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Home My WebLink About11012023 PACAB Minutes City of Seward,Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 1, 2023 Volume 4, Page 134 CALL TO ORDER The November 1, 2023 regular meeting of the Port and Commerce Advisory Board was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Chair Bruce Jaffa. OPENING CEREMONY Bruce Jaffa led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Bruce Jaffa, presiding; and Lynda Paquette Fred Woelkers Benjamin Smith Tom Miller Dwayne Atwood Melissa Schutter comprising a quorum of the Board; and Jason Bickling, Acting City Manager Norm Regis, Harbormaster(telephonically) Tony Sieminski, Acting Harbormaster Kris Peck, City Clerk Excused—None Absent—None Vacant—None CITIZEN COMMENTS—None APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Paquette/Atwood) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Paquette removed Resolution 2023-004 from the consent agenda. PACAB added a report from the Chamber of Commerce to the agenda. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of October 4, 2023 PACAB Regular Meeting Minutes SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS City of Seward,Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 1, 2023 Volume 4, Page 135 Proclamations & Awards —None Administration Report Acting City Manager Jason Bickling provided an update on the heat loop project. Jaffa noted that City Council recently extended the PACAB Heat Loop Ad Hoc Committee to continue through February 2025. Schutter asked about infrastructure opportunities and sidewalk improvements. Bickling said it was on the legislative priorities capital improvements list. Bickling also noted the Kenai Peninsula Borough was collectively working on safety improvements for roads. Acting Harbormaster Tony Sieminski said the harbor had received recertification for being an Alaska Clean Harbor. Next week Sieminski would be attending the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. Jaffa asked how the harbor department advertised their job openings. Harbormaster Norm Regis responded (telephonically)that the job postings were advertised in several different locations, but mostly it was locals coming in and applying for the positions. Regis also provided an update on X-Float electrical infrastructure project. Other Reports and Announcements Alaska Railroad Report Port Operations Manager Dwayne Atwood summarized from his written report in the packet. Last night the Alaska Railroad hosted the Halloween carnival at the terminal while there was a cargo ship offloading. Jaffa noted the gondola railcars that appeared in Seward with colorful graffiti. Chamber of Commerce Report from Executive Director Samantha Allen introduced herself as the executive director as the Chamber of Commerce. The Board of Directors election window was currently open to chamber members. Allen provided a list of upcoming events around Seward. Allen summarized from her written report which was provided as a laydown. Paquette suggested a flat rate cleaning fee would encourage visitors to stay longer and make the most of the fee. Paquette asked if the Alaska Clean Harbor designated could be incorporated into the marketing. Allen said travelers were trending towards environmentally friendly destinations. City of Seward,Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 1, 2023 Volume 4, Page 136 Miller asked for more detailed statistics on visitors in terms of overall length of stay in Alaska. Allen said she would try to locate that data. Woelkers asked what percentage of visitors stays were dependent on fishing. Allen said one of the chamber's most common questions over the phone was about fishing charters. Paquette noted the chamber's Hometown Guide was difficult to keep current due to so many local businesses closing. UNFINISHED BUISNESS -None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Resolution 2023-004: Recommending The City Council Approval Of The 2023 Seward Boat Harbor Plan Motion (Paquette/Smith) Approve Resolution 2023-004 PACAB recommended adding the Alaska Clean Harbor designation to the introduction of the plan. Regis clarified that PACAB reviewed the harbor plan every year, and every five years the plan had to be approved by City Council. Jaffa asked about the South Harbor Uplands development project. Bickling said currently there was just a placeholder in the document for the uplands project. Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Discuss Work Session Topics for Council to Prioritize Paquette wanted to ask council if they could help with trying to simplify the complicated electric rates.Bickling suggested electric rate simplification as the topic.Jaffa suggested a broader review of the electric department. Paquette said functionality of the electric department would be something else entirely. Jaffa felt that council would not want PACAB to review the electric rates again as it had 111 already been reviewed recently. City of Seward,Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 1, 2023 Volume 4, Page 137 Paquette asked about the future of Sewage Lagoons and other technologies available. Bickling spoke to other facilities with a smaller footprint that had more advanced technology. Paquette asked about a climate action plan. Jaffa felt they had enough topics already. Paquette was under the impression that Seward was the only Alaskan Coastal Community that didn't have a climate action plan. Bickling clarified this discussion item would be coming before council on November 27, 2023 Jaffa asked for a Work Session topic for November 15, 2023 since it would be coming up before council had a chance to review the list. Scutter wanted to use the topic of critical services and businesses for the next PACAB work session. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS— Reminder of Meetings—Regular Meeting on December 6, 2023 Other Items - None CITIZEN COMMENTS—None BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Scutter thanked Sam Allen for her great Chamber of Commerce presentation. Atwood said he recently went through maritime training in Longview, Washington. He visited a port with eight docks moving large amounts of commodities. The new environment brought a new perspective. Woelkers said the PACAB work session topics should be specific, because a broad interpretation could lead to a messy political discussion. Smith provided an update on the heat pump at the Alaska Sealife Center. Paquette thanked Sam Allen for her Chamber of Commerce report. Paquette continued to be excited for the City of Seward and said the future looked bright. Jaffa said the participation of the community was essential to local government. He encouraged citizen comments. He thanked Allen for her report and thanked Regis for his telephonic participation. He felt there was enthusiasm growing in the city due to current administration City of Seward,Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 1, 2023 Volume 4, Page 138 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. L?/ ifl )2----- ---"J Kris Peck Bruce Jaffa City Clerk Chair (City Seal) .s`y OF SEiii ' . V gat G • SEAL . • 9 t ••i cS'.•4IN 9 • E1 1 �tiir 0, T'*....i��... ��, _it_OF A�-