HomeMy WebLinkAbout09182024 PACAB Work Session NotesWORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board
Called by: PACAB
Purpose: Legislative Priorities
Present: Tony Sieminski (Harbormaster)
Jodi Kurtz (Deputy City Clerk)
Jason Bickling (Deputy City Manager)
Called to order at 12:OOpm
Time: 12:00 pm
Date: 9-18-2024
Board Members Present:
Regis, Schutter, Jaffa, Smith, Miller
Excused: Atwood, Groom
Work session to work on Legislative Priorities.
Bickling spoke on background on priorities then how board can discuss and make any recommendation
or future priorities.
Work with lobbyist to develop this document (List separate- general facts and map of Seward to
show to Legislators) this is the 3`d year doing it this way. Document is made up of infrastructure pieces.
Pg 5 — Lowell Creek Tunnel — keep up front and funded in Jan 2022 through Jobs Act.
Regis — stated Core doesn't have to go back to congress to get more funding.
(State and Federal)
Priorities as far as the ones that we could get money for not necessarily in the order they are in.
Lobbyists are
Construction cost has gone up significantly of doing the tunnel and will not affect the completion of
them doing it.
Pg 6 — New Public Works Facility
Will save money on maintenance cost. At 65% design right now and moving to 95% design.
(Learned that we need to be at 15% design to be able to access money easily and more quickly.
Pg 7 Expansion of Water and Sewer
Looking for Federal Funding
Bottom for Jail will be removed as Jail is shut down. Other things are in place for this for
custodian issues. Not priority for us as we are no longer in the business for a jail.
Pg 8 Aging Infrastructure - Old Piping with New Ductile Iron Piping
Schutter - Money that the State of AK getting from Act coming into AK — are we getting money for
this? (This is process to get access to those funds)
Pg 9, 10 & 11 — City Council gave money for feasibility Study for these priorities - New Fire
Department/Police Department — need to be replaced. Updated Figures.
Pg 12 & 13 — SMIC Infrastructure for better business on that side
WORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board
Pg 14 — Harbor Float Extension Project -Tony has talked with engineer, estimate came in a lot higher
than hoping for. And probably do one float off the Z float.
Pg 15 — Sidewalk Replacements — none this last 2 years due to other construction stuff going on but
would like additional money to replace
Pg 16 — Heat Loop Project — applying for phase 2 (end of month due for grant)
Pg 17 — new Harbormaster office - feasibility Study on — where you can actually see the Harbor
Pg 18 — New Wastewater Treatment Facility — more Environmentally Friendly
Jaffa asked board members for questions
Regis — took this to DC. Don't want to many priorities.
Bickling — get funding every year, just is different every year. You get some money. SMIC received
$250K. Murkowski pushed the Lowell Creek Tunnel through.
Smith — questioned if SMIC extension could be tied into this.
Have more discussion as more things come into SMIC (Coast guard, etc.).
Miller — lean on the cruise ship facility to help with cost? Utilities?
Head tax funds. CPV funds (restrooms, expanding lagoon).
Jason mention going away from a lagoon system, but towards smaller and deeper and have internal
higher tech more expensive. Water put back into ocean is cleaner.
Talk on funding of engineering and commitment of the city. (Fire Station 15% is on agenda for Monday
Council Mtg)
Reducing for Harbormaster — Question reducing expansion for Z Float — reduce dock space
• Double up on barges
• Permitting and RFP Grants
Jaffa — incorporate into priorities
• Energy (Consumption/Preservation) other than heat loop project
• Public Buildings (City Hall being one of them)
Jaffa wants to see the formatting the same. Shows where the administration would leave us.
Energy - down through the railroad (LNG, Liquid Natural Gas) — time for Seward to get on this. Has the
right of way to get it down here and maybe jump on board and helps the infrastructure part.
Strategic Planning — Look at Comprehensive Plan (Look, good Services, etc.) — CD is looking at and
will be making it a more living document then base our strategic plan off that.
• Reactive instead of proactive
WORK SESSION NOTES Port and Commerce Advisory Board
• Update every 5-10 years
• Future about energy and planned replacement of things
Jaffa - City has awarded a design that existing Public Works site. Utilities installed already. So when
building moves it is ready for development.
• No phase of demoing property.
• Environmental Study is complete and cleaned up.
Jaffa questioned SMIC Development/Infrastructure — JAG Lease and Property
• Drainage issue
• Pedestals
• Lift — fencing
• Cameras — Cargo
Phil Kaluza — Presented on Electrifying Seward: A Declining Block Rate Incentive — Heat Pump
Adopting (See Handout given)
Proposal — some money is better than no money
Looking for feedback later
Buildout of recent development
Heat Pumps — around town
Residential transformers upgraded
Environment benefits
Energy increases sales
Consumer get reducing in heating cost
Miller - nothing
Smith — Review this, impressive document, look forward to seeing revisions, keep simple to the point,
city's work to get design concepts ready and forward looking and shows they are working in the best
interests of the community.
Regis — keep simple. Last week, at VA clinic, overheard tourist talking about how amazed how clean
our town looked. Impressed on how they talked about how cleaned we looked to other peninsula towns.
Schutter - nice book, thanked the city for putting this together and sharing legislative priorities and to
learned about how this works.
Jaffa — looking forward not being reactive but forward looking, the heat loop project is moving forward.
Presentation will be made in mid -October on the Heat Loop on decision to award for the down select
group of the build Phase 2 by end of year and construction start in 2025. Electric rates did change the
economics slightly. Benefit is a benefit, don't step over a penny to pick up a nickel, pick up both.
Adjourned at: 1:l 1pm