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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04262023 PACAB Work Session Notes WORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board Called by: PACAB I Time: 12:00 pm I Date: 4/26/2023 Purpose: 1) 2024 City of Seward Legislative Priorities 2) SMIC Development Plan Present: Tony Sieminski, Stephen Sowell, Board Members Present: Kris Peck(Deputy City Clerk) Woelkers, Hughes, Jaffa, Paquette, Smith, Atwood (one vacancy) Called to order at noon Pledge by Chair Jaffa Topic 1) 2024 Legislative Priorities Jaffa asked administration if the priorities would be listed in order of importance. Sowell said they would be bullet points rather than numbers to avoid the appearance of importance. Lowell Tunnel Outfall 2027-2028 was the scheduled start time for this project. Smith said the Sealife Center staff was invited to a meeting with the US Army Corps to discuss the impacts. The constant blasting would be disruptive to the facility and animals. The Sealife's pumphouse would be buried in the process as well. Jaffa said the water pumphouse to the Sealife Center was already in jeopardy due to its location in the bay. Water & Sewer Expansion Paquette asked about when a new wastewater facility would be added to this list. Hughes asked what the administration was leaning towards with this expansion. Sowell responded housing takes place when the utilities were set up, and they were looking to continue expansion. Jaffa said that an additional or different type of sewage plant would be required in the future. There were different types of plants other than an open lagoon. Sowell responded the treatment plant across the bay would also need to be updated. Atwood asked if public works has said anything about new real estate to expand the sewage lagoons. PACAB would like to consider a new location for a brand-new sewage plant. Community Jail Woelkers would strongly support moving the jail out of city hall and into its own facility. The stairs, the public sidewalk and other factors made the current jail obsolete. Sowell said right now if there was an emergency overflow the inmates could be taken to Spring Creek Correctional Facility. It was the State of Alaska's legal responsibility to provide these services, not the city. When the city builds a new Police station, it will not include a jail. Currently half a million dollars of Seward's revenue went towards WORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board funding the community jail. In Kotzebue the contract pays them more than it costs to operate the jail, whereas Seward is only half funded. In June, the contract negotiations might get the jail 75%funded. Seward need to be fully funded to operate the jail. The jail has been basically the same since it was built in the 1960's and the State has not funded the maintenance. It is better to either fully fund us or close the jail downstairs and use Spring Creek Correctional Facility instead. Eventually the city would stop operating the jail. Woelkers said he worked at the Spring Creek when it first opened, and they have ways to keep separate the convicted vs non-convicted inmates. However, they would need additional officers to make this happen and currently they were already understaffed. Spring Creek indicated they would hire the city correctional officers. SMIC Infrastructure Sowell said there would not be a need to purchase new easements. Atwood asked the potential 20-acre land expansion and how that land would be used. Admin responded that no lease analysis has been done. Replacement of Old Piping Throughout Seward Paquette clarified that the $4 million was per 1000 feet of pipe. Admin responded that was correct. Sidewalk Improvements Jaffa noted the City Hall sidewalk and steps needed repair. Jaffa would be recommending adding heated sidewalks at every construction opportunity. Public Works Facility Sowell said the goal was to be at 35% design by the end of June 2023 in order to get a more accurate engineer estimate of the total cost. Jaffa asked if the project cost would include remediation at the current public works facility. Sowell responded it would be less than $100,000. An environmental consultant analyzed the core samples, and the contamination actually wasn't too bad. Z Float The focus of this project would be for larger vessels and to shorten the wait list for harbor slips. The moorage fees would be beneficial to the city. Jaffa asked if the new harbormaster office was on the table. The current office was surrounded by development and could no longer see the harbor. Paquette wanted to go on record to see the harbor master office relocation on the list of priorities. WORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board Airport Maintenance Jaffa asked admin if there was for one runway or two runways. Sowell responded the scope of the project was to advocate for ongoing maintenance, specifically wintertime maintenance. Paquette clarified this was saying "Hey DOT just please come and plow the runways." Sowell clarified that PACAB was in support of the funding and maintenance. Any expansion or other items would be a new item and would need to be very specific in scope. Other items to add to priority list: Paquette wanted to see a new city hall added to the list along with the harbormaster's office. She had been hearing about both projects for a long time. Atwood asked if a public safety building had been considered. Sowell responded there was a needs assessment survey underway. By December there would be an engineers estimate of doing a combined facility or stand-alone facility. Fire, Building, Dispatch, Police, DMV(no jail and no court) There would be estimated construction cost and recommendations for site selections. Sowell agreed the public safety facilities should be on the list to coincide with the survey. Sowell recommended the heat loop project be added to the list. PACAB agreed. Sowell asked what the scope of the project would be. Jaffa advised to keep the scope broad and it could be fine-tuned as technology improved. Sowell mentioned the recreation center was a possibility to be added to the list. Sowell said the city pays $400 a day to use the AVTEC gym. PACAB was in favor of adding the recreation center. Paquette asked about the Parks & Rec warehouse by the cemetery. Sowell said the US Coast Guard building by the Northeast Boat Ramp would become the new Parks & Rec building. The long-term plan would be to dispose of the warehouse and make a determination of what to use the property for. There was no need to add it to this plan since it was already in the works. Woelkers noted the warehouse might be of historical value due to being a Fort Raymond facility. ------------- Topic 2) SMIC Development Plan PACAB asked the harbor staff to provide a response to the citizen comments prior to PACAB going over each item. Sieminski said they would look at it this week and be ready by the May 17, 2023 PACAB work session. Jaffa would like to pencil it in for the May 17 work session. Paquette asked if the public works director could provide an update for wastewater lagoons. Work Session adjourned at 2:02 p.m.