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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05102021 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10,2021 Volume 41,Page 433 CALL TO ORDER The May 10, 2021 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m.by Mayor Christy Terry. OPENING CEREMONY Police Chief Alan Nickell led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Christy Terry presiding and Tony Baclaan Sue McClure Sharyl Seese John Osenga Liz DeMoss Ristine Casagranda comprising a quorum of the Council; and Norm Regis, Acting City Manager Jessica Stallard,Acting City Clerk Brooks Chandler, City Attorney(telephonically) Excused—None 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 intothe record by the City Clerk: Steve Leirer(in person)asked council to reconsider renaming Dairy Hill Lane to Chamberlin Road. He said Dairy Hill Lane was a short lane before it turned into Chamberlin Road, which was confusing.He said a memorial with Dairy Hill Lane,Fort Raymond,and the old boat harbor's history could be placed at Benny Benson Park,so the history of Dairy Hill Lane would not be lost by changing the road's name. He said the dairy no longer existed. Lynda Paquette(in person)was concerned that campfires were allowed at the Lowell Point waterfall.She was concerned about the odor being caused by the Lowell Point lagoon repairs.Paquette • was honored to serve on the Electric Rate Study committee, and she encouraged council to make electric rates fair for everyone. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10,2021 Volume 41,Page 434 Laura Schneider(in person) said the Port and Commerce Advisory Board(PACAB) fully supported the work Happy Youth Programs&Education Resources(HYPER)was doing.The board requested that council also support HYPER and use the funds from the Norwegian Cruise Lines to purchase the Big Bay Beginnings building and rent it to HYPER. Schneider said childcare was in the top three issues that was affecting Seward,and a lack of childcare in Seward directly impacted some of her employees. Jackie Wilde(in person)said May was Mental Health Awareness month.The stigma that was associated with mental illness needed to end.She lost a friend to suicide this weekend.Suicide was the second leading cause of death between the ages of 10 to 24 and the fourth leading cause of death between the ages of 24 to 35. She was available to talk to anyone who needed to talk.She encouraged everyone to listen and show understanding. 1-800-273-TALK was a free, 24/7,confidential support line. Becky Dunn(telephonically)opposed the renaming of Dairy Hill Lane. She did not want to lose the history of Dairy Hill Lane. She reminded everyone to have their house numbers visible from the road.Dunn said the Combat Fishing Tournament was on May 26,2021 and the Mermaid Festival was on May 14-16,2021. Phil Zimmerman said the Assessment District and the Developer Reimbursement Program (DRP)were two different programs that worked together but had different purposes.The Assessment District was a program to aid developers in the process of paying for the installation of city-owned infrastructure required for development.The Developer Reimbursement Program was a way for the city to partner with developers to make developing raw property feasible and to keep the cost of a property in a range where people could afford it.Zimmerman had his lots listed since October,2020, but he recently pulled his listing because the city did not have funding for the Developer Reimbursement Program. Carol Griswold opposed the renaming of Dairy Hill Lane. She asked council to require the applicant to install his address on the post near the road rather than changing the name of Dairy Hill Lane. Sara Walker said finding childcare in Seward was difficult. She encouraged council to use the Norwegian Cruise Line funds to provide childcare for Seward. Margaret Anderson was in favor of renaming Dairy Hill Lane to Chamberlin Road.She said Mr. Leirer was out of town when council failed the renaming of Dairy Hill Lane on April 26,2021. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda McClure added Resolution 2021-056 to the consent agenda. Motion Passed Unanimous ..� City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10, 2021 Volume 41, Page 435 The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2021-056,Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Kendall Automotive For The Purchase Of One Model Year 2021 Transit-250 Cargo AWD Medium Roof Van 130" WB Base With An Extra Set Of Winter Tires And Rims With Sensors With The Cost Not To Exceed $41,160 And To Professionally Equip The Vehicle With New Police Safety Equipment, Radios, And Custom Decals With The Total Cost Not To Exceed $49,534.96, And Appropriating Funds. Resolution 2021-057,Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Agreement For Up To 18 Months With RSR Contracting, LLC For Transmission Right-Of-Way Clearing Work, With The Contract Based Upon A Per-Mile Cost Not To Exceed $500,000 Over The Designated Period, And Appropriating Funds. Approval of the April 26, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. Approval of the April 30,2021 City Council Special Meeting Minutes. Non-objection to the renewal of the liquor license for Gene's Place— Beverage Dispensary— Tourism#4696. Non-objection to the renewal of the liquor license for The Cookery—Restaurant/Eating Place— Public Convenience #5400. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards Building Safety Month Harbor Opening Weekend and Blessing of the Fleet Mermaid Festival Arbor Day Borough Assembly Report. Kenn Carpenter said the borough assembly had been working on the school budget,which was 85%of the borough's budget.They capped the budget at $48,000. The State had not decided what funds the school district would be receiving. The new school superintendent was Clayton Holland. The borough's budget was 3%higher than last year. Parking for Lowell Point Beach would be monitored this summer, and individuals would be ticketed or vehicles towed if they parked without paying. The only available parking for Lowell Point Beach was in the paid parking area. Carpenter was working with Marcus Mueller and the Borough Planning Department to sell lots in Old Mill subdivision and Blueberry Hill and make more housing available in Seward . City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10,2021 Volume 41,Page 436 McClure wondered about the borough assembly members' possible conflict of interest at the last borough assembly meeting,because they either worked at the school or had relatives who worked at the school.Carpenter said the borough assembly had been working on school budgets, and they had one full time school teacher and a spouse of a teacher on the Borough Assembly. It was voted that these assembly members did not have a conflict of interest. Terry was concerned that Seward's projects were being taken off of the borough's Capital Improvement Plan list. She said the majority of the borough's projects were on the eastern side of the peninsula. Carpenter said the Seward track and football field were on the borough's list of projects that they wanted to accomplish. They were also working on acquiring land for an ice skating rink for Seward. 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:$5,700 to Public Works for streets crack sealant;$5,800 to Public Works for street paint for the roads,crosswalks,sidewalks,etc.;$6,600 to Library for installing new flex lines and flow control valves; $7,086.02 to Fire for 2021 VFA grant items for award per Resolution 2021-039; $5,800 to Electric for 2021 construction season restock; $10,430 to Electric for 2021 construction season restock; $17,900 to Water for urgent-water maintenance and repair cell package OSEC 24ppd; $25,000 to Electric for purchase order for field engineering services;and$9,966 to Electric for unit heater installation in the electric warehouse. Regis read the following scoring criteria for the Certified Public Account (CPA) Services Request For Proposals: Capability to Perform Scope of Work in A Timely Manner 20 Past Experience and Performing Similar Work 20 Availability 20 Understanding the Work To Be Performed 10 Proposed Hourly Rates 30 Total 100 Police Chief Alan Nickell said a DMV clerk had been hired and would start remote training in-house on June 7,2021. DMV would be open temporarily in August,2021 in between trainings. Nickell anticipated the DMV clerk and their back-up would be completely trained and DMV would be open full-time again by Spring,2022. Community Development Director Jackie Wilde said the Jesse Lee Home Memorial Park was 78%complete.The contractor for the Jesse Lee Home would start work in mid-May and hoped to complete the work by the end of May; the parking lot was being graveled. Community Development was working with R&M Consultants to engineer the cul-de-sac at the end of Benson Drive.Two trees on the Jesse Lee Home property would be removed and the trees would be milled, so pieces of the trees could be used in the park.Community Development would be working with the Historic Preservation Commission to install bronze signs. Two flagpoles would be installed. They were working on mimicking the stairs that were at the Jesse Lee Home.Wilde's goal was to have the City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10, 2021 Volume 41, Page 437 area cleaned up and the fence repurposed by mid-June. Community Development was working on repairing the original Balto marker and creating the Balto Dog Park. A survey with ideas for the Jesse Lee Home Memorial Park would be sent to citizens and council. Wilde would like to build an arbor at the Jesse Lee Cemetery using beams from the Jesse Lee Home. In response to DeMoss, Wilde said these projects would be funded by the grant funds received for the Jesse Lee Home. Terry said the Jesse Lee Home had been rezoned to a park. In response to Casagranda, Wilde said the grant specifically stated that the funds were to be used for a memorial and as much of the original Jesse Lee Home as possible should be used for this memorial. Council directed the city manager to provide council with visuals of ideas for the Jesse Lee Home, as well as the survey results, in a council presentation. In response to McClure, Public Works Doug Schoessler said Public Works had finished pumping sewer from one lagoon to the other today at Lowell Point.The contractor doing pipe repairs would start on May 12, 2021. He apologized for the odors caused by the lagoon repairs. In response to DeMoss, Assistant City Manager Stephen Sowell said campground reservations were looking strong and he would email booking numbers to council. City Attorney Report. Brooks Chandler (telephonically) said he would be attending the May 14, 2021 Board of Adjustment appeal hearings in person. The majority of legal charges for April came from the appeal hearings. Other legal services provided in April had been an employee grievance, the right-of-way contract, negotiations with electric utilities, Port & Harbor tariffs, updating leases, and a material sales agreement to sell some gravel. Other Reports and Announcements—None Presentations Right-Of-Way Clearing—Seward MP 18 to MP 23 by Rob Montgomery PUBLIC HEARINGS —None UNFINISHED BUSINESS Items for Reconsideration Resolution 2021-053, Approving The Renaming Of Dairy Hill Lane To Chamberlin Road Located North And West Of The Seward Lagoon,In The Cliff Addition to Seward Townsite. Motion to Reconsider (Casagranda/DeMoss) Reconsider Resolution 2021-053 City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10, 2021 Volume 41, Page 438 Casagranda said she brought this resolution back for reconsideration at the request of one of her constituents. Motion to Reconsider Failed Yes: Casagranda, Osenga, Terry No: Baclaan, McClure, Seese, DeMoss NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Resolution 2021-058, Authorizing The City Manager To Establish Initial Funding For The Developer Reimbursement Program To Fulfill An Application Submitted By Phil Zimmerman For The Gateway Subdivision, And Appropriating Funds. Motion (Casagranda/Baclaan) Approve Resolution 2021-058 Sowell said 50%of the funds needed to be placed into the Developer Reimbursement Program account before an application could be considered. Motion to Postpone (Casagranda/Baclaan) Postpone Resolution 2021-058 to May 24, 2021. Casagranda wanted to fund the Developer Reimbursement Program for everyone rather than funding it for each individual applicant. She felt it would be beneficial for council to have the work session on the Developer Reimbursement Program before allocating funds to this program. She requested the resolution come back to council with the city attorney's review and the permanent city manager's approval. In response to McClure, Casagranda said postponing the resolution would allow the city manager to develop initial funding for the Developer Reimbursement Program. In response to Baclaan, Sowell said the application was not complete until the assessment was paid off and funds were made available for the Developer Reimbursement Program. Motion to Postpone Failed Yes: Casagranda No: Seese, Baclaan, DeMoss, McClure, Osenga, Terry Motion to Amend (Baclaan/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by removing the 4`1' Whereas and 6`h Whereas. Motion to Amend Withdrawn Motion to Amend (Baclaan/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by replacing the applicant's name with "the Developer urr City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10, 2021 Volume 41, Page 439 Reimbursement Program" throughout the resolution. Motion Withdrawn Motion to Amend (Casagranda/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by striking"to fill an application submitted by Phil Zimmerman for the Gateway Subdivision" from the title of Resolution 2021-058. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Motion to Amend (Baclaan/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by striking the 4"' Whereas. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Motion to Amend (Baclaan/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by striking the 61h Whereas. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous 111 Motion to Amend (Casagranda/Baclaan) Amend Resolution 2021-058 by adding a 5th Whereas that reads, "The City Council supports the development of city land"and replace the last Whereas with "Whereas, the city council finds it in the citizen's best interest to fund the Developer Reimbursement and Incentive Program in the amount of$300,000". Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Motion to Amend (McClure/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 in Section 1 by replacing"$214,000" with "$300,000". Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Motion to Amend (Casagranda/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-058 in Section 1 by adding "$200,000 to come out of the general fund and $100,000 to come out of electric funds". Motion to Amend Passed Yes: Seese, Baclaan, Casagranda, DeMoss No: McClure, Osenga,Terry City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10,2021 Volume 41,Page 440 Main Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items Discuss the forensic audit. Council directed the city manager to bring back a resolution on the forensic audit bid for them to review and approve. Schedule a work session to discuss the Developer Reimbursement Program. Council scheduled a work session to discuss the Developer Reimbursement Program for June 14, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Letter from the New Superintendent of Kenai Fjords National Park. CITIZEN COMMENTS Becky Dunn (telephonically) said there was trash alongside Dimond Boulevard and Dieckgraeff Road. She suggested a program be created where individuals could clean up trash for community service.She said there was a flagpole on the low income housing apartments by the Jesse Lee Home that could be used to fly the Benny Benson flag. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Regis said he met with US Senator Murkowski on May 5,2021.Murkowski understood the difficulty of finding seasonal employees and she was made aware of the Lowell Canyon Tunnel project. The Coastguard Icebreaker would be returning to Seward this fall. Regis received 75% design for the North East Launch Ramp.Stephen Sowell would be Acting City Manager next week. Casagranda congratulated Deborah Altermatt, Shelly Shank, and Elle Zemia on the Mermaid Festival. She requested the Mermaid Festival be moved to earlier in May. She thanked Wilde for her citizen comments on mental illness.She thanked Rob Montgomery,Matthew Hubbard, and the electric rate study committee. DeMoss said Kayak Adventures had local discounts for May 22,2021 and June 5,2021.She thanked Schneider and HYPER for their recommendations to council. Seese thanked Rob Montgomery for the electric rate study. She agreed with Dunn that the garbage near the dump road should be cleaned up. She appreciated Schneider's comments on childcare. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 10, 2021 Volume 41, Page 441 Osenga said enjoy the Harbor Opening and the Mermaid Festival. McClure said Resolution 2021-056 approved an Animal Control van. She said there were a lot of volunteer opportunities in Seward, including the annual Clean Up Day. She was proud of the current city council and their accomplishments. Baclaan thanked Schneider and Casie Warner for advocating for child care. He was a strong advocate for early childhood education and care. Seward Pride Alliance would be happening on July 30 and 31, and August 1, 2021. He was thankful to be a part of this council. Terry asked administration to check with the borough on cleaning up the dump road. She was excited for the Mermaid Festival. She thanked Schneider and Casie Warner for their comments on childcare. She would be gone June 23-July 6, 2021. The Norwegian Cruise Line funds were being discussed at a future city council meeting. Sowell said he had been in contact with the Norwegian Cruise Lines about the$1,000,000 that Seward would be receiving and he would bring information to council as soon as he received it. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 p.m. Jessica Stallard, CMC risty Terry Acting City Clerk Mayor (City Seal) • _ SEAL = • tir *s to OF Ar-P,...0. • "lIrrl,,Cat! it