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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07262021 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41,Page 477 CALL TO ORDER The July 26, 2021 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m.by Mayor Christy Terry. OPENING CEREMONY Police Sergeant Patrick Messmer 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 Janette Bower, City Manager Brenda Ballou, City Clerk Excused—None Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Christiana Smith was vice president of Save Our Seward(SOS)Pets,and she supported the resolution for the new animal shelter. Jane Belovarac supported the resolution for the new animal shelter,as well as the funding for it.She said the citizens voted council into office,and she requested that council please respect the wishes of the citizens and approve the animal shelter resolution. Timothy Mullet was a wildlife biologist for Kenai Fjords National Park. He was a big supporter of the new animal shelter. He appreciated that Seward's animal shelter was non-kill,and had adopted a dog and three cats from the shelter.He said the current shelter was too small,and was proud of Shelli McDowell's hard work and resilience;he was also concerned that the current shelter was in the tsunami inundation zone. Amanda Lyon supported the animal shelter resolution. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26,2021 Volume 41,Page 478 Teri Arnold supported the animal shelter resolution and the proposed funding for it. She thought the measure of a community was defined by how well the children, elderly, and animals were cared for. Clare Sullivan supported the animal shelter resolution. She was concerned with the discussions about possibly relocating the location to the SBS building rather than on Sea Lion Drive; she thought there were several issues with the SBS location, including potential hazmat issues. Lila Hurst supported the animal shelter resolution and the efforts of Animal Control Officer Shelli McDowell. Hurst had volunteered countless hours and financial support,and had witnessed McDowell doing the same. Kurt Froening worked for Alaska Waste. For many years, he said Alaska Waste had provided service to Seward and he wished for that to continue. He wanted to expand Seward's recycling options in the future. Tara Reimer congratulated Lydia Jacoby for winning a gold medal at the Olympics. She supported the animal shelter,and knew first-hand that taking care of animals required a purpose-built facility. She was on the board of Sustainable Seward, and supported recycling in Seward. Shauna Potocky supported the animal shelter;having a decent animal shelter was the most humane thing a community could provide.The current facility did not meet the community's needs. Cliff Krug supported the animal shelter resolution. He did not wish to see the resolution gutted or amended;he asked for it to remain intact and be approved. He said Shelli McDowell was Kelly Ann Cavaretta was on the board of directors for Sustainable Seward;she hoped that the next garbage contract would include recycling. She wished to minimize that waste stream going into the landfills. She said Sustainable Seward was working on getting some recycling bins that would be collected by Alaska Waste. Patty Linville had adopted several pets from the animal shelter. She thought the new animal shelter was long overdue,and she thanked Shelli McDowell. Tim McDonald didn't understand why the price of the new animal shelter was so high;he didn't think it should be that expensive to build a shelter. He warned that feral cats could become killers to birds and wildlife.He thought the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon should be tested,because he knew that there were drugs going into the systems of other communities,and was concerned for Seward's effluent water going into Resurrection Bay. Lynda Paquette wished to remain on the Port&Commerce Advisory Board(PACAB)for another term. She echoed the comments about potential pharmaceuticals in the effluent water and thought it would be responsible for the city to determine if that was a real concern for Seward or not. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41,Page 479 Heidi Sinclair said the animal shelter was a big deal to her; abandoned pets would keep coming. She fully supported the animal shelter resolution. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Terry removed Resolution 2021-082 from the consent agenda. Terry removed the introduction of Ordinance 2021-006 from the consent agenda. Casagranda removed Resolution 2021-079 from the consent agenda. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2021-080, Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Grant Agreement With The State Of Alaska Department Of Transportation Harbor Facility Grant Program And Accepting Grant Funding In The Amount Of $1,729,988 For The G, K, And L Float Replacement Project At The Seward Boat Harbor. Resolution 2021-081,Authorizing Signatures For All City Bank Accounts And Rescinding All Previous Resolutions In Conflict Herewith. Approval of the July 12,2021 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. Appoint Bruce Jaffa and Lynda Paquette to the Port&Commerce Advisory Board with terms to expire July, 2024. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards Seward Pride Weekend Proclamation City Manager Report.City Manager Janette Bower introduced Jessra Snyder as the city's new finance director. Harbormaster Norm Regis said the US Coast Guard named Seward's new Fast Response Cutter(FRC)as Frederick Mann, named for a Navy veteran for his heroism during World War II. Bower said she was aware that there had been some parking issues in town, and wanted council to know it was being worked on. Parks&Recreation Direct Tyler Florence said some of the issues were people overstaying the time limits for parking, parking in handicap parking spots City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41,Page 480 without placards, and parking in restricted or prohibited areas. To address these concerns,he was working on re-painting areas, increasing signage, patrolling, citations, and warnings. Florence had been working for some time on trying to secure reliable, on-demand towing services,in conjunction with an increase in other enforcement measures.He was currently drafting a Request for Proposals(RFP) for towing services. He said one item to consider was the pricing for parking.As well,he said the Center Lot(just north of the Harbormaster's office)received the most complaints and had the most congestion; that lot was free and was the most premium location. Florence suggested that the best parking location should demand the highest parking fee; perhaps contracting out the management of the Center Lot could be an option,or even selling the Center Lot could be considered;in addition,perhaps installing automated gates or creating new remote satellite lots could also be considered. In response to Terry, Bower said she wanted council to be aware of the issues and that the city was working on the concerns, and would bring something back to council in the future. In response to Terry,Florence said revenues were good for parking;he had dramatically cut costs last year,partly due to the current labor shortage. Terry wondered how the camping revenue was looking so far. In response, Florence said camping revenues were at an all-time record high, partly due to the rate increases, but also the volume. McClure wondered about the status of the playground slide. Florence said the slide was in disrepair,his staff was trying to repair it, and he was in touch with the manufacturer to resolve it. Terry said she understood that R&M Engineers was investigating the sewage lagoon, and R&M had performed an initial inspection. In response to Terry, Bower said she would provide a report on what effluence was put into Resurrection Bay from the sewage lagoon. Other Reports and Announcements Chamber of Commerce Report by Jason Bickling.Bickling said he was happy to provide additional information in his report if council wished to see anything different.The Alaska Chamber of Commerce vaccination program was going on right now;anyone who received their vaccination could go to the Seward Chamber of Commerce and receive a$50 gift card for a local business. Bickling wished to have a conversation with council about the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) position for a new business development person to be in Seward. He thought it would be very beneficial for the entire community,and he believed it would be a well-run program. In response to Seese, Bickling said the online sign up for volunteers for the Silver Salmon Derby had launched and was now active. In response to Terry who asked for an update on the July 4th activities this year,Bickling said the boat parade was well received,the festival over the weekend was well attended,and on race day City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41, Page 481 the attendance appeared to be less, but still busy. Bickling added that sending the racers from the starting line in waves was very effective and the racers appreciated it. In response to Terry,Bickling confirmed that separating the festival activities from the race so they were held on different days was not a practice he intended to continue; it was a precaution this year due to COVID-19. Presentations Electric Infrastructure Conditions on Nash Road Presentation by Patrick Domitrovich and Rob Montgomery PUBLIC HEARINGS —None UNFINISHED BUSINESS Items Postponed from Previous Agenda Resolution 2021-078,Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Dawson Construction For The Design-Build Of The Seward Animal Shelter Project In The Amount Of $1,755,000, Plus A 10% Contingency, For A Total Amount Not To Exceed $1,930,500, And Appropriating Funds. This resolution was postponed,from July 12, 2021. Bower said she included some additional documentation in tonight's agenda packet, in response to the questions posed at the last council meeting, including the general fund unassigned fund balance and information about the motor pool fund. Baclaan thanked Bower for answering questions and providing the additional information.He said it was very important to him to make sure that citizens knew what was being voted on and how things were being funded. He appreciated all the citizen comments and emails, and supported this resolution. Motion to Amend (Casagranda/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-078 by striking "10% Contingency," and striking the amount "$930,500" and replacing it with "755,000". Casagranda said she has been told that construction material costs were soon expected to start dropping. She believed the contingency was unnecessary,and that if things changed going forward, then a request for additional funding could be brought forward. She believed the cost of materials in this contract were inflated and there would end up being room in the budget without a contingency. In response to DeMoss,Bower said if the contingency was removed,it would not impact the contract with the vendor at all because it was a lump sum contract; the contingency had been included so that the city could manage the contract without having to go back to council. Motion to Amend Failed Yes: Casagranda City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26,2021 Volume 41,Page 482 No: McClure, DeMoss, Seese, Osenga, Baclaan,Terry Motion to Amend (Casagranda/DeMoss) Amend Resolution 2021-078 in Section 3 by: 1) striking "fifteen (15) years" and replacing it with "thirty (30) years"; 2) striking the words, "at an interest rate of 5%"; and, 3) striking the words, "approximately $65,000 per year" and replacing it with "approximately $30,000 per year." Casagranda didn't believe it was necessary for one department to charge another department interest. Osenga wondered where these figures came from. In response, Bower said the finance department had created the terms, modeled on previous legislation. Bower added, relating to the interest rate, she was indifferent to it being required or not. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Main Motion Passed Unanimous NEW BUSINESS Ordinances for Introduction Ordinance 2021-006, Amending Portions Of Seward City Code 15.10.140 Definitions; 15.10.226 Land Uses Allowed, To Change, Update, And Accommodate The Wishes Of The Public To Promote Life Safety And Maintain A City Code That Reflects The Community's Needs. Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Introduce Ordinance 2021-006 Community Development Director Jackie Wilde said this ordinance was coming from the Planning and Zoning Commission(P&Z),following approximately three years of work.Much of the changes were in response to updates in the International Building Code and International Fire Code in recent years. Terry said she removed the introduction of this ordinance off the consent agenda because it was suggested that a joint work session between council and P&Z might be beneficial,and offered August 17, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. as a possibility. Casagranda was very interested in having a work session, but unfortunately would be unavailable from August 16-23, 2021. She offered to attend via telephone. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41,Page 483 Osenga wasn't sure work session was necessary,and said he would be happy asking his own questions individually.DeMoss had attended the P&Z meetings and felt she understood things pretty well. McClure had watched the P&Z meetings and was comfortable as well. Terry had questions regarding the insurance requirements;she was concerned that if the city was going to be reviewing insurance policies,the city may then become liable in some way.Wilde said other communities required insurance for lodging businesses; she was concerned that it could come back on the city and gave an example:someone was renting a room out of their house,but did not have a commercial insurance policy for that activity; something happened and a guest was injured; the guest filed a claim against the business owner, but because there was no commercial policy in place,the claim would go against the homeowners insurance;the homeowners insurance policy would not respond because it was a commercial activity;the business owner would be held personally liable and could potentially come back to the city with a counter-suit claiming that the city should have informed them that commercial insurance was required. Wilde said when visitors came to town, they were unfamiliar with their surroundings and their lodging accommodations. Her concern was based on life safety, and she believed requiring insurance for lodging was in the best interest of the city. In response to Terry,Wilde confirmed that short term rentals were handled differently from monthly rentals. Casagranda was interested in having a work session with P&Z; she had questions. Motion(Casagranda/Baclaan) Schedule a joint work session with the Planning& Zoning Commission. Baclaan said he had questions. DeMoss thought it would be a good idea to have a work session after all because there were a lot of changes being proposed. Motion Passed Unanimous Terry said the date of August 17 was proposed because that was already a date that P&Z was already scheduled to meet; she wanted to be considerate of everyone's time. Osenga was concerned with how long council was taking with this ordinance. He thought it was straightforward and that this was just basic rewording. Baclaan said he would appreciate some time to study the ordinance; he thought it was an important ordinance to understand. Council scheduled a joint work session with the Planning&Zoning Commission on August 17,2021 at 5:30 p.m. Casagranda requested that P&Z's minutes related to this topic be included in the work session packet,as well as examples of commercial insurance for lodging businesses. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41, Page 484 Main Motion Passed Unanimous This ordinance was introduced and will come for public hearing and enactment on August 9, 2021. Resolutions Resolution 2021-079, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With OpenGov, Inc. For An Online Business License Portal In The Amount Of$17,000, And Appropriating Funds. Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approve Resolution 2021-079 City Clerk Brenda Ballou reminded council that the city had previously contracted with a different company to provide an online business license and permitting program,but the vendor had defaulted on the contract. The contract being presented to council tonight was scaled back for an online business license program only,and the vendor ensured the city that they could get the program up and running in approximately two months. Casagranda was unclear how long the contract was proposed to last. Ballou stated the price quote in the packet indicated the contract would last for five years and the city would be billed the static rate of$11,450 each year. Casagranda wondered if there were any provisions that would allow the city to terminate the contract,should the city be dissatisfied with the vendor,or if this contract would obligate the city to pay for the five years regardless. Ballou understood the concern,and suggested council postpone the resolution to enable her to get additional language added to the contract. Motion to Postpone (Casagranda/McClure) Postpone Resolution 2021-079 to August 9, 2021. Motion to Postpone Passed Yes: Seese,Casagranda, Baclaan, DeMoss, McClure, Osenga No: Terry Council recessed at 9:01 p.m. Council resumed at 9:06 p.m. Resolution 2021-082, Approving The City Manager's Recommendation To Approve The Developer Incentive And Reimbursement Program Reimbursement Request Submitted By Phil Zimmerman. Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approve Resolution 2021-082 Bower said city code required the city manager to provide council with a written statement regarding her recommendation for approval. She included the entire legislative history for this City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41, Page 485 L project in the resolution,and was recommending 50%reimbursement. Bower said the city had paid for all the invoices on behalf of the developer, so the reimbursement was actually a credit in which the developer would repay the city as the properties sold. Two parcels were currently being sold. Motion to Amend (Terry/Casagranda) Amend Resolution 2021-082 by striking the title in its entirety and replacing it with a new title that reads, "A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Seward, Alaska, Accepting The City Manager's Recommendation To Approve The Developer Incentive And Reimbursement Program Application Received For The Gateway Subdivision, And Approving Reimbursement Of 50% Of The Costs Related To The Installation Of Public Utilities In The Amount Of$16,460.43 For Each Of The Thirteen Parcels, For A Total Amount Of$213,985.59." Terry said the amended title was more specific and appropriate,and more accurately reflected the intent of the resolution. Li.i. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Terry appreciated all the legislative history that Bower had included in the resolution. Main Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items Direct Administration to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a design/build project for a new Public Works facility. Bower was seeking direction from council to pursue a request for proposal for a new public works facility,and wanted some assurances that this was the direction they wanted her to pursue.She would not be issuing an RFP until there were ample opportunities to hold work sessions and obtain public input, but wanted to have something on the record indicating council's support. Motion (Terry/McClure) City council supports administration seeking a new location for the public works facility and pursuing a design-build model. L Terry said she worded her motion in that way to allow the city manager the flexibility to issue an RFP when administration felt the timing was right. In response to Osenga, Terry said it was her City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41, Page 486 understanding that administration was not yet ready to issue an RFP,but they would be moving in that direction if council approved this motion. Bower stated that she would potentially bring forward a discussion in the future on funding a new public works facility through a general obligation bond. Motion Passed Unanimous Terry stated that at the work session earlier this evening, council rescheduled the work session to review and discuss potential locations for a new public works facility to August 23,2021. She wondered if that work session would also include a discussion about the RFP as well. In response,Assistant City Manager Stephen Sowell said he had spoken with the Seward Bear Creek Flood Service Area Board and learned that the flood board had started work on updating flood information, so Sowell requested to wait until October, 2021 to discuss potential locations. Council scheduled a work session on October 25,2021 at 5:00 p.m.to review and discuss potential locations for a new public works facility. Terry said the discussions about relocating the public works facility had been ongoing for many years. She wished to solicit public input as part of the process on the front end so there would be no surprises down the road. Sowell said he anticipated using storyboards in the Community Room at the library and hosting listening sessions with the public to obtain input. In response to Sowell, several council members indicated they would prefer to provide feedback on potential locations to narrow the field, and then have administration engage the public for input. griti Direct Administration to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP) to repair and replace transmission infrastructure on Nash Road, along the Seward Highway, and its three substations. Bower said this request was a follow up to the presentation provided by the electric department which demonstrated the critical state of the poles along Nash Road. Casagranda was pleased that the electric department was looking ahead and bringing issues forward. She fully supported this request. McClure concurred, and said the good news was the electric department had a solid team and knew what they were talking about;she thought it was vital to get on this. Motion (Terry/McClure) Direct Administration to proceed with a Request for Proposals (RFP) to repair and replace transmission infrastructure on Nash Road, along the Seward Highway, and its three substations. Terry felt that administration was working on a good plan. She suggested the city consider hiring free lance grant writers,when appropriate,to seek funding sources. Casagranda concurred,as City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26,2021 Volume 41,Page 487 well as DeMoss.Casagranda added that improving the transmission lines to the other side of the bay might lead to opportunities for expansion in that area. Motion Passed Unanimous INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS June, 2021 City and Providence Financials CITIZEN COMMENTS Cliff Krug thanked council for approving the animal shelter resolution. Christiana Smith thanked council for approving the animal shelter resolution. She noticed that there appeared to be a lot of long-term infrastructure issues coming up,and encouraged council to keep whittling away at them;she suggested the city look into hiring grant writers for infrastructure funding on the federal level. She said,as a citizen,it was kind of difficult to follow information for various city departments because each department did their own thing;perhaps a city-wide approach would be better. She was concerned about the parking issues and wished there were better maps available. She wanted the south harbor uplands parking and the south parking lots to be addressed because they were unsafe to navigate when there was heavy traffic and people were parking free-for- all; in years past, she recalled that lanes had been chalked in the gravel and that was helpful. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Bower thanked council for their work tonight. She looked forward to working on the upcoming projects. DeMoss thanked Christiana Smith for speaking up about the various city departments; perhaps the variety of social media pages could be linked through the city's website. She congratulated Bruce Jaffa and Lynda Paquette for being re-appointed.Thanked Shelli McDowell for her hard work,Seward Pride Alliance for improving our community,Tyler Florence and Community Development for their hard work, and congratulated the Chamber of Commerce for a successful Fourth of July. Casagranda congratulated Lydia Jacoby and her family,the Tsunami Swim Club and their coaches,and the whole community for their support.It wasn't always easy to sit on the dais,or to get answers ahead of time; she fully supported the animal shelter and knew what a bad condition the current facility was in . Seese was excited for Lydia Jacoby. She thanked Lynda Paquette and Bruce Jaffa for reapplying to PACAB. Regarding Alaska Waste, Seese was happy to hear they may be providing more recyclables and additional dumpsters. She thanked Shelli McDowell for all her work and for caring so much. She would support getting a grant writer, if that came up in the future. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes July 26, 2021 Volume 41, Page 488 Osenga thanked council,administration and the departments.He congratulated Lydia Jacoby on her gold medal; everyone was very proud. Be safe out there. McClure congratulated Lydia Jacoby. She was beyond excited about the animal shelter. McClure was president of the Resurrection Bay Historical Society (RBHS), and had had a good meeting with the new Library Director Bailey Sayler and staff; she believed the library was in good hands.The library was open Tuesdays through Saturday. Please be bear aware;lots of bears were out and about. Baclaan congratulated Lydia Jacoby; everyone was so proud of her and her family. He thanked the chamber for trying to get more people vaccinated; he believed it was key to getting the economy back on track and to save peoples' lives. He reminded everyone that Seward Pride Weekend was July 30 through August 1,2021. He thanked everyone who took in Seward's homeless youth who had been turned away from their own families after coming out;there was support in the community to help. Terry welcomed the new finance director,and thanked Melody Moline for helping as interim finance director. She was excited that Seward would be receiving the new Fast Response Cutter, Frederick Mann, in 2024. She encouraged everyone to get vaccinated, and encouraged people to collect a S50 gift card. She thanked parks and recreation and administration for repairing the stairs at Second Lake. She met with Seward's new high school principal today, and shared that there had been some teachers who had turned down work in Seward due to housing issues; she assured the principal that the city was working on that issue. She was proud of Lydia Jacoby;our kids could do anything. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:49 p.m. rends J. 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