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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03132017 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 189 CALL TO ORDER The March 13,2017 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Jean Bardarson. OPENING CEREMONY Lieutenant Doreen Valadez led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Jean Bardarson presiding and Marianna Keil Ristine Casagranda Dave Squires Sue McClure Erik Slater comprising a quorum of the Council; and Jim Hunt, City Manager Johanna Kinney, City Clerk Will Earnhart, City Attorney Absent—Alterman CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Willard Dunham spoke on the 150t Anniversary celebration of the purchase of Alaska. There was an event April 21-22,2017 at the Kenai Peninsula College on 150 years of history on the Kenai.Dunham stated he'd been asked by several groups in Seward on what the community should do.He suggested a project to construct a replica of the signed purchase agreement and a painting of the signing. Andy Mezirow was a charter boat owner and member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council(NPFMC).He stated the NPFMC spoke on the H.S.Navy exercise coming up in May and that there was concern about it.Mezirow provided the Seward City Council a letter that the NPFMC wrote on this issue. The NPFMC requested the Navy report back from their exercise. Mezirow noted the Navy had said they were intending to do less than what they were permitted to do in Alaska waters for this military training exercise. Mezirow stated it was important to ask for feedback. By unanimous consent, council suspended the rules to ask questions of Mezirow. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 190 In response to Casagranda, Mezirow stated the capability to sink vessels or discharge large ordnances was listed in the military's organizational plan for this exercise,but it was presented to the NPFMC the military did not intend to do either of these things. Council went back on the rules. Kenn Carpenter announced he was Seward's new assembly representative for District 6 on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.He encouraged council and the public to please contact him if they had any questions. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Keil added the following item under Other New Business:Discussion on sending a letter to the U.S. Military, requesting information on activities regarding the Northern Edge Exercise. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of February 27,2017 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes. Non-objection to the liquor license renewal for The Sea Bean #5399. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards Seward's Day Proclamation City Manager Report. Jim Hunt stated the following purchase orders between$10,000 and $50,000 were authorized by him since the last council meeting: • $10,045.50 to AK Garden& Pet Supply for salt for the Public Works Department • $14,344.00 to DYNO Battery for batteries for generators 3 & 6 for the Electric Department • $34,216.00 to AK Pump Supply flygt pump for lift station#1 for the Public Works Department Hunt stated he met with Yaron Pew of the Pew Charitable Trust, who was working with communities to lobby for the funding of deferred maintenance for all national parks. Assistant City Manager Ron Long noted the city signed a no-cost change order for change of scope with R&M Consultants for the complete design for final engineering of the Seward Marine Industrial Center(SMIC) expansion project. There had been delays in the project,primarily due to City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 191 weather. The April 15, 2017 contract deadline for the breakwater completion may be tight, McClure noted there was a broken stop sign by the Seward Highway and the Chevron gas station. She wanted to know when the holiday decorations would be taken down.Hunt said currently the garland was frozen to the poles, so they had to wait until it was warmer before removing them. Keil reminded the public to shovel snow for access to electric meters and oil tanks. City Attorney Report. Will Earnhart stated he would be providing council with a more updated written report. The attorney received Orion's brief on the Ninth Circuit appeal,and he was working on a response. The City Attorney worked with administration on updating land transfer procedures to bring them up to date, which was complicated. In response to Casagranda,Earnhart said executive sessions were not part of the public record and the idea behind them was to be able to deal with sensitive issues. It took discretion to determine which issues should be sensitive.He stated not disclosing what was said in executive session was the best practice, but some things of a practical matter came out of them. Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations Presentation by Emily Stolarcyk of Eyak Preservation Council regarding siting and timing of U.S. Navy training exercises in Gulf of Alaska. PUBLIC HEARINGS—None UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Resolution 2017-013,Opposing Siting And Timing Of U.S.Navy Training Exercises That Pose Risks To Fish And Fisheries In The Gulf Of Alaska. (Casagranda/Slater) Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2017-013 Long clarified administration did not craft this resolution. Slater thought it was important to hear this side of the issue and thought Seward should stand by the other communities and present a united front. Casagranda echoed Slater's comments. She had concerns from the beginning regarding the timing of the Northern Edge exercise. She thought it was important to have a voice about marine life and their coastal community. She wanted to work together with the Navy,but wanted our country to care about our community and marine life. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 192 McClure felt they'd been told two very different opinions on the issue. She was more in line with suggesting having a full report; she didn't think it was possible to change their minds on this issue as the training was scheduled to take place in about six weeks. Keil wasn't willing to commit the entire community to this resolution. They had a long standing history with the military in Seward. Motion (Keil/McClure) Postpone Resolution 2017-013 Indefinitely Casagranda thought this motion was disregarding the work put into the resolution. She felt this resolution should be able to be brought back,and indefinite postponement would never bring it back. Bardarson had an issue bringing this forward six weeks prior.She wasn't comfortable with it. Motion to Postpone Failed Yes: Keil, Bardarson No: Squires, Casagranda,McClure, Slater Casagranda thought that when the Navy presented to the City Council in November, 2016, they were told they would be sinking a ship. She felt this was a resolution asking for transparency and communication. She agreed they were hearing different things. Long felt unqualified to speak on this matter,but noted the timing of when fish and animals were in Seward. In May,they would have migrating gray whales and humpbacks.It was unclear that an impact could take place if this exercise occurred. Squires didn't agree with the resolution being well written. He didn't agree with Section 1, refraining from using live ordnance or sonar,or Section 2 with the location. He felt like the request for an after-action report wouldn't happen, as that information wouldn't be public. He couldn't support the resolution as it was written. Motion to Amend (Casagranda/Slater) Amend Resolution 2017-013, striking Sections 1 and 2. Motion Failed Yes: Casagranda, Slater No: McClure, Keil, Squires, Bardarson Main Motion Failed Yes: Slater, Casagranda No: Keil,McClure, Squires, Bardarson Other New Business Items Direct the City Clerk to send a letter to the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, encouraging the continuance of Seward as the host city for the annual Alaska Tsunami Ocean Sciences Bowl. (McClure) City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 193 Council directed the letter be sent to the Dean and staff of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, as well as the Board of Regents. Discussion on sending a letter to the U.S. Military, requesting information on activities regarding the Northern Edge Exercise. Keil thought a letter to the U.S. Military requesting training operations be conducted in September would be a good option for council. Squires thought they should have a resolution and a letter.Council directed administration to put together a resolution with assistance from interested council members to bring back for approval at the next meeting. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS—None COUNCIL COMMENTS Casagranda said when she was in executive session,she expected anything discussed to be confidential. She felt her privacy was invaded after a recent session. Casagranda felt executive session protocol should be clear in the City Council Rules of Procedure or in the City Code.Earnhart said Robert's Rules of Procedure stated that everything in executive session was secret.It was up to the body to sanction anyone who violated that secrecy.As a practical matter, some information did come out in certain instances; for example, if the council was to give direction to the attorney on a legal case. Bardarson agreed council needed to make a policy regarding executive sessions with respect to evaluations. Slater thanked Emily Stolarcyk and Andy Mezirow for coming down and speaking tonight. McClure welcomed Mr. Carpenter to the assembly. She hoped Mr. Dunham would speak more on the 150t anniversary. She and Lee Poleske were talking about having a big community picnic. Squires congratulated Carpenter. He thanked Stolarcyk and Mezirow for bringing information tonight regarding the naval training exercise. Squires requested the March 21, 2017 council work session be rescheduled.Council rescheduled the work session on city projects and goals to March 20,2017 at 5:00 p.m. Keil thanked the departments for working so well together during the snow days. She thanked everyone for their hard work and working cooperatively together. Bardarson attended the Seward Volunteer Fire Department awards banquet and it was another well done event. She expressed appreciation to those who kept Seward safe. CITIZEN COMMENTS City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 194 Christina Hendrickson spoke on the Northern Edge Exercise. She sponsored a similar resolution in Girdwood that opposed the siting and timing of the exercise.Hendrickson was a former defense contractor and felt she had subject matter expertise on this issue. She came to Seward to fish and see the animals. She had read the environmental impact statement and heard the audio presentation the military gave Seward in November, 2016. All of the information presented to various people at various times had differed. Hendrickson invited the council to check out www.summerisforsalmon.org for more information on the matter. Kris Erchinger had worked for the city for many years. She stated she and her family had been the subject of intimidation and attacks by a council member. When council members became aware of inappropriate behavior of another member,they had a responsibility to stop that behavior to protect city employees. Erchinger felt the intimidation of following her around and taking photos was inappropriate and she had had enough. Willard Dunham elaborated on the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the purchase of Alaska. The city could participate in creating a replica of the actual signing purchase documents in Russian,French,and English as an attraction for the city. Dunham stated he would like to see this in the museum. He hoped someone from Seward could attend the 150 year conference in Kenai on April 21,and 22, 2017. He thanked McClure for bringing attention to the possibility of moving the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The Seward Marine Center was going to need the city's help to stay viable as Seward could not afford to have that facility closed. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Keil said teleconferencing was available on March 16,2017 for Seward on state Senate Bills 22 and 24, for the operating and mental health budgets, respectively. She believed that the next resolution that came forward on the military training exercise should be a little bit tougher and have more of a Seward stamp on it. McClure proposed they consider participating in obtaining this replica mentioned. She was willing to talk and work with Dunham about it. Squires appreciated Ms. Hendrickson's comments tonight. Casagranda thought that what council just heard was a perfect example of why information should not be leaked from executive sessions. It was dispersed inappropriately and misunderstood. The other day she was at the grocery store and her daughter asked her why certain people were following Casagranda. Bardarson felt there was a problem. She asked the clerk to put on the next agenda an executive session regarding procedures. She would work on language and submit it to the clerk. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion (Keil/McClure) Go Into Executive Session To Discuss the City Clerk's Annual Evaluation. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 13, 2017 Volume 40, Page 195 The City Clerk was invited to stay. Motion Passed Unanimous Council went into Executive Session at 8:50 p.m. Council came out of Executive Session at 9:43 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:44 p.m. K. G. Jo anna Kinn C can Bardarson Ci y Clerk Mayor (City Seal) • o Gam.••• •�p �00 1'4". 6 . . V i r . 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