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Home My WebLink About01152025 PACAB PacketPort & Commerce Advisory Board Agenda Packet yx re Photo by Ashleigh Lipsey Wednesday, January 15, 2025 City Council Chambers 12:00 p.m. 1963 1965 2005 kintual All-Amenca City 1 I I.. The City of Seward, Alaska PORT AND COMMERCE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AGENDA City Council Chambers, 410 Adams Street Please silence all cell phones and devices during the meeting Chair Bruce Jaffa Board Member Norm Regis Harbormaster Tony Sieminski Vice Chair Benjamin Smith Board Member Jesse Groom City Clerk Kris Peck Board Member Dwayne Atwood Vacant Executive Admin Ashleigh Lipsey Board Member Melissa Schutter January 15, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT (Those who have signed in will be given the first opportunity to speak. Time is limited to 3 minutes per speaker and 36 minutes total time for this agenda item.) 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA (Approval of Consent Agenda passes all routine items (marked with *) listed in this section. Consent Agenda items are not considered separately unless a board member requests. In the event of such a request, the item is returned to the Regular Agenda.) A. Minutes of Preceding Meeting 1)* Approve December 4, 2024 Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes...4 B. Resolutions — None C. Other Items — None 6. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS, AND REPORTS A. Proclamations and Awards — None B. City Administration Report .8 C. Other Reports and Announcements 1) Alaska Railroad Report 19 2) Chamber of Commerce Report 20 D. Presentations (Presentations are limited to ten minutes each, excluding Q&A, and are limited to two per meeting unless increased by the board.) 1) Alaska Railroad and The Seward Company (Port of Tomorrow) Dock Projects 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS — None PACAB Meeting Agenda January 15, 2025 1 1 P a g e 8. NEW BUSINESS A. Resolutions — None B. Other New Business 1) Nominate Chair and Vice Chair 9. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS (No action required.) A. Reminder of Meetings 1) Regular Meeting on February 5, 2025 B. Other Items — None 10. CITIZEN COMMENTS (There is no sign in for this comment period. Time is limited to five (5) minutes per speaker.) 11. BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS AND RESPONSES TO CITIZEN COMMENTS 12. ADJOURNMENT PACAB Meeting Agenda January 15, 2025 2 1 P a g e City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes December 4, 2024 Volume 4, Page CALL TO ORDER The December 4, 2024, regular meeting of the Port and Commerce Advisory Board was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Chair Bruce Jaffa. OPENING CEREMONY Board Member Dwyane Atwood led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Bruce Jaffa, presiding, and Benjamin Smith Dwayne Atwood Melissa Schutter Jesse Groom Norm Regis comprising a quorum of the Board; and Tony Sieminski, Harbormaster Kris Peck, City Clerk Jodi Kurtz, Deputy City Clerk Ashleigh Lipsey, Executive Admin Excused — Smith, Groom Absent — None Vacant — One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT Phil Kaluza, inside city limits, spoke on heat pump incentives, emphasizing return on investment and reducing oil use for heating. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Atwood/Regis) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approve November 6, 2024, PACAB Meeting Minutes 4 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes December 4, 2024 Volume 4, Page SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATION, AND REPORTS City Administration Report Executive Admin Ashleigh Lipsey reported on the tree lighting ceremony, parking enforcement, and harbor project updates. City Clerk Kris Peck noted a laydown for PACAB on a draft of a city clerk sponsored ordinance regarding the board. PACAB discussed the laydown with the clerk and a possible revised meeting schedule. Other Reports and Announcements Alaska Railroad Report Seward Port Manager Dwayne Atwood updated the board on cargo operations and cruise ship schedules. He said there was a presentation on dock projects and shore power planned for PACAB on January 15, 2025. Chamber of Commerce Report Chamber Board President Melissa Schutter reported on the ongoing discussions of bed tax funding and contract negotiations between the chamber and the city. Presentations Comprehensive Plan Surveys by Community Development Director Daniel Meuninck and City Planner Courtney Bringhurst NEW BUSINESS Other New Business Discuss Rebates and Incentives for Alternative Energy Jaffa summarized prior discussions on heat pump block rate proposals. Electric Operations Supervisor Taylor Crocker discussed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) benefits, including real-time monitoring and potential incentives. Special guest Phil Kaluza emphasized implementing heat pump programs without delays. PACAB discussed AMI costs, policy steps, and potential upgrades. 5 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes December 4, 2024 Volume 4, Page INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Reminder of Meetings PACAB calendar update: PACAB cancelled their December 18, 2024 work session due to proximity to Christmas Holiday. PACAB rescheduled their Wednesday, January 1, 2025 meeting rescheduled to January 15, 2025 due to New Year's Day Holiday. This meeting would replace the work session. BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Lipsey appreciated Meuninck and Bringhurst for their community wide presentations on the Comprehensive Plan. Lipsey drew attention to the new City Manager Newsletter as a way for the community to stay informed. Sieminski supported Community Development's efforts with the Comprehensive Plan surveys and encouraged everyone to complete the surveys. He said it was nice to see an audience in the front row. Regis thanked Community Development for the presentation on surveys, and thanked Phil Kaluza for the information on the heat pumps. Regis mentioned the community Christmas Party at the SeaLife Center tomorrow and Santa was going to be there with snacks and drinks Schutter thanked the Community Development presenters today. She thanked Taylor Crocker and Phil Kaluza for sharing their expertise. She thanked city administration for the wonderful Christmas light decorations. Lastly, she mentioned the Seward Rotary Club had partnered with the Parks & Recreation Department for a Breakfast with Santa event on on Dec 14, 2024. Regis added more information on upcoming Christmas events. Atwood echoed previous comments. He appreciated the presentation from Community Development and the Comprehensive Plan surveys. He thanked the City Clerk for being proactive with the draft ordinance. Atwood recalled the seasonal PACAB hiatus was geared towards board members who were gone all summer for fishing. He thanked Taylor Crocker for information on metering and power. Lastly, Atwood wished everyone a happy holiday season. Jaffa highlighted the one vacancy on PACAB encouraged people to apply. Jaffa also addressed the end of the PACAB Heat Loop Committee. Jaffa suggested the board could provide feedback for the clerk on proposed code changes. He thanked Community Development for their excellent presentation. Lastly, Jaffa also thanked Taylor Crocker and Phil Kaluza for speaking at the meeting. 6 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes December 4, 2024 Volume 4, Page Kurtz added that Groom was excused for this meeting. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m. Jodi Kurtz Bruce Jaffa Deputy City Clerk Chair (City Seal) 7 City Manager Report January 13, 2025 Happy New Year, and I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. With the new year, the city of Seward implemented a change in our billing practices for utilities. In the past, residents INSIDE city limits received one bill that included both their water and electric bills. Starting with the January billing cycle, residents INSIDE CITY LIMITS received two bills. One bill is for their electricity and the second bill is for their water and sewer. There were no changes or increases in rates on either bill. The only change is in how they are delivered. Why did we make this move? First and foremost — cost efficiency. The Electric Department is an enterprise fund, meaning that the department recovers the costs of providing these services through user charges, aka rates. However, annually, the electric department pays an "administrative fee" to the general fund for services like accounting, bill payment, general computer programs, and other shared services. This fee is incorporated into the city's electric rate. To be more efficient and cost effective, and to decrease the administrative fee over time, we're consolidating services under the electric department. This means that electric department employees will be the ones creating and handling your electric bill. So, if you have a question about starting a service, about your bill or meter, or anything electric related - you can get all the answers at the electric department building. With this change, and others, we were able to budget for a 2-cent winter rate decrease starting October 2025. We also made this change to allow people to better understand their bills. I've had several conversations with people over the past week as this change has been implemented that were uneasy about the "new" water and sewer bill. This fee has always been incorporated into the monthly bills sent to utility users inside city limits but lumped together to become the "electric bill." So, to move towards higher transparency in both our rates and our communications, as well as increased accountability, we separated the bill. And another big reason why we separated the bills? Our auditors recommended it. It's important to maintain simple and transparent accounting practices, and this helps the city do better on that front. Now, here's the part where we need you! All electric department customers who were enrolled in auto pay are still enrolled in autopay. But as for your water bill? To separate the bills, we had to create a "new profile" for the water. This means residents INSIDE city limits that would like their water bill on autopay need to enroll in autopay. You can do so by following the instructions below. Thank you all for your feedback and understanding as we take this big step towards higher efficiency in our locally owned and operated electric utility. 8 *IMPORTANT* CHANGES TO YOUR UTILITY BILL AS OF JANUARY 1, 2025 ELECTRIC -ALL CUSTOMERS As of January 1, 2025, all services related to your electric bill will be handled at the Electric Dept at the City Hall Annex building at 238 Fifth Avenue - not City Hall. FOR CUSTOMERS INSIDE CITY LIMITS As of January 1, 2025, you will receive two separate bills for your utilities, each with a separate account number - one for electric and one for water/sewer. The electric bill account number will be carried over from your existing account. You will receive a separate water/sewer bill with a new account number. Pay water/sewer bills at the utility counter at City Hall. Pay electric bills at the City Hall Annex. AUTO PAY If you are an autopay customer, you will need to set up another autopay for your water/sewer payment with your new account number. This means you will have two separate autopay schedules for each utility. You can set up autopay at the City of Seward website. • Click the blue circle below the Search bar that says BILL PAY • Under the Utility Billing heading click the link to setup AutoPay-you will be rerouted to the Paymentus website • Signup to create a new autopay for electric or water/sewer. Login to setup another autopay. Simplify your life? Register to use the Customer Portal and get access to more reformation and features than ever before. • Manage and pay multiple accounts • Set-up and manage AutoPay • View past bills Login Signup PAccounts -_� Pay My Bill tz AutoPay Bill History Payment History Oti My Wallet • My Profile CO Log out Pow'ed by i Peron. Pnvacy Nonce pnnary Nonce to California ResdeRn Bill Payment Tmns and Cnndinans Payment AnMowaon Teens SMST CommunkanonTern-nand Privar Customer Portal Accounts Utility Bill (Consumer) # Account Details = Date Due Amount Due Dec 20.2024 $384.44 AutoPay Frequency Bill amount on the due date Mort View Ali Paymenrs Pay BITE View Bill Payment Method OAdd Account 9 Add Account All fields are required unless labeled as optional. Account Information Payment Type 0 ' ` Biz Utility Bill (Business) ' Utility Bill (Consumer) Please enter your 10 digit account number excluding the first three digits. Your account number is located in the top right hand corner of your Utility Bill. Account Number nter your account number New account number goes here for Water and Sewer. This number can be found here in Terms & Conditions Read the Payment Authorization Terms your utility bill. agree to the Payment Authorization Terms. Back to Accounts Add Account Due ante ..........Customer Ammo Number XX-XXXXXXXX-XX Amount Due Service Address 441 (14 Amount Enclosed Set up auto pay on next screen 10 Customer Portal Accounts Utility Bill (Consumer) # Account Details Date Due Jan 20, 2025 AutoPay Edit Amount Due Frequency Bill amount on the due date Pay Bill View Bill Payment Method Utility Bill (Consumer) # Account Details Date Due Jan 20, 2025 AutoPay CID More More View All Payments View All Payments ECM Amount Due Frequency Bill amount on the due date Pay Bill View Bill Payment Method Set up auto pay here for Water and Sewer 11 In other news, we continue to have regular meetings with the Alaska Railroad, Tote Maritime, Federal DOT, and MARAD to further the conversation on Port Resilience and the Seward Freight Dock expansion project. The discussions are around making sure the expansion has adequate facilities and capacity if something were to happen to the Port of Alaska in Anchorage. I will be absent from the next council meeting as I attend the Cruise Line Industry of Alaska Pacific Northwest Conference in Vancouver, Canada at the end of January. I look forward to bringing back lots of great information. Thanks, Kat IT Department Happy New Year! Take this opportunity to update your passwords on your sensitive accounts, like social media, banking and email. Follow Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) best practices and use a unique password for each service and use long passwords that include special characters that are not based on any personal information. If you haven't already look into a password manager and be sure to enable MFA (Multi -Factor Authentication) on all accounts that offer it. Fire Department • Emergency Responses for the Year 2024: 510 • Building Permits Issued for the Year 2024: 60 with building valuation of $8,262,957.08 • Fire and Life Safety Inspections 2024: 472 Seward Parks and Recreation Department Sports & Recreation: • Leagues starting up for the 2025 season • Collaboration with the SeaLife center every Monday from 5 — 6:30 p.m. with various games, activities, & crafts that teaching kids about the beautiful wildlife around us • Open Mic Winter Bonfire was held Thursday January 9 • Polar Bear Winter Carnival Sat, January 18, 1— 4 p.m. at the AVTEC gym • Step off Challenge is the month of January. Winner receives a Fitbit Charge 6! Teen Rec Room: • Open house Fri, Jan 17th from 4 to 6pm — permission slips and TRR guidelines will be available • Teen Rec Room opens Mon, Jan 20th hours of operation will be Mon — Fri 2 to 8pm. 12 • Teen Rec Room improvements include — new flooring in the entire space, new furniture, musical instruments, brand new X-Box, ping pong table, foosball table • Creating a logo for the Teen Rec Room Campgrounds: • Campground Online Reservations are now open for the 2025 season! • Advertising for 2025 Campground hosts • Campground set up for 2025 • Working on a Portable Toilet RFP for 2025 advertising proposal • Shower house improvements: Replacing lighting, replacing all shower parts. Park Maintenance: • KUDOS to the Park Maintenance crew for getting the Teen Rec Room in tip top shape in record time! Continued maintenance ongoing at the facility • Help with removing a hazardous tree at Two Lakes trail in addition to other improvements at the park • Refurbishment of park signs and benches • Working with Campgrounds to improve and reconfigure the Resurrection South tent area Administration: • Working on the SPRD Master Plan • Updating the Senior Center MOA • Looking at grants to improve the Two Lakes Trail • Teen Rec Room Transition — policies, guidelines, permission slips, programming, staffing, etc. Parking: • Ordering new, clearer parking signs • Getting the Parking Shack operational for the 2025 season. The goal is to have a staff person onsite at the South Launch lot to provide better customer service SPRD 2024 Highlights: Sports and Rec: Over 70 programs, classes and special events offered, 5 adult leagues, 2 kids league, 2 kids summer camps, 1 kids winter camp, several kids clinics, 1 senior adventure camp, offered 8 races, brought back the volleyball invitational tourney in April with 12 teams that competed, will run softball league in the Summer 2025, Acquired over 40 sponsors, Teen Rec Room transition. 13 Park Maintenance: Painted all outdoor restrooms and ballfield dugouts/pavilion, installed footbridge at the boy scout steps park (across from Rotary pavilion), seeded and fertilized park areas and green spaces, Two Lakes Park improvements, assembled and stained over 50 picnic tables replacing old tables, created new picnic day use area at Williams tent, refurbished all park and campground signs/bulletin boards, installed 3 new memorial benches and 2 interpretive signs, painted Benny Benson Anchor and freshened up signs in park areas. Campgrounds: Repainted inside of Shower house, replaced control box and sump pumps at the Shower house, painted and re -numbered car stops, enhanced campground host program, updated online reservation platform, resurfaced Campgrounds. Parking: Reintroduced parking enforcement, implemented UPsafety electronic enforcement through the T2 system, resurfaced Uplands parking lot. Gardening program was a huge success! Thank you to all the countless volunteers/staff maintaining over 24 gardens throughout the Summer! Kudos to all Parks and Rec staff, looking forward to a great 2025! Community Development • The Planning & Zoning Commission held a meeting on Tuesday, January 7. Based on recommendations from the Municipal Lands Inventory and Management Plan, they approved three preliminary plats for Kawabe Park (Page 92), Spring Creek Campground (Page 99), and Fourth of July Beach (Page 102). Those items should be on the Monday, January 27 City Council meeting agenda. • The Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a joint work session with City Council on Monday, January 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. They plan to share their recent work and discussions on marijuana establishment regulations, building height, and accessory dwelling units. If time allows, they will also share their priorities for 2025. The goal of the joint work session is to get feedback from Council on those topics before Planning & Zoning holds any official vote on code change recommendations. • Development Reimbursement Program — 2024 Q4 Report: The City received invoices totaling $120,918.65 from October — December for the Hilltop DRP project. The invoices were from a variety of projects including utility installation, right of way clearing, and road work. The City also received a repayment check from Hilltop from the sale of 8 lots totaling $200,000 to be put back into the DRP funds. • As a reminder, the City is amidst the process of updating the Seward Comprehensive Plan, which will contain the community's vision for Seward and guide its development in the coming years. As part of the beginning stage of this update process, we are gathering input from the community through four different surveys. Anyone can take the surveys, whether inside or outside city limits. All of the surveys will be open until May 31, 2025. This is a plan that reflects the community's vision and needs every voice, so please let yours be heard. Links for the four surveys can be found below. 14 o Vision: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/4c59d80d2c7d43a9b6e65082ae13e949 o Quality of Life: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/793a0540a7764506abf5d19c75c1488d o Land Use: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/11139b68b39e4310bc4fc3b2125e88c8 o Economy: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1567669fe8064b2e979ee39e24a75b51 hVoNwww.city Electric Department CITY OF SEWARD, AK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Provide Your Input! Use LhrisQR cote Lo Lake Lhe surveys 14* e _ wi seward.us/d epa rtm a ntsfeom niun Ity-developmen►/comprehensive-plan sl ,r • Job Orders Completed: The Electric Department successfully completed 59 job orders in 2024, providing new services to both residential and commercial customers. • Vegetation Management: Tree crews from AK Tree Service are scheduled to arrive in mid - January to continue clearing vegetation around the City's overhead power lines, ensuring system reliability and safety. • Nash Rd Phase II Transmission Upgrade: The initial engineering design for this critical transmission project has been received and is under review. • Material Inventory and Planning: Crews are conducting a comprehensive inventory of materials in the warehouse to prepare for placing the 2025 material order efficiently and cost-effectively. Harbor Department Seward Harbor • The NE Harbor Project closed on December 17, 2024, evaluated/scored and will choose the winning proposal on January 3, 2025. We expect to bring that before Council on January 27 15 • MacSwain Associates was approved on December 16, 2024 by the Council to appraise 45 City owned lease sites. This process will be starting in early 2025 • No issues have been reported within the Harbor area • The 50-Ton Travelift saw 2 lifts for December • The crew has been enjoying the above average temperatures and taking advantage of accomplishing some minor dock repairs • The crew has begun initial preparations for the Polar Bear Jump-off scheduled for January 18 SMIC • Two Harbor employees responded to a medical emergency within SMIC area and started life saving measures until the ambulance arrived. No other major incidents were reported within the SMIC Yard/Basin • A Coast Guard Design and Construction Center team member visited Seward on January 7 to do a site visit within the SMIC Basin. We are excited to meet in person and discuss this project and vision for that area • The 300-ton Travelift saw 3 lifts for December • Vendors are scheduling work for the 2025 summer season for North Dock. We are expecting another busy year for that facility. Public Works • The Public Works Department wishes all the Seward resident and visitors a Happy and Prosperous 2025! • The Street Department loader buckets and dump truck beds get a new coat of paint before each winter season. The new slick paint allows snow to slide out easily to make for more efficient snow removal operations. The year 2024 ended with us sanding ice more than plowing snow 16 Seward Community Library & Museum The library is considering adjusting the hours of operation to better meet the needs of the community. Please take our library hours survey here Upcoming Library Atrium Exhibits: • Polar Bear Jump Window Display: Taking the plunge. By popular demand we are going to bring back Seward's Polar Bear Jump Exhibit, highlighting this great Seward tradition! (December 17 — January 18) Starting today through January 11th, Seward Community Library and Museum invites you to kickstart the new year by making your very own inspirational 2025 Vision Board! Magazines, paper, scissors, and glue sticks will be provided. Happy New Year! We hope to see you at the Library in 2025! Seward Community Library & Museum is among 100 public libraries selected by PLA to boost digital literacy. Seward, Alaska — Seward is among over 100 public libraries nationwide awarded funding by the Public Library Association (PLA) to increase digital literacy using Digitallearn.org resources, powered by a generous $2.7 million contribution from AT&T. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive and the new PLA Digital Navigator Workshop Incentive support public libraries in their work of improving basic digital skills among families and communities. The workshops will utilize DigitalLearn training materials, created in collaboration with AT&T, that are freely available to anyone through DigitalLearn.org and AT&T ScreenReady. SCLM's efforts will focus on targeting senior citizens, adults, teens and even children! We plan to conduct workshops on a range of DigitalLearn topics, including Internet Basics, Video Conferencing Basics, Cybersecurity Basics, Email Basics, and Computer and Mobile Device Basics for both Windows and macOS. These workshops are designed to provide participants with knowledge and skills on how to navigate the internet safely and effectively, set up and use email for personal and professional communication, and adopt best practices for online safety to protect their personal information. We will also provide guidance on using smartphones, tablets, and computers, which are essential tools for communication and information access. Seward's cultural and financial dynamic affects access to technology and digital resources. Seward faces several challenges, particularly regarding digital literacy and the digital divide. Many residents lack reliable internet and devices, especially in remote areas. This barrier limits their ability to engage with online resources, apply for jobs, communicate with others or access educational opportunities. There is a significant need for digital literacy training amongst various age groups. Many residents, including seniors and low-income families, struggle with basic computer skills, online communication, and internet safety. The Seward Community Library plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. We strive to provide a welcoming space for learning and community engagement, offering free access to computers, Wi-Fi, and a variety of resources. Our library is committed to fostering digital literacy by providing workshops, one -on one assistance, and targeted programming for different age groups. We aim to bridge the digital divide and empower our community members with the essential skills needed to thrive in an increasingly digital world. 17 Department City of Seward - Human Resources Manager Report Staffing Information # of Job Title Positions Filled Administration City Manager Deputy City Manager Human Resources Manager Executive Assistant TOTAL: 4 4 Finance Director 1 1 Deputy Finance Director 1 1 Senior Accountant 1 0 Accounting Technician III 1 1 Accounting Technician II 0 Accounting Technician Utilities 1 1 Accounting Tech Payroll 1 1 Accounting Tech Accounts Payable 1 1 TOTAL: 8 6 Public Works Director 1 1 Street Foreman 1 1 Maintenance Mechanic 3 3 Public Works Technician 1 1 Shop Foreman 1 1 Water and Wastewater Foreman 1 1 Water and Wastewater Operator 3 3 Building Maintenance Technician 2 2 TOTAL: 13 13 Community Development Director 1 1 Planner 1 1 Executive Assistant 1 1 3 3 TOTAL: Electric Director 0 Operations Supervisor 1 0 Field Engineer 1 1 Office Manager 1 1 Electric Utility Cashier 1 1 Lineman 4 3 Plant Operator 2 2 TOTAL: 11 8 Fire Department Chief 1 Deputy Chief 1 Executive Assistant 1 Building Official 1 Fire Marshal 1 Firefighter/EMT 3 Seasonal - Summer Laborer 1 TOTAL: 9 7 Harbor Harbor Master 1 1 Deputy Harbor Master 1 1 Office Manager 1 1 Executive Assistant 2 2 Harbor Worker II 6 6 Harbor Worker III 1 1 Seasonal - Summer Laborer Part -lime 1 0 Seasonal - Summer Laborer Full -Time 1 0 TOTAL: 14 12 IT Director Senior IT Tech IT Technician TOTAL: 3 3 Library Director 1 1 Deputy Library Director 1 1 Library Technician 1 1 Curator 1 1 Library Aide 1 1 Seasonal - Aides 2 2 TOTAL: 7 7 Police Chief 1 1 Deputy Chief 1 1 Sergeant 1 1 Patrol Officer 8 5 Executive Assistant 1 1 Corrections Sergeant Unfunded 1 0 Corrections Officer Unfunded 4 0 Corrections Officer Unfunded 1 0 Dispatch Supervisor 1 1 Dispatcher 5 5 Animal Control Officer 1 1 Animal Control Officer Assistant 1 1 DMV Clerk 1 1 TOTAL: 27 18 Parks & Recreation Director 1 Deputy Director 1 1 Executive Assistant 1 1 Campground Coordinator 1 1 Sports & Rec Manager 1 1 Recreational Specialist 1 1 Park Maintenance Supervisor 1 1 Seasonal - Summer 14 7 Seasonal - Winter 3 2 TOTAL: 24 16 City Clerk's Office City Clerk 1 1 Deputy City Clerk 1 1 Executive Assistant 1 1 TOTAL: 3 3 Total number of authorized positions: 126 Total number of filled positions: 100 18 ALASKA RAILROAD Port Activity Update January 15, 2025 THE ALASKA RAILROAD'S MISSION -- Through excellent customer service and sound business management practices, provide safe, efficient, and economical transportation and real estate services that support and grow economic development opportunities for the State of Alaska. Port Traffic • The port logged 208 freight and non -cruise dockings through December 2024. The next substantial vessel discharge will be an estimated 3,300-plus tons of pipe due to arrive on the cargo ship Ocean Dream on March 15. • Winter freight train service has been operating ahead of the planned two -week schedule due to increased car availability. • The terminal building continues to be closed to public events and club activities during winter. • The 2025 cruise ship schedule now includes 61 ships and 84 total ship days at the dock. The first ship, the Carnival Luminosa, arrives on April 26 and the final ship will be the Viking Orion on September 21. Port Capital Projects • Andrews and Sons recently began repairing storm surge damage to the east side of the freight dock. The contractor has been placing additional, larger armor rock to prevent further erosion. • The cruise dock and terminal building replacement continues to move forward. Initial stages of the $137 million project will begin later this month, with major demolition and construction starting in the fall of 2025. Additional information is available at: https://sewardcompany.com • The cruise ship dock and terminal project will benefit from $45 million in anticipated EPA funding for vessel shore power. The Alaska Railroad worked with the municipality to submit for the Clean Ports Program grant to fund cruise ship shore power infrastructure. • The freight dock expansion project is still on schedule to begin in late 2026. Most of the cost will be met by a $19.8 million federal grant, with $5 million in ARRC matching funds and a gravel contribution by the City of Seward. More than 40,000 cubic yards of project fill has been staged. Dwayne Atwood, Accredited Maritime Port Executive Seward Port Manager 907-265-2696 office 1 907-362-6038 mobile mailing: PO Box 95, Seward, AK 99664 physical: 913 Port Avenue 19 January 15, 2025 PACAB Chamber Report s CHAMBER • Seward Chamber E-Newsletter o We're committed to being a trusted source of information in our community. Our E-Newsletter is now a free resource for all! You can sign bralen ve .00faw.ir�i9terstft Chamber. (I distribution to help spread the word.) • State of the Chamber Annual Report o Save the date! The State of the Chamber Annual Report Luncheon is scheduled for January 30th at 12:00 PM at the Breeze Inn. We look forward to seeing you there. (1'11 get you a flyer for this, as well) • City Negotiations o Waontinuing our strong partnership with the City of Seward. We grateful that the City has absorbed the full funding of the AK Small Business Development Center while the Chamber continues to support the partnership with in -Kind office space and a collaborative work viwrrrrhdegt. oAddfio.oi i , awe Economic Development Contract to further align our efforts. • Professional Development o The Chamber Board recently completed a facilitated training and strategic rfurbristoirinfaf fhmew year. On a related note, I thles tatI n-®egacefza nr oegement (IOM), where I completed my second year of the four-year certification 0110:" : na. a ::sigbll for chamber and association leaders. It Ti learning experience that will help guide our work moving forward. Scan to sign up for the Chamber E-Newsletter P.O. BOX 749 SEWARD, AK 99664 • (907) 491-0864 • DIRECTOR@SEWARD.COM CHAMBER Now open to the community! SUBSCRIBE SEWARD CHAMBER E-NEWSLETTER seward.com/chamber/community-e-newsletter Subscribe our bi-weekly newsletter to stay informed! -