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Homer
| Current Population: |
5,390
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
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| Incorporation Type: |
1st Class City |
| Borough Located In: |
Kenai Peninsula Borough |
| Taxes: |
Sales: 4.5% (City); 3% (Borough),
Property: 11.30 mills (City and Borough), Special: None
|
| National Flood Insurance Program Participant: |
Yes |
| Coastal Management District: |
Kenai Peninsula Borough |
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| Location
and Climate |
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Homer is located on the north shore of Kachemak Bay on the southwestern edge of the Kenai Peninsula. The Homer Spit, a 4.5-mile long bar of gravel, extends from the Homer shoreline. It is 227 road miles south of Anchorage, at the southern-most point of the Sterling Highway. The community
lies at approximately 59.642500° North Latitude
and -151.548330° West Longitude.
(Sec. 19, T006S, R013W, Seward Meridian.)
Homer is located in the
Homer Recording District.
The area encompasses 10.6
sq. miles of land and 14.9 sq. miles
of water.
Homer lies in the maritime climate zone. During the winter, temperatures range from 14 to 27 °F; summer temperatures vary from 45 to 65 °F. Average annual precipitation is 24 inches, with 55 inches of snow. |
Topographic
map of
Homer
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| The Homer area has been home to Kenaitze Indians for thousands of years. In 1895, the U.S. Geological Survey arrived to study coal and gold resources. Prospectors bound for Hope and Sunrise disembarked at the Homer Spit. The community was named for Homer Pennock, a gold mining company promoter, who arrived in 1896 and built living quarters for his crew of 50 on the spit. Their plans were to mine the beach sands along Cook Inlet, from Homer to Ninilchik. The Homer post office opened shortly thereafter. In 1899, Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town and dock on the spit, a coal mine at Homer's Bluff Point, and a 7-mile-long railroad which carried the coal to the end of Homer Spit. Various coal mining operations continued until World War I, and settlers continued to trickle into the area, some to homestead in the 1930s and 40s, others to work in the canneries built to process Cook Inlet fish. Coal provided fuel for homes, and there is still an estimated 400 million tons of coal deposits in the vicinity of Homer. The city government was incorporated in March 1964. After the Good Friday Earthquake in 1964, the Homer Spit sunk approximately 4 to 6 feet, and several buildings had to be relocated.
The population of the community consists of 6.2%
Alaska Native or part Native.
While commercial fishing has long been the mainstay of the Homer economy, tourism has become increasingly important. Homer is known as an arts community and is also a gateway community in relation to more remote destinations, such as Kachemak Bay State Park and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Activities and events, such as the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby and Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival, draw many participants.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 1,873, and vacant housing units numbered 274.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 129.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 1,849 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
8.95 percent,
although
38.49 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $42,821, per capita income was $21,823, and
9.3 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| Over 90% of homes are fully plumbed. Water is supplied by a dam and 35-acre reservoir at Bridge Creek and is treated, stored in a 500,000-gallon tank, and piped to the majority of homes in the city. The system provides 2 million gallons per day. Others residents use individual wells or have water delivered to home tanks. City sewage is piped to a deep shaft sewer treatment plant; capacity is 880,000 gallons per day. Refuse is collected by Peninsula Sanitation, a private firm, and hauled to the borough-operated Class 2 landfill and balefill in Homer, at mile 169.3 Sterling Hwy. Homer Electric Association operates the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Plant and is part owner of the Alaska Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, which operates a gas turbine plant in Soldotna. It also purchases electricity from Chugach Electric.
Electricity is provided by Homer Electric Association.
There are 8 schools located in the community,
attended by 1,425
students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Homer Medical Clinic (907-235-8586); Kachemak Bay Medical Clinic (907-235-7000); Seldovia Village Tribe Health Center (907-226-2228); South Peninsula Hospital (907-235-8101);.
The hospital is a qualified Acute Care and Long Term Care facility. Specialized Care: Community Mental Health Center (outpatient care); Community Support Program (lodging and health care); Promoting Responsibility & Individual Development (lodging and health care). Homer is classified as a large town/Regional Center, it is found in EMS Region 2J in the Kenai Peninsula Region. Emergency Services have highway, marine, airport and floatplane access. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service and volunteers
Auxiliary health care is provided by Homer Volunteer Fire Dept./EMS (907-235-3155/3150).
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| Economy
and Transportation |
Homer is primarily a fishing, fish processing, trade, and service center, and it enjoys a considerable seasonal visitor industry. It has also become a popular retirement community. Approximately 10 cruise ships dock each summer. During summer months, the population swells with students and others seeking cannery or fishery employment. Sport fishing for halibut and salmon contribute significantly to the economy. 533 area residents hold commercial fishing permits. The fish dock is equipped with cold storage facilities, ice manufacturing, and a vacuum fish-loading system. Gates Construction processes wood chips from spruce bark beetle-killed timber at its Homer Spit facility and exports the chips to Pacific Rim pulp and paper companies. The Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center is popular for tourism and also serves as the headquarters for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The National Park Service maintains a regional office. Government and health care are major employers.
Homer is accessible by the Sterling Highway to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Canada, and the lower 48 states. It is often referred to as "The End of the Road," because it lies at the terminus of the Sterling Highway. The state owns and operates the Homer Airport, with a 6,700' long by 150' wide asphalt runway and float plane basin and a seaplane base at Beluga Lake. The city is served by several scheduled and chartered aircraft services. There are four additional private landing strips in the vicinity. The Alaska Marine Highway and local ferry services provide water transportation. The deep-water dock can accommodate 30-foot drafts and 340-foot vessels. There is a cruise ship dock, a boat harbor with moorage for 920 vessels, and a 5-lane boat launch ramp. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
Chamber of Commerce -
Homer Chamber of Commerce
201 Sterling Hwy
Homer, AK 99603
Phone 907-235-7740
Fax 907-235-8766
E-mail info@homeralaska.org
Web http://www.homeralaska.org
City -
City of Homer
491 East Pioneer Ave.
Homer, AK 99603
Phone 907-235-8121
Fax 907-235-3140
E-mail clerk@ci.homer.ak.us
Web http://www.ci.homer.ak.us
Electric Utility -
Homer Electric Association
3977 Lake Street
Homer, AK 99603
Phone 907-235-8551
Fax 907-235-3313
Web http://www.homerelectric.com/
Media -
Homer News
3482 Landings Street
Homer, AK 99603
Phone 907-235-7767
Fax 907-235-4199
E-mail news@homernews.com
Regional
Organizations
Borough - Kenai Peninsula Borough
144 North Binkley Street
Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone 907-262-4441
Fax 907-714-2377
E-mail assemblyclerk@borough.kenai.ak.us
Web http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us
Regional Native Health Corporation - Southcentral Foundation
4501 Diplomacy
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone 907-729-4955
Fax 907-729-4972
E-mail katherineg@scf.cc
Web http://www.southcentralfoundation.com
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