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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05232022 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23,2022 Volume 42,Page 38 CALL TO ORDER The May 23, 2022 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Christy Terry. OPENING CEREMONY Deputy Police Chief Karl Schaefermeyer led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Christy Terry presiding and Sue McClure John Osenga Liz DeMoss Ristine Casagranda Mike Calhoon lady Wells comprising a quorum of the Council; and Janette Bower, City Manager Kris Peck,Acting City Clerk Excused—Wells Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Cheryl Seese,inside the city,wanted to recognize the Historic Preservation Awardee Mary Tougas for her contributions to the Seward Community Library and Museum.Tougas was a driving force in raising money and enthusiasm for the much-needed new facility, which was about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The modern museum contained a new feature called climate control which was essential for historic preservation. With the new facility in place there had been a lot of effort to work on restoration and organization of historic documents.Many boxes of photos,artwork and newspapers were mislabeled and suffered from water damage.Tougas had worked specifically on recovering the Seward Gateway Newspapers from 1904-1946. These historic newspapers were now organized in boxes and an index was created to go with it. The next step would be to create QR codes for detailed information online. This project would be a great benefit to the research and preservation of Seward's history. Carol Griswold,inside the city,said the Board of Adjustment appeal hearing was buried in the consent agenda. Appealing a zoning code by P&Z was not allowed by city code. The P&Z decision to fail the plat was logical.The rezone would nullify the camping that was taking place right now. The shortened timeline seemed more to do with convenience rather than an actual grievance. The filing fee payment was received too late and going beyond 30-day window for the hearing did City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23,2022 Volume 42,Page 39 not follow code. Having an independent attorney to represent P&Z would not covered by the$300 filing fee. Becky Dunn, outside the city, said there was a lot of land for sale within walking distance that was just waiting to be subdivided.She was disappointed with the lack ofpublic notice regarding the subdivision in Forest Acres Campground. She wondered if an incentive could be established to benefit anyone who rented a portion of their house as ayear-round rental to helpwith the housing crisis. Joe Tougas, inside the city, said he had no opposition to the housing development idea in Forest Acres. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (McClure/Terry) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Calhoon removed Resolution 2022-070 and Resolution 2022-073 from the consent agenda. Terry pulled the Wrestling Proclamation to allow the team and coaches to attend in person. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2022-071,Authorizing The City Manager To Sign An Extension For The Special Services Contract Between The City Of Seward And The Department Of Public Safety That Provides Dispatch, Parking, And Clerical Services To Public Safety Employees In Seward, And Access To Data Master For The Alaska State Troopers And Fish & Game Wildlife Protection Officers For$36,000. Resolution 2022-072, Approving Change Order 1 In The Amount $35,896.72 For The Construction Contract With Harris Sand & Gravel For The North East Launch Ramp Renovation Project, And Appropriating Funds. Approval of the May 12, 2022 City Council Special Meeting Minutes. Non-objection to the renewal of liquor license#3021 Restaurant/Eating Place for the Alaska Seafood Grill. Schedule a Board of Adjustment Appeal Hearing for Planning& Zoning Resolution 2022-010 on June 27,2022 at 5:30 p.m. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23, 2022 Volume 42,Page 40 National Safe Boating Week Proclamation Memorial Day Proclamation National Poppy Day Proclamation Seward PRIDE Weekend Proclamation City Manager Report. City Manager Janette Bower presented a timeline of the Lowell Point landslide as a laydown for the meeting. She highlighted Metco's cautious and dangerous work as they cleared the slide area of trees and boulders. During the road closure,Miller's Landing and Aurora Charters provided water taxi service between Seward and Lowell Point. Bower was cautiously optimistic the road would open on Friday, May 27, 2022 at noon. After Memorial Day Weekend,the road would close for additional work on Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m.Bower emphasized this schedule was all subject to change at any moment.Metco's vision of the road opening sounded very safe. The mountain base was taken back to rock so there would be no more breakage. In the unlikely event that more rocks fell, there was a 10-foot deep trench between the road and the mountain.Bower thanked everyone involved for their patience and support to get this done.Terry expressed her admiration for Metco being a local business that could step up to such a high level. Terry asked about the status of a community survey for a proposed indoor recreation center. Bower responded the survey would close on June 1, 2022 and there would be an article in the Seward Journal with the results. Terry asked if there was any objection to going past the date of June 13,2022 for discussion of the sale of the electric utilities.She felt it was too soon considering how much time had been spent on the landslide. There was no objection from council. Terry asked if there were any updates on the Greene Forensic audit. In response,Assistant City Manager Steven Sowell said that administration met with Greene Forensic accounting and Greene reported they needed authorization for additional staff time.Sowell authorized the extra time along with permission to access all the city's records. Administration was awaiting the results. Information Technology Manager Dustin Phillips said the Information Technology department had assisted Greene Forensic with the audit report data.DeMoss asked about the user input data that was previously reported missing. Phillips confirmed the user input data was still missing. Casagranda noticed the May 17, 2022 Planning&Zoning work session was cancelled and asked if there was a rescheduled date.Community Development Director Jason Bidding he hoped to reschedule to June 14,2022,but first wanted to confirm attendance among commissioners. McClure asked for a hiring status update on the vacant Parks&Recreation Director position. Bower responded the posting was closed and interviews had begun. Bower also mentioned that no City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23, 2022 Volume 42, Page 41 one bid on the gardening services for Parks& Recreation,however there was some new interest in the position. Terry stated there would be a special meeting on July 11,2022 at 5:30 p.m.regarding the top three locations for the new public works shop. Other Reports and Announcements—None Presentations Seward Wilderness Compost Project presentation by the Seward Wilderness Collective. PUBLIC HEARINGS Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing Resolution 2022-069,Approving The Lease For The Land Use Agreement Of Parcel#14403082 Located At 2617 Maple Street With Seward Wilderness Collective In Support Of Pilot Project: Seward Compost, And Authorizing The City Manager To Reduce Lease Payment Requirements For The Seward Wilderness Collective; Seward Compost. Motion (McClure/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2022-069 Sowell said the soil quality in Seward was not great and anything we could do to boost food security in our community was a good idea. From his personal experience in Juneau,he lived three blocks away from a similar compost setup and never even noticed it. Administration supported this project. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. Trent Gould, inside the city, said composting programs and farmer's markets brought incredible opportunities to this town. The Wilderness Collective had a good understanding of wildlife and took these concerns very seriously. He thanked everyone for their consideration. Lori Landstrom, outside the city, recalled how brown bears in her back yard had never shown much interest in her compost piles. She supported this resolution. The community compost would be a wonderful project in our town. It would be a shame to take up space in the Soldotna landfill with food waste when it could be composted here instead. The lack of actual soil in Seward was an issue. There was plenty of gravel here, but not good soil for gardening. Joe Tougas,inside the city, said he was in support of the project,but not the location for it. Wildlife and traffic would be problematic. He recommended the dump transfer site property as one example of a more appropriate location. Tougas emphasized his support of the project itself, but thought better locations were easily available. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23, 2022 Volume 42,Page 42 Sharyl Seese, inside the city, supported this project,but would like to see them talk to the Kenai Peninsula Borough about using a location near the transfer site. Cheryl Seese,inside the city,recalled how shocked she was by the soil shortage in Seward for her garden. She was in full support of this project. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed. Terry asked Gould if he had spoken to the Kenai Peninsula Borough about available land. Gould responded they had asked and received no response. Terry questioned why the operational set up wasn't in the lease agreement.Sowell responded that specific operations may change over time. Administration tried to keep it simple by using a typical lease agreement with the city attorney.Terry cautioned there would be no recourse for the city if Wilderness Collective changed their operation,because it had not been specified in the lease. Osenga believed the lease stated any party could terminate the lease within 30 days. If complaints start to mount, perhaps the city would have an option to terminate the lease. Osenga expressed concern that a 10-year lease was a long commitment. Council recessed the meeting at 8:19 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 8:25 p.m. DeMoss already knew the owners of the Wilderness Collective and felt they were very responsible. There were a lot of people who had compost piles in their yards that had likely gone unnoticed by neighbors. She also trusted administration on the choice of land that they selected. Calhoon said he supported the project,but questioned the location.The smell of the compost was not a concern for him. He felt such a big piece of property being tied up for 10 years was possibly not the best use for it.A different location or a shorter lease would be his preference.Based on the fact that they were voting on the lease itself,he would not support the resolution at this time. Casagranda suggested postponing the project until the administration could contact the borough about using other property for this project. A shorter lease could also be considered. McClure would be in favor of postponement in order to discuss a shorter lease and an alternative location. Motion to Postpone (Casagranda/McClure) Postpone Resolution 2022-069 to June 13, 2022. Osenga felt there was educational and informative opportunities for residents to learn more about the project. Currently, residents might not understand exactly what was being planned. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23, 2022 Volume 42, Page 43 DeMoss wanted to postpone and discuss a one-year lease for a pilot project with an option to extend. Casagranda wondered if an addendum could be included that had specifics on using sealed compost containers. Motion to Postpone Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Resolution 2022-070,Authorizing The City Manager To Extend The Contract With Carmen Jackson CPA, LLC For Finance And Accounting Services In An Amount Not To Exceed $250,000 And Appropriating Funds. Motion (McClure/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2022-070 Bower said in December,2021,the contract with Carmen Jackson appropriated an estimated amount of S 125,000. Since then, she had hoped to hire a finance director; the city was also short four other positions in the Finance Department. Carmen Jackson would be performing additional duties to cover this staffing issue, which was the reason the appropriated funds had doubled to S250,000. Calhoon thanked Bower for clarifying the shortage of positions in the finance department was having an impact on this contract. DeMoss asked if a longer-term contract with a better rate had been discussed.Bower said she had not asked about a longer-term contract yet, but she would reach out and get more information. Terry clarified this contract would expire on December 31, 2022. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2022-073, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With NorthStar Utilities Solutions (Harris Computers) For Technical Services For The Upgrade And Migration Of The NorthStar CIS Software At A Cost Of$66,654 And Appropriating Funds. Motion (McClure/Osenga) Approve Resolution 2022-073 Bower said this was a one-time cost and the city utility billing software was in need of an update to the latest version. 3 City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23,2022 Volume 42,Page 44 Casagranda asked how many years behind the city was in upgrading. Phillips said the last time the software was upgraded was 2018. Calhoon wanted make sure this contract was a one-time cost for the update.He hoped the city would keep up with the upgrades and not get so far behind. Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items—None INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS City Financials for the First Quarter of 2022 for the period ending March 31, 2022. Happy Youth Programs&Educational Resources(HYPER)Financials for the period ending March 31, 2022. CITIZEN COMMENTS Cheryl Seese continued with her support of Mary Tougas who was delving into a collection of 40,000 historic Seward photos to make them available online. The next historic preservation award was going to Doug Capra for his research on Rockwell Kent. Capra had also written a one hour play about Alaska Nellie.Capra's passion to share history had made him worthy to receive this award. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Casagranda thanked Cheryl Seese for her passion for historic preservation.History could be a tricky topic to get others excited about and the Historic Preservation commissioners had helped showcase how cool local history was. She admired how they showcased a variety of topics such as trees and people, as well as historic buildings. • Calhoon thanked all the volunteers who helped with Armed Forces.Day,.They had a great hot dog feed at the Harbormaster's office.He thanked Metco,.the water taxis and administration for all the effort they put into the Lowell Point Road emergency. He congratulated-Sharon Ganser for being awarded Volunteer of the Year by the State of Alaska. Also, he a big thank you to Mary Tougas, Doug Capra and the others involved with preserving Seward's history. Calhoon thanked council for being able to slow down and make informed decisions. • Osenga was glad to see all the progress made on Lowell Point Road. DeMoss thanked administration for their work on the landslide,in addition to all their regular duties. She had received compliments from the organizers of the Mermaid Festival who were thankful for the city's help with getting the parking lot ready. In regard to some of the more City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes May 23,2022 Volume 42,Page 45 controversial issues that had come up at council meetings,she wondered if there was a better way to get information out to the public so they didn't feel blindsided. DeMoss encouraged everyone to spread the word that HYPER was creating a lot of opportunities for child care in Seward and this would be a big help to the economy. McClure echoed all comments.The Harbor Opening Weekend and Mermaid Festival were both fantastic. The overall response to the landslide had been amazing. Calhoon forgot to mention earlier that May 25,2022 would be the annual Combat Fishing Tournament.About 225-250 active duty personal from military installations around the state would be coming to Seward for a free day of fishing. The American Legion had been involved in that program since its creation 16 years ago. Terry said Harbor Opening Weekend and the Mermaid Festival were a great way to start the summer season. She thanked the borough, the state and the governor for being so attentive to the Lowell Point Road landslide emergency.During this road closure,Lowell Point residents had gone through some very hard times and it was important to be compassionate. Terry announced that she had accepted a new job position with the Alaska Railroad in Anchorage. Her family planned to relocate to Anchorage in the fall. She still intended to serve as mayor as long as possible during this time while she remained a resident of Seward. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Kris Peck 's Terry Acting City Clerk Mayor (City Seal) .••y OF SEfv''•, GORP Ol4114)% • � SEAL • . s �P