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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07222019 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22,2019 Volume 40,Page 754 CALL TO ORDER The July 22, 2019 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m.by Mayor David Squires. OPENING CEREMONY Lieutenant Alan Nickell led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: David Squires presiding and Sue McClure Suzanne Towsley Jeremy Horn Sharyl Seese John Osenga Kelley Lane comprising a quorum of the Council; and Scott Meszaros, City Manager Brenda Ballou, City Clerk Excused—None Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Lori Landstrom did not support the use of Carlisle or Fourth of July beaches for the proposed military exercises. Landstrom supported military readiness,but was concerned about the potential social or environmental impacts;she wondered if the public would maintain access to the beach. She was also concerned with the potential removal of beach grass as that was a buffer to beach erosion and home to many critters.Landstrom wondered if there were any other locations that could be used, such as the old sawmill. Bruce Jaffa wanted to speak about the airport regarding the impasse with the Alaska Department of Transportation(DOT);he encouraged council to authorize the city manager to move this issue forward. Regarding the openings on the Port & Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB), Jaffa thought any three of the candidates would be great. Cathy LeCompte was the director of AVTEC, and was excited to announce that AVTEC would be celebrating its 50th Anniversary from September 27-29,2019.There would be a dedication of a residence hall in honor of Willard E. Dunham, a fundraising dinner to support financial assistance to students, and a brunch cooked by students. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 755 Carol Griswold opposed the use of the Fourth of July and Carlisle beaches for the military eiJexercise;she supported the use of an alternative beach north of SMIC where the old sawmill used to be located. Griswold was concerned about combining workplace bullying with sexual harassment in the city's policy; she thought more work needed to be done before the policies were finalized. Regarding the development filing fees in tonight's packet, Griswold wondered if fees could be reduced or eliminated if the applicant was intending to comply with the Land Use Plan. Lastly, Griswold wondered if anyone was pursuing an ADA plan for the city. Ken Fay said he applied for a seat on PACAB because he was interested in volunteering and serving the community. Christy Terry was here to ask council to reappoint her to PACAB because she wished to keep the current work moving forward. Mark Nelson was the owner of the old sawmill property;he was willing to allow the military to use his beachfront area for their exercise. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (McClure/Seese) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda McClure moved Resolution 2019-068 onto the consent agenda. McClure reordered the agenda to take up the vote and appointment to the Port & Commerce Advisory Board as the first item of New Business. Towsley removed Ordinance 2019-012 from the agenda. Lane removed the discussion of relative costs and benefits of a forensic audit from the agenda. Lane postponed scheduling a joint work session with the Port&Commerce Advisory Board and the Chamber of Commerce to August 12, 2019. Lane postponed the discussion on high performance organization core principles to August 26,2019. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2019-068, Authorizing The City Manager To Sign An Extension Of A Special Services Contract Between The City Of Seward And The Department Of Public Safety Providing Dispatch And Clerical Services To Public Safety Employees In The Seward Area For $36,000. r..r City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22,2019 Volume 40,Page 756 Approval of the June 24, 2019 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. Approval of the July 8,2019 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards—None Chamber of Commerce Report. Cindy Clock stated there were three new chambers members;the total was 415 members.Ticket sales for the June Halibut Tournament remained steady with last year's figures. The chamber was launching new member software and a new website. Despite the smoke from the Swan Lake fire,the Mount Marathon Race was successful,although it was unfortunate that the junior race was cancelled; it was the right call for the health and safety of the young participants. The 2020 Girdwood Forest Fair would fall on same weekend as Seward's Fourth of July Festival,so vendors would have to choose which venue to attend.This year's Silver Salmon Derby would be dedicated to Monte and Florita Richardson. Clock mentioned she had provided council with the most current contract between the chamber and the city at last Friday's work session. The chamber had enjoyed collaborating with PACAB on several occasions. In response to McClure,Clock said there were some spaces available for volunteers to help with the Silver Salmon Derby. The chamber volunteer recognition cruise to Fox Island would be August 30, 2019. City Manager Report.Scott Meszaros reported the following purchase orders over$5,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting: $46,395 to Electric Power Systems, Inc. for an Arc Flash Study as approved via Resolution 2019-054; $6,965.56 to Wesco Distribution for inventory stock for Electric; and,$9,501.70 to Anixter,Inc.for inventory stock for Electric. Towsley asked if a structure or business paid more if it had a demand meter versus a regular meter. In response, Electric Utility Manager John Foutz said a demand meter did not mean a customer was automatically charged in the large general service category;the minimum requirement for a large general service category was 25 kW of demand.Towsley asked what criteria a structure or business required to have a demand meter versus a regular meter.Foutz said,again,a large general service category required a minimum of 25 kW of demand, or approximately 7,500 kWh; if an account exceeded this minimum usage,the city would install a demand meter.Towsley asked how many newly-ordered demand meters the city had on hand now awaiting installation,when did they arrive,and what,if anything,was delaying their installation.Foutz did not have the answer tonight, but would get that information. In response to Towsley, Foutz said the delay of the installation of some meters was a result of the city not being able to access the meter,or the meter base needed to be replaced. In response to Squires, Foutz said he would provide answers in writing to council through the city clerk. In response to Lane, Meszaros said the utility write offs resulted from customers not being able to be contacted, going out of business, or passing away. Meszaros added that although a City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 757 customer might be on the write off list, the debts to the city did not disappear; the city would continue attempting to collect the debts as opportunities presented themselves. Towsley asked what the difference was between an account being recategorized by the city, and subsequently being provided a refund from the city for the difference owed, and a write off. In response, Meszaros said there had been several accounts in his tenure with the city where an error had been discovered and the account had been issued a refund. Towsley requested that council receive a report of any accounts that had been miscategorized and had received a refund greater than $5,000. In response to Towsley regarding the city's interconnect policy that was recommended by PACAB, Foutz said he was currently corresponding with the engineering firm to ensure that they understood the city's wishes for what should be included in the policy. In response to Towsley,Nickell said the police department had almost completed the testing for two new officers to whom the city had made conditional offers of employment. In response to Squires,Nickell said the two new officers would have to go through the police academy,which was a four month program. Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations Department of Defense(Navy/Marines)coming to Seward in mid-Sept to exercise their ship-to-shore fuel transfer capabilities. Council recessed at 8:40 p.m. Council resumed at 8:50 p.m. PUBLIC HEARINGS—None UNFINISHED BUSINESS Items Postponed from Previous Agenda from June 24, 2019. This item was removed from the agenda. Discuss high performance organization core principles.Postponed from June 24, 2019. This item was postponed to August 26, 2019. Discuss a proposed fraud and whistleblower ordinance. Postponed from July 8, 2019. Lane wondered if council would support a whistle blower ordinance,and council expressed City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 758 an interest in having an ordinance developed. Council unanimously approved having the city manager, city attorney, and city clerk provide support for the development of that ordinance. Review of Council Rules & Procedures: Rule 17 to discuss how council's employees (City Manager,City Attorney& City Clerk)are to take direction from council.Postponed from July 8, 2019. NEW BUSINESS Vote and appoint two applicants to the Port & Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) with terms to expire July, 2022: Christy Terry, Ken Fay, or Colby Lawrence. City Clerk Brenda Ballou passed out Ballot #1 containing the names of the three applicants, and instructed council to vote for no more than two names. The results of the first vote were: Terry 7 votes Fay 1 vote Lawrence 6 votes By unanimous consent, council re-appointed Christy Terry and Colby Lawrence to the Port & Commerce Advisory Board with terms to expire July, 2022. Ordinances for Introduction ems. This item was removed from the agenda. Resolutions Resolution 2019-066,Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Three-Year Facility Use Agreement Between The City Of Seward And The Alaska Vocational Technical Center For The Use Of The Student Services Center Building For Public Recreation. Motion (McClure/Towsley) Approve Resolution 2019-066 Meszaros thanked Cathy LeCompte for working so cooperatively with the city. The agreement had been simplified at $5,000 per month. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 759 Towsley declared a potential conflict of interest because she worked for, and resided at, AVTEC.Mayor Squires declared that no conflict existed.There was no objection from council. r.r Council suspended the rules to speak with Cathy LeCompte. AVTEC Director Cathy LeCompte said, in response to Seese, that AVTEC was responsible for deep cleaning. The city cleaned during their gym hours,and AVTEC had a cleaning crew overnight. In response to Lane, LeCompte said she had been trying to find an answer as to how much the sauna cost to run. Council went back on the rules. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2019-067, Authorizing Additional Matching Funds In The Amount Of$150,000 Towards The City's Share Of Funding For The Lowell Creek Flood Diversion Feasibility Study, And Appropriating Funds. Motion (McClure/Osenga) Approve Resolution 2019-067 Meszaros said this situation was unusual because this resolution extended the timeframe for the work the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) was doing on the Lowell Canyon Tunnel Diversion Feasibility Study; the work should have already been completed,but the Corps had been •widelayed on many projects, including this one. In response to Lane, Assistant City Manager Brennan Hickok said this project would result in the Corps providing the city with alternatives to diverting the water from the Lowell Canyon Tunnel. In response to Squires, Hickok said the city's remaining financial responsibility was approximately$266,000. In response to Towsley,Meszaros agreed to put a report about this project in the City Manager Report going forward. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2019-069, Amending Administrative Filing Fees For Land Management, Signs, Zoning And Platting Requests. Motion (McClure/Lane) Approve Resolution 2019-069 Meszaros said this resolution would update the fee schedule which was last updated in 1997. The Planning&Zoning Commission had reviewed and approved these fees,and were bringing this forward for council's consideration. Lane supported waiving the fees for rezoning when the applicant intended to comply with the city's Land Use Plan. In response, Meszaros said these fees were recouping the city's costs for •j personnel and other costs, but did not pay for all the expenses related to producing the work. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 760 Meszaros added that any request to change zoning that was initiated by the property owner caused the city to incur costs,and some of those expenses would be recaptured with this new fee schedule. In response to Squires,Meszaros apologized that there was not a redlined version of the fee schedule included in the packet. Motion to Postpone(Towsley/McClure) Postpone Resolution 2019-069 to the August 12, 2019 meeting in order to include a redlined version of the changes being proposed. Motion to Postpone Passed Unanimous Other New Business Schedule a joint work session with the Port&Commerce Advisory Board and the Chamber of Commerce on August 26, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. to review Chamber funding and priorities, clarifying the city's vision for the future,and deciding what the role the Chamber would play in that.Per council direction to city clerk on March 11, 2019. This item was postponed to the August 12, 2019 meeting. Investing in responsible financial practices and accountability: forensic audit update and discussion. Lane had heard a lot of questions about forensic/fraud audit.She said the public was growing weary of hearing about the topic.In response to Lane,Squires said in June,2019 council decided to wait until after the city's financial audit was returned and council received the results. Hickok said the Finance Department had been working on the city's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)and was awaiting results from the State of Alaska. In response to Towsley,Hickok did not have a timeline for when to expect the results. Discuss how to proceed with the Special Assessment/Improvement District — Gateway Subdivision,Addition No. 1. Meszaros said this item was running parallel to the city's housing incentive program. He reported that Phil Zimmerman submitted a petition for a special assessment/improvement district for the Gateway subdivision for ten of the 33 lots Zimmerman owned; administration recommended proceeding with the entirety of the Gateway subdivision which was 46 lots.Meszaros said if council supported moving forward,he would proceed to the next step of having a public hearing. In response to McClure,Meszaros said Zimmerman's petition was the only one the city had received for this subdivision.In response to Lane,Meszaros said the consideration of Zimmerman's petition was not tied directly to the previous housing incentive discussions that council had. In City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 761 response to Towsley, Meszaros said this memo was to notify council that the petition had been received; he was seeking council approval to continue working on this item. By unanimous consent, council authorized the city manager to move forward with Phil Zimmerman's petition. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS On-going City Project and Goal List Towsley wished to have the city's ADA plan addressed, and to have more detailed information about the meter exchange program. May, 2019 Providence&City of Seward Financials Lane wondered what was happening with Providence's debt since their census appeared to be down. Report on Account Write-Offs Towsley reiterated that she wished to see a report for any account that had been recategorized or that mistakes had been discovered in their account for which the city had furnished a refund of $5,000 or more. Council concurred. COUNCIL COMMENTS McClure said the Obihiro display case at the library was well done and she appreciated Valarie Kingsland and the RBHS Collections Committee for getting it done. She said town was full with visitors who were unfamiliar with stop signs,so please be cautious driving.McClure reminded everyone that it was required to pull over when you saw blue flashing lights,regardless of whether you hear a siren. Towsley thanked everyone for coming and speaking tonight. She appreciated the Obihiro display being completed. Towsley thanked all the firefighters working throughout the state. Horn enjoyed the Seward High School Booster Club golf tournament last weekend. Seese thanked everyone for the Obihiro display case and the new sound system in council chambers. She encouraged everyone to please stop at crosswalks for pedestrians. Osenga was glad for the Obihiro display case.He thanked the Department of Defense for the presentation tonight, and wished AVTEC a Happy 50th Anniversary. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22,2019 Volume 40, Page 762 Lane wanted to focus on financial accountability and transparency.She thanked the chamber for the Fourth of July race and festival. She was proud to have raced in the Mount Marathon Race. She was looking forward to hosting some of the visiting students from Obihiro. Squires asked council to consider directing the city manager to install a painted crosswalk at Fourth Avenue and Van Buren; council concurred and directed the city manager to look into it. Squires thanked George O'Dell for the audio improvements in council chambers.Squires announced that candidate packets were available for pick up in the city clerk's office. CITIZEN COMMENTS Jen Leahy complimented council on the audio improvements. Leahy thanked all the sponsors and volunteers for supporting the events and activities of the chamber all year long. She congratulated Christy Terry and Colby Lawrence for being re-appointed to PACAB.Regarding the state budget,Leahy said every single person would be affected by the proposed budget cuts,and she encouraged everyone to contact Representative Ben Carpenter to show up in Juneau. Bruce Jaffa congratulated the Moose Pass"Moose Bots"for winning a robotics competition in West Virginia. Jaffa thanked council for getting a lot of work done tonight. Jaffa supported the military exercise,and he admonished everyone to remember that Jag was no Seward Ships Drydock and should not be painted with the same brush. Wolf Kurtz wondered if businesses could be required to have a personal guarantee for utilities, and suggested the city keep an eye on business accounts that appear to be for sale in case they had outstanding utility debts they owed the city.Regarding the city's audit practices,Kurtz said other cities with a city manager/council form of government had the finance manager as an employee of the council, and he wondered if that could be a solution for Seward. Rissie Casagranda thanked George O'Dell for the sound improvements in council chambers,and she thanked each council member for their service.Regarding the audit,Casagranda supported having a personal guarantee for business owners,and thought all business accounts should be audited to ensure accounts were being billed fairly and equally.Casagranda thanked the military for tonight's presentation. Carol Griswold requested that council verbalize the titles or descriptions when discussing agenda items. She appreciated the presentation by the military tonight,although she disagreed with the premise of the exercise because it was not in keeping with the stated mandate. She was concerned that they came last October to find appropriate sites for the exercise, but they didn't involve the community at that time. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Lane thanked Kurtz and Casagranda for their comments. She appreciated all the volunteers who helped during the Mount Marathon Race. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 763 ADJOURNMENT 1 The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 p.m. J 9-e.44.:"c_o_ °' -v-1,7A ;_, , (-- ) GLUIP. Brenda J. Ballou, MMC David uires City Clerk A c f.',. 9 c%4- y C /e r k Mayor (City Seal) �•of.SE{ti'•. . � • •-.— . C SEAL --�- • •• I OF A\t