HomeMy WebLinkAbout04102017 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 204
CALL TO ORDER
The April 10,2017 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
Deborah Altermatt
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Ron Long, Acting City Manager
Will Earnhart, City Attorney
Johanna Kinney, City Clerk
Absent—Erik Slater
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING
John Moline stated there was conflict between nighttime operations at Safeway and
neighboring residents and businesses. He had called the Seward Police Department several times
regarding the noise when Safeway was having their parking lots cleaned after hours.Moline did not
have an issue with necessary snow removal,but more with the spring sweeping and cleaning.He had
lost income with his lodging business due to this practice during unacceptable time frames.
Lynda Paquette stated these were challenging times globally,and on state and city levels.
She recommended a book titled The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz that shared the following
tools:always do your best,be impeccable with your word,don't take anything personally,and don't
make assumptions.
Kenn Carpenter, Assembly Member representing areas including Seward, noted recent
happenings with the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
By Unanimous Consent, Council suspended the rules to allow questions.
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 205
Keil asked Carpenter about his recent vote against the marijuana establishments,presumably
based on personal objection. Carpenter clarified he voted against this measure not for personal
reasons, but because he was not getting answers to his questions. He felt the media captured that
inaccurately and thanked Keil for the opportunity to clarify.
McClure asked Carpenter for an update on the invocation issue at the assembly. Carpenter
stated there was currently a lawsuit filed against the Kenai Peninsula Borough by the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU)and he hoped the borough would continue to work on this issue to find a
solution that everyone could agree on.
Council went back on the rules.
Suzi Towsley noted she was posting city events on her Facebook page. She hoped tonight
was full of useful dialogue and hopefulness.
Parks and Recreation Director Karin Sturdy stated the city's Easter Egg Hunt was moved
to the Alaska SeaLife Center.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
Keil moved Resolution 2017-020 to the consent agenda, and there was no objection from council.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Approval of the March 13,2017 and March 28,2017 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes.
Resolution 2017-020, Accepting Funds For A Certified Local Government Grant Award In
The Amount Up To$2,000 To Develop The Seward Historic Preservation Plan,Including Up
To $1,200 In Federal Share And Up To $800 In Non-Federal Share And In-Kind
Contributions, And Appropriating Funds.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards
National Telecommunicators Week April 9-15, 2017
National Library Week April 9-15, 2017
We Love Us Proclamation
City Manager Report.Assistant City Manager Ron Long stated there were no purchase
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
Apri110, 2017 Volume 40, Page 206
orders authorized since the last meeting between$10,000 and $50,000.
Long stated administration was reexamining the timeline for the electric meter exchange
project and was now looking at alternate dates,emphasizing the city wanted to do this project well
rather than quickly. He noted the city's audit schedule was included in the manager's report in
council's packet. Long announced the State had awarded the city's road project bid to Knik
Construction, so the city would be working to add their additional pieces in to the scope of work.
Long stated that, regarding noise ordinances, there was a provision in code for the City
Manager to grant a waiver to allow breaking the ordinance, but it had to be specific to time and
place. It was not a blanket waiver, and in the past they had issued waivers for lot sweeping to
Safeway. Any other activity not accompanied by a waiver was a violation.
McClure requested from administration that when the power went out to please send an email
to council letting them know the cause.They received many calls and McClure wanted to be able to
have some response.
Squires asked Long if they could put out a public notice on these types of noise waivers.
Casagranda asked about the Historic Preservation grant that was on tonight's agenda,
specifically about the procurement process to seek someone to edit the Historic Preservation Plan.
Long said staff and the Historic Preservation Commission wanted to get this grant moving quickly
and noted the resolution preauthorized the acceptance prior to application.An informal quote process
on the administrative side would be performed in addition to developing the scope of work.
City Attorney Report. Will Earnhart said the city's brief on the Orion Litigation was
almost finished and he felt optimistic the decision would be upheld. They continued to advise and
participate in negotiations to protect the City's interests regarding the Bradley Lake agreements.The
Attorney provided advice and work on lease assignments and working on land use guidelines for
land procedures. His firm was going through about 50 boxes of city documents inherited from the
old firm. Earnhart noted he provided to council some old articles on strong manager form of
government and the role of mayor in this form of government. He finished with a comment to the
public: the role of the attorney was to advise on legality. Unless the council had asked him to
perform an investigation,it was his responsibility to take facts as presented and advise on the facts
alone. He was not here to voice an opinion on who was right or who was wrong, and they were
working through the issues of what was administrative or legislative.
Casagranda said because the body had decided no one council member could contact the
attorney directly, she presented a memorandtim to the attorney in response to a recent attorney
opinion. She also provided a confidential memorandum to the attorney.
Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations—None
PUBLIC HEARINGS—None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 207
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution 2017-021,Authorizing The Purchase Of A Dodge Ram 2500 ST From Anchorage
Chrysler For A Net Price Of $31,200.00 And The Purchase Of Installed After-Market
Operating Equipment From Quality Equipment Sales And Service For$8,184.00 For A Total
Cost Of$39,384.00 For The Electric Department.
Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2017-021
Long noted for this resolution,administration was using two pieces of procurement code:the
state bidder's list to procure the vehicle, and solicited quotes for the additional pieces needed to
accompany the vehicle.
Electric Utility Manager John Foutz said this vehicle was one of the oldest in the city's
fleet. It was down for maintenance at the moment. He added they were upgrading to a four-wheel
drive truck.
Squires commended Foutz for including all the lights and safety equipment on the vehicle.
He noted he would like the city to not always utilize the state bid list,sometimes it was advantageous
to solicit bids.
In response to Casagranda,Foutz said the truck needed to be four wheel drive in order to go
off road to access the Transmission Line.He added the crews needed to have secure storage area,and
it ended up being more economical to have an extended cab for storage rather than to purchase tool
boxes.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2017-022, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Agreement With
Frontier Directional Drilling Specialists, Inc. To Provide Directional Boring Services To
Relocate Two Primary Electric Supply Circuits From Poles Mounted Along Third Avenue,
Adjacent To The Lagoon,And Two Additional Locations In Old Mill Subdivision And Seward
Marine Industrial Center (SMIC), Plus 10% For Contingencies, For An Amount Not To
Exceed $399,375.20, And Appropriating Funds.
Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2017-022
Foutz said this project was to replace old lines.The poles were beyond their life expectancy.
They would require less voltage which would erase the need for bird diverters. He added the city
could give the opportunity for other lines to continue on the existing poles or go elsewhere.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Other New Business Items
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April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 208
Schedule a work session to review executive session procedures. Council set this work session
for Monday,May 8,2017 at 5:30 p.m.
Discussion of 2014 City of Seward nepotism memo and interpretation of Interference in
Administrative Services.
Keil read the nepotism policy into the record. Keil read the City Clerk's interpretation of
administrative services into the record.
Earnhart said it would be good for the City Manager to look at keeping employees from
following council members as well.Regarding recent allegations of city employees living together,
the employees in question were not in the supervisory chain of command and were not in the chain
of nepotism except when the Finance Director was placed in acting status.He did not feel there was
a violation of the nepotism policy.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
Planning and Zoning Commission Quarterly Report.
City Clerk Procedural Memo on making motions,primary amendments, and secondary
amendments.
On-going City Project and Goal List.
COUNCIL COMMENTS
Casagranda congratulated Jim Woodside for being Seward's first roving vendor and was
excited to try his smoked dips and sauces on the streets this summer. It was a great opportunity to
start a business as a comprehensive plan contractor, she felt.
Altermatt thanked everyone for coming to the meeting tonight and noted that feedback was
good. She encouraged the public to please contact the council and communicate their concerns.
McClure reminded the public the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly would be in Seward
on April 18,2017. Committee meetings started in the afternoon that day. There was also a meeting
that evening for the proposed Snow River Hydroelectric Dam Project which was taking place in
Moose Pass. She wished everyone a Happy Easter.
Squires thanked the street department for temporarily fixing the potholes at Hemlock. He
wished everyone a Happy Easter.
Keil hoped that some of these documents presented and discussed tonight gave clarification.
She looked forward to getting back to work on their council duties.
Bardarson thanked everyone for coming. She was excited to move into spring.
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April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 209
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Kris Erchinger stated she had never participated in nepotism. She disclosed her address for
the public and the council member interested. She hired employees only within her department. She
did not hire anyone in Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, or Public Works. Erchinger
apologized to the people who were her friends and the attempts made to disparage them.
Linda Lasota, on behalf of the Seward Historic Preservation Commission, thanked the
council for voting for approving Resolution 2017-020 and their support in moving forward. She also
thanked Long for expediting this grant. The draft Historic Preservation Plan was sent to the state.
The commission had been working on this plan for some time now and spent over five hours last
Saturday continuing that work.
Suzi Towsley didn't apologize for the public spectacle and noted these discussions were
important and nepotism was a symptom of a problem. Her point of view was that it was council's
duty to bring concerns from constituents to the proper channels, which would be in the manager's
evaluation,which happened this year. Towsley had been challenged to bring issues to council. She
disagreed with the attorney's opinion that it was a dead issue and thought this discussion was a
symptom of something larger.The city had a number of employees leaving good city jobs. Towsley
thanked council for what they were doing and encouraged them to keep talking if there was an issue.
She felt Casagranda was speaking truth.
Lynda Paquette said everyone was all energy. She loved this town and wanted this town to
be beautiful. She said it was important to bring issues to the room.The public should come together
and stop singling out one council person to go to because things needed to go to the body as a whole.
They were all connected and they were all human beings with energy. She was optimistic they were
going to create one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Karin Sturdy stated the city was enjoying and celebrating the successes of the Teen Rec
Room. She was proud of the staff they had at Parks and Recreation. Sturdy noted other positive
mentoring programs happening in Seward.The Teen and Youth Center was operating well,and staff
and students were gearing up for the Easter Egg Hunt this weekend, hosted by Moriarty Family
Dentistry. Sturdy noted the annual Diaper Derby event was looking for a new corporate sponsor. The
campgrounds were looking to open on April 15, 2017,and she was proud of the campgrounds and
the parks. Sports and Recreation was transitioning to the softball season and volunteers were needed
for the annual Pink Cheeks Triathlon on May 6, 2017.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS
Long said it was refreshing to hear the public asking council to see if something existed,
rather than making assumptions. He stated there had been no findings of fact of wrong doings
regarding personnel. Long added PACAB had a good work session on the South Harbor
Development Project,and he looked forward to bringing their recommendations to council.He noted
that he had sat in the seat of an elected official and noted what was required was an acceptance and
recognition of the separation of powers. He understood that was difficult because they cared about
what they were doing.
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April 10, 2017 Volume 40, Page 210
Keil said this year in politics,there was a lot of"sticking it to the man",but there was a lot of
truth. She thought that people in power sometimes got a bad rap sometimes because they were
powerful people.She didn't like tearing people down and encouraged Casagranda to speak her mind.
She believed government could work if they worked together, and she thought the council was
approachable.
Earnhart echoed Long's comments that no one in the city had been terminated, and that
there wasn't a liability out there lingering. He reminded everyone to look at the big picture—they
were arguing over personnel issues and he felt that was a very easy job,as other communities were
working with lawsuits and major budget issues.He encouraged free speech,but also encouraged the
city to keep things running smoothly.
Bardarson felt Seward was moving forward in a lot of positive ways. They had a lot of
things to be appreciative of.
Squires encouraged Towsley to bring issues forward to the council and that council should
take any issues to the City Manager.One council member couldn't do anything,because the majority
took action.His understanding was the council agreed they would let the mayor know if they wanted
to talk to the attorney to maintain budget issues. He thanked Paquette for her words and Sturdy for
the Parks and Recreation updates.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 p.m.
itta-q/1- 4411--Joh Kinney, CMC J n Bardarson
Clerk Mayor
(City Seal)
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