Soldotna reservoir to be built by Blazy

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:34pm
  • News

Construction on the 1 million-gallon Kalifornsky Beach Road water reservoir is set to begin immediately.

Soldotna based Blazy Construction Inc. was awarded a contract by the City of Soldotna on Wednesday. Blazy was the lowest bidder of the five companies that submitted for the project in early June, City Manager Mark Dixson said.

Construction will include a welded steel tank, an open trench water main and a control pump building.

The project was initiated following the partial collapse of the roof on Soldotna’s 500,000-gallon reservoir in late 2012.

The five-acre parcel of land where the water tank will be constructed is within the Fox Trail of the Tsalteshi Trails system, Dixson said.

The parcel was originally purchased specifically for the installation of another reservoir, he said.

The new project will disrupt current use of Fox Trail, Dixson said.

The city is working closely with the Tsalteshi Trails Association to ensure minimal impact to the overall trail system during and upon completion of the project, he said.

The city received two non-matching grants totaling $3 million from the state, according to the ordinance requesting an additional appropriation of $1.15 million from the city’s utility fund.

The original engineer’s estimate was $2.5 million and the lowest bid was $3.4 million, according to a memo from the engineering department.

City Engineer Kyle Kornelis said even if the city held off on starting the project until next spring, it would not make a difference in the price.

“One of the reasons we needed the extra appropriation is that steel prices have climbed considerably since the original estimates,” Dixson said. “The current appropriation does have a contingency budget should we run into any other unanticipated factors which would affect the scope or costs of the project.”

Council member Pete Sprague said he had some reservations about appropriating $1.15 from the utility fund for the project.

Sprague said the amount was hard to swallow. His biggest concern was the difference between the estimate and the lowest bid.

Quelling his hesitation; however, was that most of the bids were generally in the same price range, Sprague said.

“We need to get going on the project,” he said.

The size and location works for the new reservoir for any future development and expansion of the city, Sprague said.

 

Kelly Sullivan can be reached at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com

More in News

A demonstrator holds up a sign during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer hits the streets to say ‘No Kings’

Around 700 gathered locally as part of a nationwide protest.

Brooklyn Coleman, right, staffs The Squeeze Squad lemonade stand during Lemonade Day in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kids learn business skills at annual Lemonade Day

Around 40 stands were strewn around Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Sterling for the event.

Planes are showcased at the Kenai Air Fair in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai fair shows off aircraft of all kinds

Cargo planes to helicopters were on display Saturday.

David Meyer. Photo courtesy of Chantrelle Meyer
Volunteers continue search for missing Happy Valley man

David Meyer was reported missing June 11 while kayaking in Cook Inlet.

Boats at Douglas Harbor under mostly clear skies on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
80°F in Juneau will trigger first-ever National Weather Service heat advisories

Officials say sun’s angle in Alaska makes temperatures feel higher compared to other states.

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Council member Jordan Chilson speaks during a Soldotna City Council work session in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna council mulls change to meeting time

Meetings would be moved from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. under a resolution set to be considered on June 25.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress 4th grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy vetoes education funding to $500 BSA increase

Per-student funding was increased by $700 in an education bill passed by the Alaska Legislature in May.

Most Read