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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03242025 City Council Minutes1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 33 CALL TO ORDER The March 24, 2025, regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Sue McClure. OPENING CEREMONY Police Chief Alan Nickell led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Sue McClure, presiding, and John Osenga Kevin Finch RandyFinch Robert Barnwell Julie Crites Casie Warner comprising a quorum of the Council; and Kat Sorensen, City Manager Jason Bickling, Deputy City Manager Kris Peck, City Clerk Jodi Kurtz, Deputy City Clerk Excused — Finch Absent — None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Brendan Ryan, inside city limits, spoke about the Afognak Subdivision issue where 18 people bought properties in what is now considered an illegal subdivision. He recalled the paperwork was not clear when the lots were purchased. He said the cost for the landowner to add city utilities was unaffordable. He was frustrated that a council member 20 years ago helped push this illegal subdivision through. He appreciated the effort to find a solution to this messed up situation. Marc Swanson, outside city limits, acknowledged the difficult decisions that council had to make. He spoke in support of rezoning of the Spring Creek Beach to Park zoning. He wanted to focus on the residents who live here and make Seward both a good place to live and visit. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 34 Karina England, inside city limits, introduced herself as the applicant to the city seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB) Planning Commission. She loved this community and was interested in land use and city planning. She wanted to make sure Seward's voice as a community was heard by the KPB. Tim Ozerkov, outside city limits, spoke in support of the Chamber of Commerce contract and spoke about the ways the chamber benefits the community. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Osenga/Wells) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Wells requested the Introduction of Ordinance 2025-007 be removed from the consent agenda. McClure requested the recommendation for Karina England to be placed on the consent agenda, however Barnwell objected. Motion as Amended Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the March 10, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes Introduction of Ordinance 2025-005: Approving the Land Use Amendment to Rezone Spring Creek Park and the Tidelands to the North; Located at 403 Nash Road and 3007 Bette Cato Avenue, from an Industrial (I) Zoning District to a Park (P) Zoning District. Introduction of Ordinance 2025-006: Approving the Land Use Amendment to Rezone Fourth of July Beach Park, Located at 3311 Sorrel Road, from an Industrial (I) Zoning District to a Park (P) Zoning District Introduction of Ordinance 2025-008: Amending Seward City Code, Title 2, Electric Utility Department — Powers and Duties, to Include the Provision of Cashier and Utilities Billing Services Resolution 2025-030: Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with the Seward Chamber of Commerce for the Provision of Visitor Services and Economic Development Activities in the Amount of $300,000 from January 1, 2025 — December 31, 2025 No grounds for protest to the renewal of liquor license for the American Legion No grounds for protest to the renewal of liquor license for the Tidewater Taphouse 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 35 SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS, AND REPORTS Proclamations and Awards - None City Manager Report City Manager Kat Sorensen spoke to the importance of being prepared for the volcanic eruption of Mount Spurr. She also mentioned a recent field trip from a kindergarten class of 27 kids who visited City Hall. She thanked the class for touring city hall and learning about local government. Lastly, Sorensen said the Parks & Recreation Department received an award from the Chamber of Commerce for service to the community. She noted several fun events that the Parks & Recreation crew had been involved with. McClure wanted to clarify the Police Dispatch number was not to be used for reporting power outages. She asked if there was an alternate phone number that could be used for power outage related calls or questions. City Clerk Report City Clerk Kris Peck described the kindergarten class field trip and how they did a practice council meeting regarding the future fire station. Peck informed council of the amendments that the kindergarteners had made to the fire station which included Lamborghini fire trucks, dalmatians, and a firefighter's pole. Presentations The Alaska Railroad Freight Dock Expansion by Elizabeth Greer PUBLIC HEARINGS Ordinances for Enactment Ordinance 2025-004: Amending Seward City Code Title 7, Campgrounds, Parks and Open Spaces and Title 11, Paid Parking, to Clarify that Day Use Areas, Campgrounds, and Other Reservable Areas are Subject to Parking Enforcement Motion (Osenga/Wells) Enact Ordinance 2025-004 Sorensen said this ordinance would clarify some enforcement issues for the Parks & Recreation Department. Deputy Parks & Recreation Director Benny Flores explained there was currently a loophole in the authority of the Parks & Recreation for enforcement. This was in regard to vehicles parked in a reserved camping spot. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 36 Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. No one appeared and the public hearing was closed. Wells asked for clarification on the parking enforcement aspect of this ordinance. Sorensen said it was directed at cars that were parked in reserved camping stalls. Wells asked how the problem would be solved to physically tow or remove the offenders from the reserved camping stalls. Flores said his department was able to accommodate the campers by utilizing other sites. However, they were currently not able to enforce with ticketing. Motion Passed Unanimous NEW BUSINESS Introduction of Ordinance 2025-007: Amending Seward City Code § 15.10.140 Definition of an Efficiency Apartment; § 15.10.226 Land Uses Allowed Table, Adding Attached and Detached Accessory Dwelling Units; and Updating § 15.10.215 Parking for Accessory Dwelling Units Motion (Osenga/Wells) Introduce Ordinance 2025-007 Sorensen explained how this ordinance would allow accessory dwelling units (ADU) in various types of zoning districts with Conditional Use Permits. Wells noted detached ADUs would be required to have own water, sewer, and electric lines separate from the primary dwelling if the unit was located on a property that could be subdivided. He understood how P&Z came to this determination, however he disagreed with their conclusion. Wells felt the ordinance could be worded differently to allow more cost saving to the person trying to build the ADU. McClure confirmed that amendments could be made after the public hearing at the next meeting. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolutions Resolution 2025-028: Authorizing the City Manager to Update the City's Contract with Electric Power Systems, Inc to Conduct a Land Services Study for Easements Along Nash Road for the Phase II Transmission Upgrade Project Motion (Osenga/Wells) Approve Resolution 2025-028 1 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 37 Sorensen provided an overall summary of the benefits of this land services study for the easements along Nash Road. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-029: Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Task Order 2734.35 with R&M Engineering for the 15% Design and Engineering of the Police Department Facility in an Amount Not to Exceed $297,994 and Appropriating Funds Motion (Wells/Warner) Approve Resolution 2025-029 Sorensen said passing this resolution would allow the city to move forward with the new police facility. The main benefit to having 15% design in place was being eligible to receive federal funding. Barnwell noted R&M was the same engineering firm for multiple projects and thought the cost was rather high. He also raised the question if the building was too large and thus difficult to heat and maintain. He asked if the Police Chief was involved in the design. Bickling spoke to a very comprehensive feasibility study that R&M did for this project. Wells asked the Police Chief to clarify again, for the benefit of the community, why the police and fire departments couldn't be combined into one building. Police Chief Alan Nickell said the engineering study showed that the city was better off to split the police and fire into separate buildings. Each department had such different functions and needs. Bickling added that the departments would need to have more overlap for the shared building to be effective, otherwise it would just be two large buildings connected to each other with a wall in between. McClure asked if it would include a jail. Nickell said the new design did not include a jail and that was a big cost savings. Motion Passed Unanimous Council recessed the meeting at 7:53 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 7:58 p.m. Other New Business Recommend applicant Karina England for the Seward City Seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB) Planning Commission Motion (Osenga/Wells) Recommend Karina England for the Seward City Seat on the Planning Commission City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 38 Council suspended the rules at 8:00 p.m. to speak with the applicant Karina England. England spoke to her background of obtaining a certificate in sustainability. During her coursework she learned about land use and city planning. England spoke about Seward's Comprehensive Plan and how she wanted to influence the KPB's vision. She wanted to make sure what Seward doing was noticed by the KPB. Wells asked if she was familiar with Robert's Rules of Order and her ability have a non -biased opinion of development. England said she was currently reading Robert's Rules of Order. Second, she felt confident in her ability to hear other viewpoints. Motion Passed Unanimous Discuss a liaison to PACAB and the Planning & Zoning Conunission [Sponsored by Wells] Wells described the history of appointing liaisons to PACAB and P&Z. He felt it was an important appointment to be made. Having the active participation from council helps the boards and commissioners accomplish their goals. He felt it was the role of city council to take on this responsibility. McClure said she had received feedback from P&Z commissioners saying it would be intimidating to have a council member present at each meeting. McClure felt everyone had the ability to watch the meetings on YouTube. She noted city staff being a liaison was also an option. Community Development Director Danniel Meuninck said he currently provided bi-weekly summaries for the City Manager's Report (CMR) and he also kept the public updated on what was happening with P&Z. Meuninck questioned how the commission would get direction from an individual council member. Crites suggested a rotating liaison would provide a more well-rounded perspective. Osenga felt they were getting into the weeds in terms of how often the liaison would report to council. Discuss the application process to be a Planning & Zoning Commissioner [Sponsored by Wells] Wells was concerned about the current process of appointing people to the commission just for the sake of having a quorum. He didn't think writing a single sentence on an application should qualify someone to be on P&Z. Wells wanted an interview process in place to make sure the applicants were a good fit for the commission. 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 39 McClure agreed and felt the applicant should be present at the time of appointment and be willing to answer questions from the council. McClure noted that Karina England just went through a similar process and she did just fine. Osenga was concerned that a public interview process could be intimidating and would discourage people who were willing to learn and grow into the commission. He cautioned against being overly restrictive. Warner was concerned about creating another barrier to get into these commissions. If council moved forward with interview process, she wanted to have the interview questions be pre -defined. Peck confirmed that the clerk would no longer be putting new applicant appointments or re- appointments on the Consent Agenda. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Juneau Trip Summary by Council Member Wells Upcoming City Council Meetings City Council Meeting Monday, April 14, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. CITIZEN COMMENTS Cindy Ecklund, inside city limits, spoke as a KPB Assembly Member. She explained KPB's process for appointments to their boards & commissions. Ecklund provided a few updates including the April 15, 2025 KPB Assembly meeting would be held at the Seward Community Library & Museum. The meeting would feature awards for the Seward Football State Champions winners, Seward Girls Basketball State Champions, and an academic award for the cheerleaders. Ecklund also spoke in support of funding schools up to the cap. However, the KPB Mayor had indicated he was not in favor of funding to the cap. She encouraged people to write to the KPB Clerk and attend the assembly meetings to provide input on school funding. Karina England, inside city limits, spoke to the interview process that she had just went through as the applicant for the KPB Planning Commission. Overall, she thought it was a fine process. Knowing the questions beforehand may have been helpful, but overall she felt comfortable having the conversation with council. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Sorensen thanked everyone for great work session and thanked her staff Jason Bickling and Ashleigh Lipsey for the work session packet. Bickling echoed the comment about a great work session and was glad to see a pathway forward. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 40 Warner thanked city administration for the great work session and thanked the clerk's office for putting together a great agenda packet. Warner noted that she attended the recent PACAB meeting and recommended watching it on YouTube for information on heat pumps and the JAG presentation. Lastly, she announced the High School Theatre Collective will be performing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starting on Friday, April 4, 2025. Barnwell thanked the public for a great turnout tonight. He thanked the Alaska Railroad for the presentation on the freight dock. The work session on Forest Acres subdivision was a good one and was glad they were reaching a resolution. Lastly, he told a story how Roald Dahl wrote him a funny letter in the early 1990 and unfortunately the letter has since been lost. Wells appreciated how this council was able to work together. He thanked Community Development, and specifically City Planner Courtney Bringhurst, for her presentation on plat maps at the recent P&Z work session. He thanked Warner for attending that PACAB meeting and concurred it was a great meeting. Crites enjoyed the work session tonight, particularly the historical aspect of it. She spoke in favor of an application process for making appointments for the boards and commissions. Crites recalled her own experience of being appointed to council to fill a vacancy. Osenga thanked administration and Council Member Wells for the informative work session tonight. He congratulated the Seward High School Girls Basketball State 2A champions, thanked Elizabeth Greer for the Alaska Railroad presentation, and congratulated Karina England for becoming recommended for the KPB Planning Commission. Sorensen noted Monday, March 31, 2025 was Seward's Day Holiday and City Hall will be closed. McClure echoed previous comments about Karina England and the productive work session. She had a couple of announcements to make: This Thursday at the library there will be an event to commemorate the 61' anniversary of 1964 earthquake. Coming up on April 10, 2025 will be the Community Choir concert at Lutheran Church. On another topic, she noted her absence from the previous council meeting and thanked everyone for the calls and texts messages to check if she was okay. She was participating in a family vacation and thanked Vice Mayor Osenga for running a great meeting. EXECUTIVE SESSION Discuss the City's grounds for taking legal action regarding previous owner of Forest Acres Afognak Subdivision Motion (Osenga/Wells) Go into Executive Session Motion Passed Unanimous 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes March 24, 2025 Volume 43, Page 41 The City Manager Kat Sorensen, Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling, City invited to stay. Clerk Kris Peck were City Attorney Kody George would join the executive session telephonically. Council recessed the meeting at 8:51 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Council went into Executive Session at 8:55 p.m. Council came out of Executive Session at 9:24 p.m. McClure stated that an executive session had been held and then adjourned the meeting. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:24 p.m. Kris Peck Sue McClure City Clerk Mayor ,City Seal) 1 oIIIu,, •vbv SErjj'•. •\..0 of71.4N6-., (may L r r V +J"" . COLi& Cell **