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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes2008-034Sponsored by: Oates CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA RESOLUTION 2008-034 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT A $I MILLION STATE GRANT FOR THE IMMEDIATE STABILIZATION OF THE JESSE LEE HOME AND ADMINISTERING A PHASE II STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING REPORT FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE JESSE LEE HOME WHEREAS, resolution 2005-66 recognized the Jesse Lee Home as a historical landmark for the State of Alaska and the City of Seward, and recognized the restoration of the Jesse Lee Home as a City priority, and directed the city manager or his designee to support the Historic Preservation Commission to develop relationships with private, state and federal organizations to further pursue the preservation and restoration of the Jesse Lee Home; and WHEREAS, resolution 2005-83 supported the use of the Jesse Lee Home as an educational institution and directed the city manager or his designee to support the Historic Preservation Commission to apply for a grant or grants intended to develop a feasibility study and continue to pursue relationships with private, state and federal organization's; and ~ WHEREAS, the City of Seward approved resolution 2006-119 recognizing the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home (Friends) as a statewide interest group and project partner dedicated to the restoration of the Jesse Lee Home as a statewide leadership school; and WHEREAS, Resolution 2006-119 directed the city manager to support the Friends in seeking private grants and/or the funding for the Jesse Lee Home and support the Friends to assure the success of this partnership; and WHEREAS, in 2007, the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home secured a state grant of $1 million for the purpose of immediate stabilization of the Jesse Lee Home; and WHEREAS, the State of Alaska has appropriated grant funds to the Department of Natural Resources totaling $1 million; and WHEREAS, the Friends have requested the City of Seward advertise, award and administer a contract to secure services from a professional to prepare the phase II engineering report; and ~... CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA RESOLUTION 2008-034 WHEREAS, this report will recommend appropriate strategies for the rehabilitation, development and management of the Home in a manner that recognized the Jesse Lee Home's historical significance; and WHEREAS, the report will help outline the most immediate structural needs, prioritize the highest priorities and provide recommendations for immediate stabilization to the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home and the City of Seward; and WHEREAS, the remaining funding will be used to stabilize the Jesse Lee Home until additional funds are secured. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, that: Section 1. The city manager is authorized to accept a grant from the State of Alaska. Section 2. The city manager is authorized to accept grant funds totaling $1 million to the Jesse Lee Home Rehabilitation Fund account no. 271-2719-4680-0200. Section 3. The city manager is authorized to execute an RFP for a Phase lI structures report to help outline the most immediate structural needs, prioritize the highest priorities and provide recommendations for immediate stabilization for the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home. Section 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of the City of Seward, Alaska, this 28th day of April, 2008. THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA Clark Corbridge, Ma atta, ~'a~~' gardarson, Corbndge cellar, V ald AYE5: p,mberg NOES ~ gmith p,BSENT ~ rlane AggT A~ ATTEST: ,. ' . i~ ~' -. ~. ,- f ~ , JeI,ewis Cit Clerk, ~ ~4~ ~~ ~+'~~~ ~Clt~f S~a~) ,~~~ `~.~ •~aN~~sO ~,C4.'', 8# t` r a~ ~~ ~' ~ m Y d ~' < ~ • 6' ~~ t s:.ld..i ~w • v w~ •` tu, : ~ •~ •..b®...,• ,~y,., w w.. Council Agenda Statement Meeting Date: April 28, 2008 Through: Phillip Oates, City Manager Kk,~ Agenda Item: Authorizing the city manager to accept a $1 Million grant from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and authorizing the city manager to execute an RFP for a Phase II structures report to help outline the most immediate structural needs prioritize the highest priorities and provide recommendations for immediate stabilization for the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home. BACKGROUND & JUSTIFICATION: The Friends of the Jesse Lee Home (Friends) are a statewide special interest group dedicated to the preservation of the Jesse Lee Home for a worthy sustainable end. use. The Friends have embraced a leadership charter school as their preferred alternative use for the facility, and are actively lobbying for funds and seeking grants to fulfill their plans. The Jesse Lee Home buildings are national treasures. They are listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation found the buildings, their history and the proposed use to be compelling enough to award a nationally competitive pre- development grant. The Friends secured a $1 Million grant from the State of Alaska in 2007 and are expecting another $1 Million grant from the State of Alaska in 2008. The Friends have an active capital campaign where they are raising additional private and corporate funds; in addition to seeking grants and historic preservation tax credits to complete the end goal of fully restoring the property. The Friends propose to restore the facilities to their best and highest use, as a residential, statewide leadership charter school for high-school aged youth. Students from across the state will come to stay at the Jesse Lee Home to study with local day students in Alaska's only residential charter school, learning through competency-based educational techniques about leadership, democracy, sciences, mathematics, politics, technology and the humanities at the same time as they learn about what makes Alaska work: hands-on skills such as plumbing, welding, computer repair, home-building and healthcare. This leadership charter school will be a state of the art, innovative education model customized for our state's greatest needs. The Jesse Lee Home leadership charter school will provide a critical component of Alaska's education ensuring a secure future for our state. This charter school will not only instill leadership skills, it will also instill a sense of experiential learning and democratic education to specifically foster the future leaders of the State of Alaska. The goal is that upon graduation from the Jesse Lee program, these students will be technologically fluent, self-motivated, committed to lifelong learning and have a strong sense of responsibility. They will then go back home and share their experiences with their communities. It is hoped that students will foster lifelong relationships with their Jesse Lee Home peers. They will grow up to be leaders in their communities, able to address complex issues capably and empathetically across the traditional divides of race, gender and class. „ ,., , ,,, '.. Economic Benefits to the Community: The Jesse Lee Home is physically located in Seward, Alaska. The Friends of the Jesse Lee Home (Friends) expect that students from the ten rural and urban school districts using the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition (RISC) approach will be interested in semester-long, cross-district cohorts. The Friends believe that students from across the state will compete for regional corporation scholarships to cover their room and board costs for semester or year-long stays. The Friends also believe that the home-school population of Seward is a potential day school cohort and is collaborating with the public high school to create a partnership effort in conjunction with the Kenai Peninsula school district. Charter schools are affecting community economic development (CED) in three major ways. First, there is growing evidence that an increasing number of community-based organizations are starting charter schools to expand their current services. Second, as neighborhood schools improve, families are less likely to move once they have children. Finally, with respect to real estate development, charter schools often purchase or lease vacant, dilapidated buildings, long viewed as eyesores, and renovate them into state-of--the-art new schools and even community centers. Charter schools have a direct impact on community development as they help turn rundown, unused structures into renovated school buildings. Charter schools are generally welcome to communities and are positive additions to their neighborhoods. The Jesse Lee home is a cherished landmark and a fully restored facility will allow the community to treasure their historic landmark. Furthermore, the Jesse Lee Home will become the gem of the state, where Alaskan leaders teach students to become the future leaders of our great state. Citv of Seward Historical Suanort: In 2005, Resolution 2005-66 recognized the Jesse Lee Home as a historical landmark for the State of Alaska and the City of Seward, and recognized the restoration of the Jesse Lee Home as a City priority, and directed the city manager or his designee to support the Historic Preservation Commission to develop relationships with private, state and federal organizations to further pursue the preservation and restoration of the Jesse Lee Home. Again, in 2005, Resolution 2005-83 supported the use of the Jesse Lee Home as an educational institution and directed the city manager or his designee to support the Historic Preservation Commission to apply for a grant or grants intended to develop a feasibility study and continue to pursue relationships with private, state and federal organizations. In 2006, the City of Seward approved resolution 2006-119 recognizing the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home (Friends) as a statewide interest group and project partner dedicated to the restoration of the Jesse Lee Home as a statewide leadership school. Again, in 2006, Resolution 2006-119 directed the city manager to support the Friends in seeking private grants and/or the funding for the Jesse Lee Home and support the Friends to assure the success of this partnership. In 2007, the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home secured a state grant of $1Million for the purpose of immediate stabilizing of the Jesse Lee Home. The State of Alaska has appropriated grant funds to the Department of Natural Resources totaling $1Million. The Friends of the Jesse Lee Home have created bylaws and articles of incorporation to create a non- profit, 501(c)3. This status is still pending state approval. Until they receive this status, the Friends are not a legal entity and are not able to administer the $1 Million for a structures report or immediate .ti ~-, ~ w tir h: stabilization. Due to the fragile state of the Jesse Lee Home structures, the Friends are concerned that time is of the essence. The Friends would like to update the structures report that was administered by the City of Seward in 2003 to obtain a professional recommendation for the immediate stabilization of the structures and have asked the City of Seward to assist them in this effort. The Friends are able to provide administrative assistance to help facilitate the request for proposal and the City will not incur any costs other than some in-kind staff time. The Friends have requested the City of Seward advertise, award and administer a contract to secure services from a professional to prepare the phase II engineering report. The $1Million grant will cover all costs to the City. Attached is a Friends of the Jesse Lee Home Background summary report for additional information about the project. Where applicable, this resolution is consistent with the Seward City Code, Charter, Comprehensive Plans, Land Use Plans, Strategic Plan and City Council Rules of Procedures. FISCAL NOTE: There is no cost to the City of extending this contract other than some in-kind staff assistance. RECOMMENDATION: Seward City Council approve Resolution 2008- ~` authorizing the city manager to accept a $1 Million grant from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and authorizing the city manager to execute an RFP for a Phase II structures report to help outline the most immediate structural needs, prioritize the highest priorities and provide recommendations for immediate stabilization for the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home. w '..~