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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06112018 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 445 CALL TO ORDER The June 11, 2018 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor David Squires. OPENING CEREMONY Police Chief Tom Clemons led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: David Squires presiding and Marianna Keil Ristine Casagranda Sue McClure Suzanne Towsley comprising a quorum of the Council; and Jim Hunt, City Manager Jessica Fogle, Deputy City Clerk Will Earnhart, City Attorney Absent—Jeremy Horn Vacant—One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Patrick Messmer spoke about the Grievance Procedure. He expressed his belief that there were a lot of wage and hour issues that could come up that were not covered under wage and hour laws.The ordinance did not address how the panel was picked,and he was concerned that people of like-minds would be picked for it. He also stated his belief that the phrase, "if you misuse the grievance procedure, then you can be punished again" should be removed, because he saw it as double jeopardy.He also said that a note being put in someone's file for them disagreeing with the grievance process did not accomplish anything. He stated he believed that both council and administration were good people,but thought the ordinance for the grievance procedure needed to be worked through some more. Lynda Paquette stated that the White House signed the Federal Declaration for Disaster Recovery for Lowell Point Road. She asked for"Mountain Side Yield to Ocean Side" signs to be erected on Lowell Point Road and an idea on a timeframe for when this might be completed. She also stated that she would like for the community to have a heads up on any possible road closures that work on this road might create. Sharyl Seese stated that her and her neighbors'intentions were to have"No Parking"signs in the entrance of the Jeep trail.She and her neighbors never minded people parking on their side of the City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11,2018 Volume 39,Page 446 street; they just wanted emergency response vehicles to be able to get up the mountain quickly in case of an emergency. Karin Sturdy said that seasonal passes were being sold in the Parking Department,and they had been writing 10-20 warnings every day for parking.The Campgrounds Department was breaking both attendance and revenue records this year. On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. there would be "Free Soccer Play Day" at the elementary school. She also stated that the Teen Youth Center(TYC)was full for the first few weeks of summer,but they were calling parents of children on their waiting lists when they had openings. The Teen Rec Room was pretty much on par for the summer. There was still a job opening for an ALPAR leader to work with all of the kids who were eager to pick litter this summer. Seward Real Estate Bear Bell Run's attendance doubled this year; Sturdy thanked the Petersen family and Seward Real Estate for their help with this event. William Earnhart stated that wage issues were easy to write into the Grievance Procedure. He said that outside hearing officers,inside hearing officers,and a panel had all been considered as options for people to conduct the hearings. The whole idea of the grievance process was to have a process that resolved issues. It should end in a compromise or a resolution, and not result in arguments. He reminded everyone to be open-minded and have a discussion, not an argument. Brad Snowden stated that his hotel,Mom's Hotel and Suites,would be opening soon. He would be using Ski, Google, and Alexa in his hotel to help with his guests' needs. He credited Highliner Restaurant and the Taroka Inn for fixing up and re-opening some new small businesses.He also discussed his progress on the Cruise Ship Terminal project.He stated he thought the airport was absolutely critical to our winter, but believed that it could be useful for summer,as well. Cindy Clock stated the Chamber of Commerce was excited to see Resolution 2018-054 on the agenda,and believed that this was a wise investment. Bill Mans stated that he wished the city would grant him easements across the property at 408 Madison. Public Works had been very helpful and they found where the sewer from 501 Fifth ran into the main sewer and where it crossed into the property at 408 Madison. He said he had not received a public hearing announcement. He spoke with Mary Lutz,the potential new owner,who was also not aware of the public hearing tonight, or any potential easements or set-backs with this property.He said that the main public sewer line between Fourth and Fifth ran down the alley,but he thought that a simple easement would be much more economical and this was what he hoped to have done.He stated that at a previous meeting,Ron Long suggested that the city have administration run a test on the sewer lines and identify exactly where they were located and to Mans' knowledge,this had not happened.He stated his belief that it was unethical not to divulge information to a person of the public who was buying the property. Jim Hunt stated that the property at 408 Madison was offered to Mans some time ago, if Mans removed the existing building and replatted it. Public Works found that the sewer line ran north,northwest.Hunt stated that the city was not obligated to provide an easement on this sale.He said it was an"as is,where is"piece of land.With no easement already in place,the people who own this property were at risk. When the land was bought, everything on it was bought, as well. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 447 David Squires explained that this property was taken under tax foreclosure.Due to this,the fair market value did not hold on this property. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the May 29,2018 Regular Meeting Minutes. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations& Awards Recognizing Michael Moriarty,DDS for his Distinguished Practice Borough Assembly Report. Kenn Carpenter said that the borough passed a 436 page budget. Originally,the assembly anticipated$3.5 million in deficit,but after cuts,ended up at$2.7 million in deficit.Some things were still in process,but the budget was passed.The assembly funded the school district, so no teachers would lose their jobs. They also discussed a new tobacco tax. Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly President Wayne Ogle stated that the assembly had a rather difficult budget time period;there was a lot of public input on the budget. There was about a $1.6 million increase to the borough's revenue this year. The borough looked into other taxes and explored the possibility of adding an excise tax or a tobacco tax. Mike Chenault would retire from District 29, and Ogle has offered himself up as a candidate for that post. In response to McClure, Ogle stated that the borough wanted participation of all municipalities,so the city would have an opportunity to discuss the changes to bed tax.They would appreciate participation from the City of Seward in this. In response to Squires,Ogle answered that tobacco tax would make the cost of cigarettes go up about$1.00 per pack.Due to increased difficulty and legal issues,marijuana and alcohol would not be experiencing an excise tax.He stated that there was a real murky area between an excise tax and a sales tax. City Manager Report.Jim Hunt reported the following purchase orders between$10,000 and $50,000 have been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting: $19,811 to Electric Power Constructors to upgrade breaker at Fort Raymond; $10,000 to Maddox Electric Services for electrical work at the harbor; $23,930 to Anixter to restock wire; $13,425 to Potelcom Supply to restock wire;and,$12,060 to Pyramid Printing Co.for two years of utility billing supplies. He reported that Seward Mt.Haven reported full occupancy and new services.Due to Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT) restrictions, "Mountain Side Yield to Ocean Side" signs City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 448 would not be purchased by the city for Lowell Point Road. President Trump signed the Federal Declaration for Disaster Recovery for Lowell Point Road. He said the Division of Community and Regional Affairs(DCRA)was looking to come for a few days at the end of July to do their research. The issue of ownership and maintenance of the Lowell Canyon tunnel had been postponed for another 15 years. The $1,073,000 was assigned to the city of Seward for the year of 2019 for the Jesse Lee Home.The use of this money would not be determined until next year.There was a power outage over the weekend that was caused by the mast of a public vessel being too tall and hitting a wire. In response to McClure, Public Works Director Doug Schoessler explained that use of "Yield" signs were restricted at a converging point, and there was no legal way for the city to put signs up.The Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)was willing to work in some other types of signs. Towsley suggested putting up"Yield to Oncoming Traffic"signs.She thought that the Public Works Department should meet with council,ADOT, and the residents of Lowell Point to discuss possible other solutions that could possibly be done on the state level. In response to Squires,Schoessler explained he was looking into"Narrow Road"and"Slow" signs, as well, but it would take about six signs to do this. He stated there was also a maintenance issue,because temporary signs cannot be drilled down into rocks. In response to Casagranda, Schoessler said that he had spoken with Sharyl Seese and the emergency folks about the"No Parking"signs in the entrance of the Jeep trail.They were working on fording a good solution that would work for the public.He stated that according to the emergency departments,the signs were not blocking their vehicles right now and they supported them. Squires agreed that the signs should be in front of the Jeep trail,as Seese had previously requested. He had experienced difficulty getting up the trail to get cars out in the past. In response to Casagranda,Hunt stated that he did not have a timeline of when the funds to repair Lowell Point Road would be available.He anticipated a timeline would not be available until after Labor Day,at earliest. In response to McClure, Hunt said that the crane for the Seward Marine Industrial Center (SMIC)had been in Seward for a few weeks,but it was not up and running yet.It was all a work in progress. In response to Towsley,Erchinger said she hoped to have the necessary information from the state to determine when council would be able to have a work session and finalize the budget by the end of July or the beginning of August.She hoped to do this in conjunction with the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report(CAFR). City Attorney Report.Katie Davies proposed having a work session on Ethics,Conflict of Interests,and Public Records Requests at the end of July with council.She stated that she would like to have the clerk's office in charge of Public Record Requests. She said that City Attorney Will Earnhart would work with the council during tonight's Executive Session for union negotiations.The total billed hours for last month came to 100 hours. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 449 Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations—None PUBLIC HEARINGS Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing . • . . -! . ! , • . . . . . _ . .. . • • ! . . • — ! . . . .. , ! ; • ! . .. • . . . 1 . . . . , , ; ! ! . ! ; . . . ! 1 „ _ _ ., . . . . , . . . • . . • Seetion-FAM item was removed from the agenda. Resolution 2018-054, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contractual Agreement With The Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, The Alaska Small Business Development Corporation,And The Seward Chamber Of Commerce To Establish A Blue Pipeline Ocean Cluster For Entrepreneurship Business Incubator In Seward By Funding A Part Time Small Business Development Manager And Appropriating Funds. Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2018-054 Hunt said that this resolution was brought forth after the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association had their presentation before the community. He expressed his belief that it was a fantastic opportunity to establish a small business development and incubator in our community.He thought it would help grow small businesses we have, as well as create other small business opportunities. It was a three year project, but they had only requested funding for the first year. The Bering Sea Fisherman's Association had already developed their manager's job description, which was very intense and in depth. McClure was very supportive of this resolution and happy to see it on the agenda. In response to Squires and Towsley, Hunt said that this part-time manager reported to the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association and the city was not obligated to provide housing for the Bering Sea Fisherman Association's employee.Hunt and the chamber would receive quarterly reports from them. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened No one appeared to address the Council and the public hearing was closed. Motion Passed Unanimous Ordinance 2018-003,To Revise Seward City Code 3.40,Grievance Procedure.This ordinance is being introduced tonight, and will come for public hearing and enactment at the June 25, 2018 meeting. Motion to Postpone (Casagranda/Keil) Postpone the Introduction of Ordinance City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 450 2018-003 to June 25, 2018. Towsley wanted this item have two public hearings before being adopted in July. Keil requested that any amendments that council wished to make be sent to administration,so they would have time to prepare. Motion Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS—None Other New Business—None INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Clerk's Report on Public Records Requests for May, 2018. On-Going City Projects and Goals. COUNCIL COMMENTS Towsley thanked the public for speaking tonight, and the electric crew for getting the electricity back up and running this weekend. McClure congratulated the Parks and Recreation Department for their accomplishments with the Bear Bell Run.She had received multiple compliments about the Wi-Fi service at the Waterfront Campgrounds. She extended an invitation to everyone for the Solstice Cemetery Tour on June 21, 2018 at 10:30 p.m., and stated the theme this year would be"Accidents". Keil thanked administration,the lobbyists,and former Mayors Bardarson and Dunham for all of their work getting the 15 year commitment from the government to take ownership of the tunnel, as well as the funds for Lowell Point Road. Casagranda was excited for the amazing sunshine this past weekend and lots of tourists visiting this summer.She congratulated Seward Mountain Haven for having a full census for the first time in eight years. She thanked the owners of the Highliner and the Taroka Inn,the Toloffs and the Zimmermanns,for their hard work and dedication to improving downtown Seward.She also thanked everyone who went to Washington, DC to get the government to help fund disaster prevention for Lowell Point Road. Squires thanked the congressmen and lobbyists,as well as President Trump,for getting the money for the disaster prevention for Lowell Point Road. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11,2018 Volume 39, Page 451 CITIZEN COMMENTS Patrick Messmer wanted to thank council and other city employees for working really hard during this busy time of year.He also thanked the American Legion for allowing him to use them as a venue to teach women's firearms class last Saturday. He would also be doing co-ed firearms courses at the American Legion in the future. Lynda Paquette expressed her confusion about the Alaska Department of Transportation's involvement with Lowell Point Road and what was going to happen with the signs. She asked if the documents about the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon had been found and when they could start that conversation. Sharyl Seese spoke on the power outage this weekend. She stated that we were very lucky that we did not have a power outage on Thursday as well, because she witnessed a boat come through Second Avenue from Dairy Hill and hit the wire across from her office. She also thanked Mayor Squires for agreeing with her about adjusting the Jeep trail parking signs. Mans thanked the council and administration for giving him the opportunity to speak on Resolution 2018-054, even though the item had been pulled from the agenda tonight. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Hunt reminded boat owners to be aware of their height requirements and measurements for the boat masts. He said that luckily,no one was killed by the two instances in town this past week. Three communities in Alaska had been invited to speak to a Trump employee and the Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Army Corps;they wanted to meet with Nome,Barrow,and Seward about our relationship and how we developed this relationship.He also reminded everyone that forming a partnership with an entity and communicating was the way to get things done. In response to Casagranda,Hunt said that the date for the appointment to speak with a Trump employee and the Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Army Corps was June 19,2018.He also stated that Ron Long received the email about the documents for the Lowell Point Sewer Lagoon,but Hunt had not heard whether or not these had been found yet. EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion (Squires/Keil) Go into Executive Session to give direction to city manager for negotiating the Alaska Public Employee Association (APEA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)contracts. 111 Council invited City Manager Jim Hunt,Finance Director Kris Erchinger,and City Attorneys Will Earnhart and Katie Davies to remain. Motion Passed Unanimous City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes June 11, 2018 Volume 39, Page 452 Council went into Executive Session at 8:30 p.m. Council came out of Executive Session ended at 9:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. i9-12.(frLk-aeL. cV(9-1)-iz Jessica Fogle David Squires Deputy City Clerk Mayor (City Seal) „se,sett-,444, eliF6445.405i`z• rye tel ss'. 46# SEAL lot • o= its \Its 00