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Capital projects big and small would be funded under the proposed FY 2009 borough budget set to get its first public hearing Tuesday in Seward.

Each year, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approves capital expenditures within the sphere of general government and the service areas covering everything from classroom repairs and playground improvements to road maintenance work and equipment purchases.

Many projects funded with borough tax dollars are recipients of state and federal grants, and the borough expenditures represent matching funds. Others are entirely the responsibility of local revenues.

The proposed budget includes a 22-page section devoted to capital project spending. It covers proposed expenditures for FY 2009, and a long-range projection of capital investments over the five-year period through FY 2013.

According to the document's expenditure summary under the heading of General Government, the administration proposes applying $1.25 million in school revenues to schools projects, another $450,000 for building upgrades, and $786,000 on several Solid Waste Department projects.

Another $7.18 million would be spent within various service areas.

Schools projects could include new auditorium seating at Seward High School replacing 30-year-old seats; upgrading controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) machinery around the borough; and area-wide playground upgrades. Others include electrical and lighting upgrades, portables and outbuildings, paving replacement, upgrading schools to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, bleacher replacement at Homer Middle School and Soldotna High School, replacing aging exterior doors around the district, and upgrading elevators.

Upgrading conference rooms at the borough building gets a $100,000 appropriation, as does implementing security upgrades. Relocating Solid Waste Department offices to a building across from the Soldotna Landfill, and remodeling the department's Poppy Lane Building would cost $250,000.

Major projects in Solid Waste include $335,000 for the junk vehicle removal program and $226,000 to a new transfer site at Ninilchik. The current Ninilchik site is considered unsafe because of the intersection with the Sterling Highway. Two others are a burn box at Beluga, $105,000, and remote monitoring for dumpster sites, $120,000.

Service Area projects with proposed expenditures above $100,000 in the FY 2009 budget include:

* Bear Creek Fire, New station design, $150,000;

* Anchor Point Fire & Emergency, Tanker matching funds, $100,000;

* Central Emergency Services, Tanker for Funny River Station, $320,000; High-capacity well at Kasilof Station, $310,000; Engine 1 replacement, $500,000; Land for proposed Ciechanski area station, $120,000;

* Central Peninsula Hospital, Digital Mammography system, $640,000; Digital Radiographic Fluoroscopic project, $600,000; Medical Records Automation, $325,000; Archive Storage, $269,400; Infusion Pumps, $450,000; HVAC upgrades, $275,000;

* South Peninsula Hospital, Digital Radiographic Fluoroscopic project, $375,000; Ceiling lifts, $259,944; PYXIS Pharmacy Dispensing System, $196,223; Chemistry Analyzer, $166,000; Various equipment purchases, $219,642; and

* Road Service Area for Moose Ridge, Kyee Street, Amow Street project, $227,997; Greenfield Drive, Ridgecrest Circle project, $284,996; Interlake Drive, Shelikoff Street project, $206,168; Sary Su Street, David Lee Street project, $239,628; Juel Avenue, Nielson Street, Kenaitze Avenue project, $156,628; Etah Maku, Tyena Ka Road, Kwanta Hah, Mena Hona project, $108,177; Beach Drive project, $201,477.

The project lists above do not include projects under $100,000, except the $219,642 for "various equipment" purchases for South Peninsula Hospital. Equipment costs in that package range from $1,200 to $28,000.

Revenue sources for the various projects vary. However, generally, the major source of revenue for each capital project fund is property taxes.

Additional funding comes from state and federal grants and earned interest. Some projects are funded through bonds.

Hal Spence can be reached at hspence@ptialaska.net.