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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01262015 City Council Minutes tiPr'"ED City of Seward,Alaska ik City Council Minutes January 26, 2015 Volume 39,Page CALL TO ORDER The January 26,2015 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Jean Bardarson. OPENING CEREMONY City Manager Jim Hunt led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Jean Bardarson presiding and Marianna Keil Christy Terry David Squires Dale Butts comprising a quorum of the Council; and Jim Hunt, City Manager Johanna Kinney, City Clerk Absent—Iris Darling, Ristine Casagranda CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Tim McDonald spoke about city spending on projects like the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon and the generator plan upgrade project.McDonald thought the contracts for these projects were too big and the city was spending too much. People that paid utility costs outside of the city limits did not have representation like those who lived inside the city.The council should have representatives for outside the city limits and questioned the legality of the decisions they were making. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Terry) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Vice Mayor Keil added Resolutions 2015-006, 2015-008, 2015-009, and 2015-010 to the consent agenda. Councilmember Squires asked for clarification from the Mayor if he had a conflict of interest on Resolution 2015-010 as he collected retirement from the Public Employees Retirement System(PERS).Mayor Bardarson ruled no conflict existed. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes January 26,2015 Volume 39,Page Resolution 2015-006, Determining It Is In The Public's Best Interest To Waive The Competitive Bid Process Requirements And Approving A Sole Source Purchase With L. N. Curtis & Sons In An Amount Not To Exceed $65,461.90 For The Purchase Of Interoperable Extrication Equipment For The Seward Fire Department And Moose Pass Fire&EMS,And Appropriating Funds. Resolution 2015-008, Requesting A $50,000 Grant From The Kenai Peninsula Borough To Update The City Of Seward's Comprehensive Plan. Resolution 2015-009, Adopting An Alternative Allocation Method For The FY2015 Shared Fisheries Business Tax Program, And Certifying That This Allocation Method Fairly Represents The Distribution Of Significant Effects Of Fisheries Business Activity In The Cook Inlet Fisheries Management Area. Resolution 2015-010,Retroactively Amending The 2014 Budget To Record Expenditures Of $969,955.36 Paid By The State Of Alaska On Behalf Of The City Toward The City's Public Employees Retirement System Liability For The Period July Through December, 2014.Appoint Maureen Sheehan to the Seward Recreation Committee. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards Chamber of Commerce Report. Cindy Clock reported she had not been before council since October, 2014. Clock introduced the chamber's new public relations coordinator Kari McKahan. McKahan stated she looked forward to working with council and the community and announced the chamber's Community Awards Night was February 13,2015. Clock said McKahan brought 17 years of public relations and event planning to Seward. Clock welcomed new chamber Board Director Shelly Shank and thanked outgoing director Allen King for his many years of volunteerism. She announced the executive officers remained the same from last year; Deborah Altermatt as President, Susie Urbach as Vice President, and Melissa Schutter as the Secretary/Treasurer. Clock attended a winter institute for Chamber Executives and found it very relevant. She handed out the chamber's 2015 draft budget. Clock announced the much anticipated improved Community Calendar would make its debut February 2, 2015. City Manager's Report.Jim Hunt said the following purchase orders between$10,000 and $50,000 were approved since the last council meeting:Public Works for Metco$21,633 for clearing and grubbing an access road to the North Seward Water Storage Tank and Pumping facility site;and Public Works for Metco$25,000 for clearing and grubbing the site of the new North Seward Water Storage Tank and Pumping Facility. The Electric Department was continuing to examine possible solutions for the downtown decorative lights.The bulbs and ballasts were not the only problems with these lights;the hardware was corroding, rusting and seizing, making it difficult to work on the lights. In the Harbor Department,an optional meeting for potential bidders on the North East fish cleaning station project was scheduled for February 3, 2015. The 30th Annual Polar Bear Jump Off was a huge success. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes January 26, 2015 Volume 39,Page In Public Works,the North Seward Water Storage Tank and Pumping Facility was at the 35% Design stage. A conditional use permit was submitted to Planning and Zoning and the commission would review it a meeting on February 3,2015. The Sludge Removal and Disposal Project was on schedule. The contractor's disposal permit was filed with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and was awaiting public review and approval. Hunt added that staff was looking into the possibility of adding a domed roof over the sewage lagoon at Lowell Point to help reduce odors. David Post with the Department of Transportation (DOT) design section indicated that the state would be sending the city a Memorandum Of Understanding for signature within the next week or so. The city was on schedule to have paving completed in 2015. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Seward for its comprehensive annual financial report for the year ended December 31,2013 for the 20th consecutive year. The department was preparing for the annual audit.The Finance Department would be facing some new personnel changes and would be bringing forward a request to council to upgrade one position to an Assistant Finance Director. In addition,the department expected to lose two of their key employees within the next four months. The city requested from the Bond Bank inclusion in a future refunding of its Long-Term Care Facility revenue bonds. Port and Commerce Advisory Board Annual Report. A written copy was provided to the council by Chair Deborah Altermatt. Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations—None PUBLIC HEARINGS—None UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Resolution 2015-007,Approving An Amendment To The Employment Agreement With The City Manager,And Appropriating Funds. Motion (KeiUTerry) Approve Resolution 2015-007 Hunt said a new contract was proposed for his employment agreement. Motion (Terry/Keil) Amend Resolution 2015-007, by changing the term of the employment agreement from five years to four years in section one and three in the resolution and section six of the contract amendment, and changing the word "retro" to "retroactive in section one of the contract amendment. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes January 26, 2015 Volume 39,Page Hunt clarified the contract amendment was retroactive because his employment agreement technically expired October 31,2014. Main Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items—None INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Update on R/V Sikuliaq Homecoming. (Bardarson) Council requested the City Clerk update the city website with the information provided tonight.The council expressed wishes to present the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a commemorating gift and directed the clerk to arrange this. COUNCIL COMMENTS Keil thanked McClure for letting the city know about potential borough monies available to update the Seward Comprehensive Plan and hoped the Kenai Peninsula Borough would approve funding. She thanked Maureen Sheehan for applying to the Seward Recreation Committee. Keil hoped citizens would apply for the Planning and Zoning Commission. Terry thanked the City Manager for his years of service. She thanked the community and the volunteers for their hard work on the Polar Bear Jump. Terry reiterated the importance of filling vacancies on the Seward Planning and Zoning Commission and emphasized the vital part they played in the City of Seward. Butts thanked everyone involved with the Polar Bear Jump and for braving the cold water. Squires thanked everyone for their hard work on the Polar Bear Jump. He told the City Manager to keep up the good work. Squires addressed McDonald's earlier comments and stated the city took very seriously the money they spent, as it was the public's money. He said moving the generators was important. This council was working on the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon issue. Squires was sorry if it didn't look like the council was representing everyone,but he was elected to represent citizens of Seward,and would continue to listen to those outside the city.Unless annexed, the city did not have the authority to represent those outside the limits. He was happy to represent Seward, if those outside wanted more representation,they needed to be part of the city. Hunt thought there should be updates available online for the homecoming of the RIV Sikuliaq. Bardarson thanked the volunteers for the Polar Bear Jump and Allen King for his many years of service and documentation of community events.She announced she would be in Juneau for the Alaska Municipal League's Winter Conference of Mayor's February 16-19, 2015. She encouraged residents to please consider applying for the Planning and Zoning Commission. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes January 26, 2015 Volume 39,Page CITIZEN COMMENTS Sue McClure thanked council for their passage of Resolution 2015-008. She had already drafted a Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly ordinance to appropriate $50,000 to draft a new Seward Comprehensive Plan.McClure anticipated the assembly would consider this ordinance either in March or April. She stated the National Ocean Sciences Bowl would be in Seward February 6-8, 2015 and volunteers were needed. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS—None ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m. Johanna Kinney, CMC Jean Bardarson City Clerk Mayor (City Seal)