates interview for Kodiak Island Borough Assembly vacancy
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly interviewed four applicants Thursday to fill the seat vacated by Dave Johnson, with Mayor Jared Griffin telling candidates a vote could come that same evening or no later than the following week.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak plans September DC lobbying trip as defense program bid fails again
Turned down again in its effort to access the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, Kodiak Island Borough is shifting tactics: Borough Manager Williams secured a key contact who could help strengthen a future application, and Mayor Griffin announced a joint DC lobbying trip with the city for the week of September 21st, targeting more than $150 billion in federal defense and energy capital funds.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough advances marijuana excise tax to public hearing on 4-1 vote
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly voted 4-1 Thursday to advance a 3% marijuana excise tax ordinance to public hearing, drawing sharp opposition from a local dispensary owner who called the draft poorly written and said Alaska already carries the nation's highest marijuana tax.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly appoints Mark Vizcocho to vacant seat
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly filled its vacant seat Thursday night, selecting Mark Vizcocho from four applicants through a two-round secret ballot and swearing him in before the meeting adjourned.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough holds public hearing on Ouzinkie tsunami shelter rezone
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly held a public hearing Thursday on a rezoning ordinance that would allow the Native Village of Ouzinkie to legally operate a tsunami shelter and tribal government offices in a building on former airport land.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Island Borough opens candidate filing for October 6 election
Nominating packets for the Oct. 6 Kodiak Island Borough municipal election are available now at the Clerk's Office; candidates must file in person Aug. 1–15, with the effective deadline extended to Monday, Aug. 17 at 3 p.m. because Aug. 15 falls on a Saturday.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak developer's conservation rezone draws a refuge objection
Oceanfront Kodiak LLC seeks to rezone Cliff Point Estates lots to a Conservation District; borough staff recommend approval while the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge objects.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Four Kodiak residents vie for an open Assembly seat
Four candidates are competing for an open Kodiak Island Borough Assembly seat, which the Assembly will fill by appointment Thursday to serve until the October 2026 election.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak weighs selling four parcels, including its ballfields
The Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee meets Monday, July 20, to review four borough-owned parcels for potential disposal, including the 16-acre Killarney Hills site hosting two baseball fields used under a joint-use agreement. A staff memo from Community Development Director Chris French documents sewer gaps, wetlands, and public opposition that have complicated disposal attempts for years.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A 'conservation' rezone on Kodiak's coast draws a federal warning
A proposed conservation rezoning of 47 acres on Kodiak's Cliff Point Road drew a warning from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over possible harm to adjacent refuge waters.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
The only applicant for Kodiak's open seat is making it about representation
Mark Anthony Vizcocho was the only applicant for Kodiak's vacant borough Assembly seat, framing his bid around greater Filipino representation in the island's elected leadership.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Ouzinkie's tsunami shelter is zoned as a house. The borough is about to fix that.
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is scheduled to adopt an ordinance July 16 rezoning a parcel on the former Ouzinkie Airport from single-family residential to public use land, allowing the Native Village of Ouzinkie to legally operate a tsunami shelter and tribal offices in an existing building.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak's nonprofits need more than the borough can give
Kodiak nonprofits requested far more than the borough's $270,000 grant budget, with health and social services most oversubscribed as Medicaid cuts raise demand.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
Where thousands of seabirds flew, a Kodiak commissioner counted 30
As Kodiak begins its 20-year comprehensive plan, a Native commissioner pointed to vanishing seabirds and struggling fisheries, urging that Indigenous knowledge shape the borough's land-use future.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak Borough assembly scheduled to introduce marijuana tax measure for October ballot
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is set to introduce a 3% areawide excise tax on retail marijuana sales Thursday, with proceeds earmarked for a new Community Well-Being Fund; voters would decide the measure on Oct. 6, 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough set to rezone Ouzinkie parcel for tsunami shelter and government offices
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is scheduled to vote Thursday on a rezone that would allow an existing building in Ouzinkie to be used as a tsunami shelter and government offices, correcting an outdated industrial land-use designation tied to the now-closed Ouzinkie Airport.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough declines federal interest notice, leaving health center next steps unresolved
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly decided in executive session not to proceed with a Notice of Federal Interest for the Kodiak Community Health Center's capital project, leaving next steps unresolved while the borough commits to continuing discussions, the Health Facilities Advisory Board learned Tuesday, June 9.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
A developer wants to build homes and shops on a city lot in Kodiak — if the city sells
A developer wants to buy a city-owned lot near the Kodiak airport for six apartments and six retail spaces, a $1.6M project the city council is weighing whether to enable.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak is shrinking and greying, even as the rest of Alaska grows
Kodiak Island Borough has lost about 650 residents in five years, roughly 5% of its population, and is aging quickly, Mayor Jared Griffin told the assembly, citing new state estimates.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak fire department moves to fix a staffing crunch
Kodiak Island Borough's Fire Protection Area No. 1 board directed its chief to develop a new firefighter position amid a staffing shortage straining the department.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
A remote Kodiak village tries tp fix its water
The Native Village of Karluk is replacing its deteriorating water treatment system to secure year-round safe drinking water, part of a wider rural Alaska sanitation push.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak Borough weighs tax on recreational harvest
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly discussed a broad natural resource excise tax on fish, game and other products harvested recreationally in the borough at its June 25 work session. The Borough Attorney said the levy could be structured to avoid a public vote, though no rate or final ordinance has been adopted.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak eyes 3% marijuana tax
Two Kodiak Island Borough Assembly members have drafted a 3% areawide marijuana excise tax ordinance that would create a Community Well-Being Fund; the Assembly must introduce it by July 16 and adopt it by August 6 to reach the October ballot.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Departing Kodiak assemblyman warns: prepare for the Coast Guard boom
Borough Clerk Nova Javier told the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on Thursday that three elections are scheduled between August and November 2026, with nominating packets due out July 13 and a filing window of just 17 days.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Assembly weighs new revenue and unlocks unused savings
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly weighed a natural-resource excise tax on nonresident hunters and anglers and activated a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing account to cut costs.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min readAI
Kodiak held its tax rate down — and split over what it means for schools
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly voted 5-2 Thursday to adopt a mill rate of 8.75 for FY2027, rejecting an amendment that would have raised the rate to 9.15 and directed roughly $476,000 to the school district.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Set Its Taxes — Now It Has to Send the Bills
Kodiak Island Borough set its 2026 property taxes but faces a tight deadline to finish a delayed software switch in time to send tax bills by the state's July 1 cutoff.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough OKs Water Upgrade for Village of Karluk
The Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday to grant the Native Village of Karluk a conditional use permit to upgrade its water treatment facility, with the project aimed at providing a year-round source of potable water to the remote Kodiak Island community.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak planners advance Karluk water system overhaul
The Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday reviewed a conditional use permit for a complete replacement of Karluk's water treatment infrastructure, including a new water tank, extended mains, and upgraded treatment equipment.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak Assembly sets mill rate at 8.75, rejecting school increase
The assembly chose the lowest tax rate that balances the budget, citing rising utility and living costs. The school district will not receive an additional $475,981 beyond the $800,000 increase already adopted.
by Lucas Brown3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Lands Committee directs staff to study housing development at youth baseball field
The Borough Lands Committee is requesting staff analysis of the 16-acre Killarney Hills parcel (also known as the Cannonball Field) for potential residential subdivision, despite its current use as a youth baseball facility and previous rejection by planning officials in 2018.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Lands Committee directs staff to study housing development on youth baseball field
Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee directed staff to investigate whether the 16-acre Killarney Hills parcel, currently used as a youth baseball field, could be developed for residential housing.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Borough advances FY27 budget with 8.91 mill rate to hearing
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly voted Wednesday to hold the property tax rate at 8.91 mills, deciding to direct about $1.3 million in facilities fund interest toward debt service and maintenance rather than lowering the rate, which will increase tax bills despite the flat rate.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly approves $13.8M for schools, $836K below district request
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly approves $13.7 million school funding for FY2027, $836 thousand below district request after contentious debate over balancing education needs and tax pressures.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak Assembly weighs $800,000 school funding compromise
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly debated Thursday how to balance the school district's request for a $1.6 million funding increase against competing pressures to avoid raising property taxes and preserve funds for major capital projects.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min readAI