Linda Presley

Kodiak residents likely will see their garbage rates rise next month as the Kodiak Island Borough adjusts to life after the expansion of its new landfill. On Thursday night, the borough assembly is scheduled to vote on a fee increase that adds $20 per ton to the cost of dumping garbage at the borough landfill. The new fee is expected to pass the assembly without significant opposition. “It’s just a simple math problem to determine what the fee needs to be to balance our expense budget,” borough engineering and facilities director Woody Koning told the borough assembly last week. For the borough, that math problem has a $170 answer. At a fee of $170/ton to dump waste in the landfill, the borough can pay for the loans needed to complete work on a new landfill pit. Rick Vahl, manager of Alaska Waste in Kodiak, said when homeowners see a higher bill, that project is the answer. Without it, residential rates would rise just 1 percent — 20 cents on the average bill. “Now, instead of 20 cents, it goes up $1.44 for a 32-gallon roll cart,” Vahl said. A 64-gallon roll cart — the most common used in Kodiak — will cost $2.09 more per month. “Those are residential rates,” Vahl said. “Commercial customers can expect an increase as well.” That increase will average 7 percent. “Some customers will see a little more, some a little less,” Vahl said. Alaska Waste is feeling the pinch, too, he said. His disposal bill will rise from just over $105,000 per month in the spring to more than $120,000 if his projections stay on track. He’s taking steps to reduce that, encouraging recycling and other programs with the borough’s waste advisory board and likeminded residents. If successful, that effort could make the Emerald Isle a little greener and put a little green back in the wallets of Kodiak’s ratepayers. Contact Mirror editor James Brooks at editor@kodiakdailymirror.com.

Fishermen have new opportunities to catch sockeye after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and US Fish and Wildlife Service declared looser limits on fishing in and near two major Kodiak rivers. On Friday, ADF&G raised the bag limit for sockeye salmon in the Karluk River drainage to 10 fish per day. By Sunday, more than 167,000 sockeye had been counted past the Karluk River weir, and fisheries managers said in a statement that the river’s escapement goal will be reached even with a larger bag limit. On Monday, ADF&G’s commercial fishing division followed the sportfishing announcement with one of its own. Commercial salmon fishing in the Inner Karluk Section of the Southwest Kodiak District will remain open until 9 p.m. Thursday. The Inner Karluk Section is the closest commercial fishing district to the mouth of the Karluk River. Through Sunday, Kodiak fishermen reported catching more than 238,000 sockeye in waters off the west side of Kodiak. That figure includes catches off the mouth of the Karluk River. Closer to Kodiak city, Fish and Wildlife has announced it is opening more waters near the mouth of the Buskin River to subsistence salmon fishing. Subsistence fishermen can now approach the shoreline at the mouth of the Buskin River, starting noon Tuesday and ending July 31. According to ADF&G counts, more than 7,800 sockeye had reached Buskin Lake by Sunday. The goal was to have between 5,000 and 8,000 fish reach the lake. Contac the Mirror at editor@kodiakdailymirror.com.