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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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