The Kenai Peninsula Borough will distribute $426,303 in funds received via the state’s Community Assistance Program to 27 unincorporated borough communities to be used for public purposes.

Alaska statute requires that the borough assembly determine which communities may qualify for the state’s assistance program. Eligible central peninsula communities include Cooper Landing, Funny River, Kalifornsky Beach, Kasilof, Nikiski, Ninilchik and Sterling.

Fund recipients in those communities include Love Inc., the Tsalteshi Trails Association, the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, the Nikiski Senior Center and the Sterling Senior Center, among others. In total, each of the 27 communities will receive $15,479.41 for projects.

The communities of Hope, Nanwalek and Razdolna will receive FY2020 and FY2021 awards because they deferred and combined award years.

During a March 2 meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Finance Committee, Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce said that the roughly $15,000 that each community will receive will be broken up and allocated to different organizations.

According to a letter from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) informing the borough of FY2021’s funds, Grant Administrator Jean Mason said that calculation of the payment amount was delayed. This, Mason said, was due to the extension of last year’s program because of the COVID pandemic.

A full list of borough projects to be funded can be found in the legislation text.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.