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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07132020 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41,Page 225 CALL TO ORDER The July 13, 2020 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m.by Mayor Christy Terry. OPENING CEREMONY Lieutenant Alan Nickell led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Christy Terry presiding and Sue McClure Sharyl Seese (telephonically) John Osenga(telephonically) Tony Baclaan(telephonically) Dale Butts (telephonically) Jul rites comprising a quorum of the Council; and Norm Regis,Acting City Manager Brenda Ballou, City Clerk Holly Wells, City Attorney(telephonically) Excused—Crites Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING The City of Seward is currently experiencing a declared public health emergency due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), so alternate methods for providing Citizen Comments were created. Unless otherwise noted, the following Citizen Comments were submitted in advance and read into the record by the City Clerk: Paul Rupple(written)supported the resolution to provide the Alaska SeaLife Center(ASLC) with financial support;the ASLC provided education,recreation,and livelihoods.Rupple said it was a well-used and much appreciated asset to the community. Tara Reimer(telephonically)said the ASLC brought a lot of visitors to Seward.The ASLC kicked off a public fundraising campaign today,and they were off to a great start.If the city provided the ASLC with a$500,000 pledge, the ASLC would rise to the challenge of raising the remaining funds they needed. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41, Page 226 Carol Griswold(written)had supported the ASLC for many years,but was disappointed that they did not have a more sustainable business plan. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (McClure/Baclaan) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Baclaan postponed the discussion item for the Forest Acres Basketball Court Project to July 27, 2020. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the June 22, 2020 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. Approval of the July 1, 2020 City Council Special Meeting Minutes. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards—None Borough Assembly Report—None City Manager Report.Acting City Manager Norm Regis reported the following purchase orders between $5,000 and$30,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting: $30,000 for accounting support until a new Finance Director is hired for Finance;$17,200 for the construction season warehouse restock for Electric; $14,100 for a wire rope for the 330-ton Travelift for SMIC; and $6,000 for a line marker and other season materials for Parking. Regis reported that it was discovered that the budget books contained errors made by the printer, and so the hard copies were being re-printed and would be delayed until next week. Also, Regis said Stephen Sowell had been offered the position of Assistant City Manager and would start in August. In response to Baclaan, Regis said he would follow back to provide an update on the status of the audit. Seese noted the electric box that was reported to have been damaged, and wondered who would be paying for the repairs. In response, Interim Electric Utilities Manager Cory Borgeson said he had not made a claim for it through the city's insurance company,but had prepared a bill to charge the customer. Terry reported that the city manager and city clerk had worked together to distribute a packet of information to over 400 local businesses relating to the current emergency rules and regulations. In response to Terry,Borgeson stated his first priority was to address the backlog of services City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13,2020 Volume 41,Page 227 that were piled up;there were about 25 customers who had been waiting for months for services. Other Reports and Announcements—None Presentations—None PUBLIC HEARINGS Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing Resolution 2020-052, Approving Hazardous Material Removal, Site Demolition, And Construction Of A Memorial At The Site Of The Jesse Lee Home Located At Jesse Lee Heights Subdivision,Addition No.4, Lots 15A And 15B, City Of Seward. Motion (McClureBaclaan) Approve Resolution 2020-052 Community Development Jackie Wilde said council had given direction to administration on June 22,2020 to bring forward a resolution relating to the disposition of the Jesse Lee Home.The city had previously accepted grant monies in the amount of$1,073,441.46 from the State of Alaska for the abatement of hazardous materials and to respectfully preserve wood or other items for the purpose of building a memorial to the former residents of that facility.Wilde requested that council approve the resolution so that the city could move forward with the execution of the grant, and to direct the city manager to release a Request for Proposals to start the process. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. All comments were submitted in writing, unless otherwise noted. Clark Yerrington wanted the Jesse Lee Home buildings to be preserved and not demolished. Matthew Maixner asked that the buildings not be demolished,destroyed,or dismantled in any fashion. Margaret Anderson commented on how the buildings had deteriorated over the past 50 years,and urged council to take action to clear it away.Anderson suggested expanding or improving the Benny Benson Memorial Park to include the Jesse Lee Home. Casie Warner recalled when she was a teenager,sneaking into the old buildings was a rite of passage,but now she believed the buildings should be demolished to make way for something new, possibly something focused on children. Trish Neal (telephonically) was the President of the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation and supported preserving the buildings. She said many of the residents from the Jesse Lee Home went on to be productive and successful people. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13,2020 Volume 41,Page 228 David Squires(telephonically)used to believe the Jesse Lee Home should be saved,but his attitude had changed in recent years. He felt strongly that,if refurbishment was to be pursued,the community should be financially healthy enough to support the reconstruction,but that was not the case.He now supported it being demolished,and suggested the roof of the dining hall could be saved for its architectural elements and used as the roof of a new,large pavilion.Squires reminded council that the financial burden of whatever is done belongs to the city,not to people living in other places. CarolAnn Lindsey was concerned that millions of dollars had been provided by the state in recent years to the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home for a renovation,but no observable results could be seen. She supported the idea of expanding the existing Benny Benson Memorial Park to include the Jesse Lee Home, and thought it was time to demolish the buildings. Bela Bodnar wanted to save this historic landmark. Candy Norman strongly believed that the buildings should be saved and that a memorial to it would not be sufficient. Debbie Jaso said she drove by the Jesse Lee Home every time she visited Seward and she wanted this piece of history to be saved. Pat Jack was a former Seward resident who wanted the buildings to be preserved somehow. Deidre Ford wanted to save the buildings because they had great historical value. Linda McRae MacSwain wanted the buildings to be saved and preserved.She understood the buildings had been in disrepair for 50 years,but wanted them to be restored. Sara Walker said she 100%supported preserving the history of the Jesse Lee Home,but not by preserving the structure. She wished to have the property used for something new for future generations of children. Casmir Lorenz was a fifth generation Sewardite who believed if the buildings were demolished,the community would lose its moral values as well as a piece of history. Susan Lang said the Jesse Lee Home had been important to Seward since it was built in 1925. She wished that,if the building was to be torn down,that salvageable wood be preserved and used. Jessica Stallard said, on behalf of the Seward Historic Preservation Commission,that the Commission supported the abatement of the Jesse Lee Home,or at least the preservation of as much of it as possible. Dianne Dubuc supported removing the hazardous materials and demolition of the Jesse Lee Home. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41,Page 229 Karen Corrigan thought it was time to make the land useful to the community once again. Barbara Dieckgraeff supported the demolition of the buildings. Sam Combs(telephonically)had been an architect specializing in historic preservation for 43 years, and he favored restoring the buildings. In 2008,he had submitted a proposal to the city for preserving the structures,but was rejected. Following that,the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home had also rejected his offer to help. He still believed in the value of the buildings and wanted them to be preserved. Timothy Whiteley&Amanda Welsh were architects from Ketchikan who supported the preservation of the Jesse Lee Home. Cynthia Green was a relative of a former superintendent at the Jesse Lee Home and she wanted it preserved. Rebecca Poulson was an artist/writer from Sitka who suggested rehabilitating the Jesse Lee Home and repurposing it. Marty Lorenz could not understand why the city would demolish the buildings;it was not a reasonable course of action. Barbara Peterson said her parents were raised in the Jesse Lee Home and she wanted the buildings saved. She suggested engaging AVTEC to have students work on electrical and maintenance issues. Harry& Elizabeth Holt opposed the demolition of the Jesse Lee Home and thought there was a better solution than that. Rhonda Hubbard recalled hanging out in the Jesse Lee Home as a child,even though it was a perilous activity. She supported using the grant funds while they were available to remove the physical structures. Hubbard was confident that the history of the Jesse Lee Home was well documented and preserved. Linda Cramer grew up in Seward and went to school with children who lived at the Jesse Lee Home. She thought it should be restored to its former glory. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed. Butts wanted to engage some local lumber experts that could mark salvageable wood for preservation and reuse.Wilde said she had been in touch some local wood specialists and would be happy to keep them in the loop. Terry stated that she knew of at least two signatures, written on wood inside the building, which she would like to see preserved. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41,Page 230 Butts said one local wood specialist he knew had reportedly contacted the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home at least three times to offer his services.Butts would provide Wilde with the contact information. Butts said the city was here tonight because so many entities had come to the city over time, and had made promises to do something with the property, but none had ever come through and delivered on their promises. Butts thought, perhaps 30 years ago the buildings could have been saved,but now it was too late. In response to Baclaan,Wilde said the removal of hazardous materials was estimated to be between$800,000 and$1.3 million,which included the appropriate disposal of the materials.Wilde said the exact costs would be learned when the city received the responses to the request for proposals. Osenga concurred with Butts,saying that this project had been looked at over and over again for a long time. McClure concurred as well. McClure had lived in Seward for 70 years;she was a 4th generation Sewardite. She grew up with children from the Jesse Lee Home,and said there were good times and bad times for them.She was a great proponent of preserving history, but taking down the building was not the same as destroying its history. She looked forward to seeing the suggestions from citizens about what could be done with the land. Terry thought Seward was being painted in a light that the city didn't care about history,and that was wrong. She said preserving the building was not the same as preserving its history. Terry wanted to preserve all the records and historic documents permanently,and also wanted to create a reference tome for visitors and citizens to be able to readily access the facility's history. Terry wanted to have a public meeting arranged to allow the public full access to provide their ideas. Motion Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS Items Postponed from Previous Agenda Resolution 2020-051,Accepting$5,324,326 From The State Of Alaska Under The Coronavirus Aid,Relief,And Economic Security(CARES)Act. This resolution was postponed from June 22, 2020. The main motion is back on the floor. Motion to Amend(Terry/McClure) Amend Resolution 2020-051 by accepting the substitute resolution. Terry said the substitute resolution was fairly cut and dry, and the purpose was simply to accept the funds. Terry noted the substitute resolution was markedly different from the original resolution that had been brought forward; she had consulted the city attorney about the drastic City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41, Page 231 differences, and had learned that if the substitute resolution was approved, then at Wednesday's special meeting to consider the funding plan council would have more freedom to design a local funding program. Osenga reiterated that this resolution would simply be accepting the funds. Seese thought the city needed to get moving on this. Baclaan was concerned that too much language had been removed from the original resolution, particularly where it had stated that the funds would be used for businesses and non- profits. McClure pointed out the third Whereas contained some language that provided the intent to furnish the funds to businesses and non-profits. Motion to Amend Passed Yes: Seese, Butts,McClure,Osenga,Terry No: Baclaan Main Motion Passed Unanimous NEW BUSINESS Resolutions I L Resolution 2020-053,Approving A Legal Services Agreement With Boyd,Chandler,Falconer &Munson. Motion (McClure/Baclaan) Approve Resolution 2020-053 Regis said the contract for the new city attorney firm was in the packet and believed it was in keeping with council's wishes. Osenga stated the new firm would officially start on August 1, 2020. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2020-054, Authorizing The Appropriation Of $500,000 From One Or More Sources:The City's Commercial Passenger Vessel Fund,The General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance,And/Or CARES Act Funding To The Seward Association For The Advancement Of Marine Science(SAAMS)d/b/a The Alaska SeaLife Center(ASLC)For Emergency COVID- 19 Relief Purposes, With Stipulations. Mayor Terry passed the gavel to Vice Mayor McClure and declared she had a potential conflict of interest because she was a board member and secretary. Terry stated she had no L financial involvement with the Alaska SeaLife Center. Vice Mayor McClure ruled that no conflict existed with no objection from council. McClure passed the gavel back to Terry. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41,Page 232 Motion (McClure/Baclaan) Approve Resolution 2020-054 Council recessed at 8:44 p.m. Council resumed at 8:49 p.m. Baclaan said this resolution was a pledge,not a promise,to the ASLC which came with the stipulation that the ASLC was required to raise$1.3 million on their own from other sources,before September 30,2020, in order to receive these funds from the city. Regis said the city attorney had reported that the cruise line agencies would have to bring the possibility of using CPV funds to their board for approval,but that wouldn't be until October.Regis did not recommend using general fund monies due to the unknown nature of the budget.Regis said the acting finance director did not recommend using general fund monies for this endeavor. Baclaan wondered if the city had oil spill money that could be used for this endeavor.Terry thought there was still well over$1 million in the General Fund from the Exxon Valdez Oilill Spill p settlement. She thought this would be a good use of those funds.Regis said there was currently$1.3 million in the CPV fund; some of those funds would have to be saved for next year for the shuttle bus,and for the Northeast Launch Ramp. After all the commitments were fulfilled,there would be approximately$500,000 left in the fund. Osenga thought CPV funds were perhaps not the best place to look for this money. He thought the General Fund was probably not the best option either. He preferred to hold off on assigning CARES Act funding until after the special meeting on Wednesday before committing to the source for this support. McClure thanked Baclaan for bringing this resolution forward. She appreciated that the ASLC would be committed to raising their own money in conjunction with this assistance from the city. McClure worried that if the city did not approve this resolution, the ASLC might potentially have to close permanently. Terry appreciated that the ASLC would be developing a sustainability plan as one of the commitments for this assistance. In the event that the ASLC did not raise their portion of the funds, the city would not be committed to give them financial support. Terry thought perhaps the Cruise Lines International Association(CLIA)should be contacted to see if there was an early indicator that they would allow CPV funds to be used.Terry said any or all of the three funding sources could be combined to provide these funds. Baclaan said the ASLC was looking into creating an endowment.He believed in the facility and the services they provided and the benefits they afforded the community. Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business • City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13, 2020 Volume 41,Page 233 Discuss the Forest Acres Basketball Court Project. This item was postponed to July 27, 2020. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS On-Going City Project and Goal List City Clerk Brenda Ballou asked council if they wished to continue having this item included in the packets because she had not been receiving updates from administration and was maintaining the list herself.In response,Terry suggested suspending this item until council was able to hold a work session on prioritizing projects,which had been suspended when the pandemic hit. There was no objection from council. Chamber of Commerce Interim Report Baclaan encouraged anyone who needed assistance during this pandemic to reach out to Neighbors Helping Neighbors. CITIZEN COMMENTS The City of Seward is currently experiencing a declared public health emergency due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), so alternate methods for providing Citizen Comments were created. Unless otherwise noted, the following Citizen Comments were submitted in advance and read into the record by the City Clerk: Tara Reimer (telephonically) thanked council for passing the resolution to support the ASLC. She said just today, there had been 500 new membership accounts established. Reimer confirmed that she was working on a sustainability plan, and memberships were included in that plan. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Regis said the undesignated reserve account balance was $5.4 million. Regis challenged everyone to donate to the ASLC. Osenga thanked DHSS Epidemiologist Dr. Eric Mooring and Public Health Nurse Manager Leslie Felts for being on the telephone during tonight's earlier work session. He welcomed Cory Borgeson to the city. Osenga said he supported the preservation of history,but he really felt that it was too late to save the Jesse Lee Home building,although he thought it would be great to preserve a portion of it. Seese thanked everyone for their comments. Butts thanked the city's current city attorney for their service, and Fire Chief Crites for his report in the packet. He reminded everyone to take the census. Butts admonished the public to be City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes July 13,2020 Volume 41,Page 234 kind with their comments;it was easy to hide behind anonymity when someone else had to read your words. Baclaan thanked everyone for their hard work; he commended Regis for coming to the meeting prepared for discussion. Baclaan appreciated the clean-up done at the Nash Road pull out. He announced the Seward Pride Alliance would be launching their Alphabet Soup event online. Baclaan appreciated the support for the downtown businesses being proactive in their shutdowns.He asked that if anyone was not feeling well,please be responsible and stay home,and if anyone needed support or assistance, contact Neighbors Helping Neighbors. McClure echoed Baclaan's sentiments: if you were not feeling well,please stay home. She thought the fire department report was very interesting. She was disappointed there had been no borough assembly report tonight. McClure thought tonight's meeting accomplished a lot in just a little over two hours. Terry stated that there would be a special meeting on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. related to CARES Act funding for local business and non-profits.She was pleased that the city did not have to declare a Code Orange Alert because businesses had acted very responsibly and quickly on their own. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:28 p.m. renda J. Ball u, MMC C 'sty Terry City Clerk ��......,,, Mayor ••.OF SEfj''•. (City Se`11'0 "PRPoI psreo'+ # • SEAL • .-. - I• Z 9�tirP V) . . e • s.77,TF. .OFA P.