Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06092025 City Council Minutes1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 62 CALL TO ORDER The June 9, 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 Louis Tiner led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Sue McClure, presiding, and John Osenga Kevin Finch Randy Wells 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 Excused — None Absent — None PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS Flag Day Proclamation was read by Mayor McClure. CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Russ White, inside city limits, spoke as a representative of the Seward Parks and Recreation Department. He summarized recent SPRD events, and announced upcoming events such as Summer Adventure Camp, Disco Skate Night, Youth Soccer, and Open Mic Bonfire. White also said there were new pickleball lines on the Forest Acres basketball court, and new summer hours for the rock -climbing wall. Todd Mashlan, inside city limits, introduced himself to council as the applicant to be re -appointed on the Historic Preservation Commission. He emphasized the importance of preserving history and culture. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 63 Robbie Williams, outside city limits, spoke of his 40-year experience as a builder. He informed council of Seward's rising building costs compared to the Lower 48. He addressed the current city code regarding building height and spoke in support of Seward having 4-story buildings with a parking garage on the first floor. Amanda Sweeting, outside city limits, spoke as the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. She encouraged people to sign up for the upcoming boat parade and float parade. Sweeting also explained some of the new changes to the Silver Salmon Derby this year. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Osenga/Warner) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda McClure added the re -appointment of Todd Mashlan to the consent agenda. Motion as Amended Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the May 12, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Resolution 2025-050: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase an ESRI Small Utility Enterprise Subscription License for a 3-Year Term in an Amount Not to Exceed $35,700 Resolution 2025-051: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate Community Assistance Program Funds in the Amount of $106,166.21 for the Purpose of Capital Projects Related to Fire, Public Safety, and Road Maintenance Resolution 2025-055: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the Proposal by Electric Power Systems to Lead the Engineering for the EPA Clean Ports Grant Shore Power Project in the Amount of $1,830,436 Fully Funded Through the Environmental Protection Agency Grant Resolution 2025-056: Authorizing the City of Seward to Participate in the Alaska Public Risk Alliance Resolution 2025-057: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase a Maintenance Vehicle for the Parks and Recreation Department in the Amount of $57,471 with a 10% Contingency No grounds for protest to the renewal of the liquor license for Ray's Waterfront Re -appoint Todd Mashlan to the Historic Preservation Commission for a 3-year term IN -PERSON REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS City Manager Report 1 1 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 64 City Manager Kat Sorensen explained the new philosophy behind the agenda items that go on the consent agenda because they were already approved in the budget. On another topic, she reported that Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum recently had a great visit to Seward. Sorensen also updated the council on the City Manager Newsletter status now that Kristin Wise had been hired as the Executive Assistant. McClure noted the City Manager Report in the packet had a wide variety of photos and events. Sorensen elaborated on her trip to Washington D.C. as well as her experience in the Exit Glacier l0k Run. City Clerk Report City Clerk Kris Peck was pleased to report that he had obtained his Certified Municipal Clerk designation. He was thankful the City of Seward was so supportive of education and training for staff. Peck noted the report in the packet contained photos from some of the clerk conferences. City Attorney Report City Attorney Sam Severin said he had worked on obtaining a Certificate of Authorization from the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] for the Seward Police Department to utilize drones. City Attorney Kody George provided an update on the Railbelt Transmission Organization and presented a short slideshow that made the RTO easier for people to understand. Presentations — None PUBLIC HEARINGS Ordinance 2025-009: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Seward, Alaska, Amending Seward City Code, Title 8, Chapter 8.30.015 Business License Required And 8.30.025 Application for a Business License [Sponsored by City Clerk] Motion (Osenga/Barnwell) Enact Ordinance 2025-009 Peck explained that the current city code required the application for a business license to include registration with the Kenai Peninsula Borough Sales Tax & Property Tax divisions. However, this requirement put the clerk's office staff in an awkward spot as the middleman between the applicant and the borough tax divisions. The constant email back -and -forth with the KPB to manually run these compliance checks created an undue burden on the clerk's office staff. Every other compliance check was done internally with city departments utilizing OpenGov software. 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. Motion Passed Unanimous City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 65 Resolution 2025-048: Determining it to be in the Public Interest and Necessary to Proceed with the Proposed Improvement District for and Benefiting Lots 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, AX, AY, AZ, BA, BC1, BC2, BD1, BD2, BE1, BE2, BF1, BF2, CD, CE, CFI, CF2, CG1, CG2, CH, CI, CO, CP1, CP2, CQ1, CQ2, and CR of the Forest Acres Subdivision for an Estimated Amount of $1,837,886 Motion (Osenga/Warner) Approve Resolution 2025-048 Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling summarized the special improvement district and the provisions for wells and septic systems. There was another related resolution on tonight's agenda to remove a plat note. Bickling explained how he had collaborated with the city clerk to mail out the notice to all the property owners. This time around, the city went above and beyond the code requirements to invite better communication with the property owners. Instead of simply asking for written protests, a form was included in the mailer to let the owner approve or object as well as add written comments. Bickling summarized some of the feedback the city had received from the property owners. The total collection of feedback was presented tonight as a laydown. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. James Carlberg, inside city limits, thanked Bickling for his years of effort on this project. Carlberg was supportive of the plan overall, but felt there were still a couple issues. Carlberg wanted more clarification on the interest rate of prime + 2%. He understood that rate was industry standard, but it still felt like a double tax in this situation. Carlberg's other concern was if the property owners would be required to abandon their well and septic systems and hook up to city utilities if they were to ever become available. Trevor Kreznar, outside city limits, echoed previous comments. He asked about water and sewer utilities eventually being installed in specific zones or would the utilities be for the whole entire zone. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed. Bickling addressed the prime + 2% interest rate and noted it had jumped in a very short amount of time. Sorensen added that it wasn't a double dipping taxation, but rather the money would go back into the Developer Reimbursement Fund. Council and administration discussed legislative priorities, septic tanks collapsing, interest rates, DRP funds, and property tax. Warner addressed the laydown from the fire chief regarding the lack of fire hydrants. Fire Chief Clinton Crites expressed his concerns about the lack of fire hydrants in the area. There was no guarantee Bear Creek or Lowell Point would be available to help with water tanker trucks. He explained distance reponse and insurance premium rates. This district would negatively affect the entire city's rating for fire safety. 1 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 66 Council and administration discussed fire hydrants, insurance rating, water tanker trucks, and similar situations in Anchorage. Sorensen thanked the Fire Chief for expressing his concerns to make sure everyone was aware of these issues. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-058: Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a New Lease with Mike and Norma McCormick for Lot 4 Block 2, Marina Subdivision, City of Seward, Alaska and Recorded as Plat No 89-10, in the Seward Recording District, Third Judicial District, State of Alaska Motion (Osenga/Finch) Approve Resolution 2025-058 Harbormaster Tony Sieminski explained this lease involved the Bay Barge Company which was located by the Northeast Boat Launch Ramp. He thanked the City Clerk for adding a photo to the agenda statement for reference. Sieminski noted the McCormicks had been in business there for 30 years and were in great standing with the city. The McCormicks added a valuable service to that area and Sieminski hoped to see the them continue to operate with this new lease. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. No one eappeared and the public hearing was closed. Motion Passed UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Unanimous Resolution 2025-049: Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a 5-Year Contract Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc for the Purchase of the Axon Virtual Reality Police Training Program and the Necessary Hardware not to Exceed the Amount of $276,745.52 and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Finch) Approve Resolution 2025-049 Sorensen said this was the current Axon program in use by the Police Department and they were renewing the existing contract. Over the years, the price had increased and Sorensen wanted to note that an additional amount of $29,000 was being appropriated. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-052: Recommending Kenai Peninsula Borough Approval to Remove Plat Note #4 from Lots 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, BC1, BC2, BD1, BD2, BE1, BE2, BF1, BF2, CFI, CF2, CG1, CG2, CP1, CP2, CQ1, and CQ2, Forest Acres Subdivision, Afognak Addition Motion (Osenga/Warner) Approve Resolution 2025-052 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 67 Bickling explained the Kenai Peninsula Borough requirement for a resolution to remove the plat notes. This requirement had been discussed with the KPB Planning Commission, and the separate resolution had been requested. Barnwell asked why all the lots from the improvement district were not included in this resolution. Bickling explained that removing the plat notes applied to many of the properties, but not all. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-053: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the Proposal from Kasteler Consulting Inc for Additional Investigation and Mitigation Work on the Jesse Lee Home Property in an Amount Not to Exceed $65,043.42 and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Barnwell) Approve Resolution 2025-053 Bickling anticipated being in the clear after the last round of testing, however the Department of Environmental Conservation required more bore holes and more samples. The DEC was primarily looking for contaminated ground water. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-054: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the Proposal with Alaska Remote Imaging to Conduct a GIS Data Update and Field Inspection Services for the City of Seward Electric Department in the Amount of $226,442 and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Finch) Approve Resolution 2025-054 Electric Operations Supervisor Taylor Crocker explained the importance of maps for the Electric Department. The department had moved the CAD files into GIS, but the GIS map was not accurate. They wanted to hire ARI to do a full inspection and put all the poles in the correct spot and true up all the maps in one big push. This would also provide training for the Electric Department Field Engineer to make sure the map was accurate in the future. Crocker had reviewed the proposals that were received for this project. ARI was not the cheapest proposal, however they demonstrated the best understanding of the project. Motion Passed Unanimous OTHER NEW BUSINESS Establish a list of core Proclamations for 2025/2026 McClure noted the proclamations came from the mayor as an individual and not from council as a whole. She was putting this discussion out there to see what kind of proclamtions people would like to see. 1 1 1 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes June 9, 2025 Volume 43, Page 68 Peck said he had done a bit of research and other cities had an extensive list of guidelines in place for proclamations. Seward currently had no policy or guidelines in place for proclamations. Finch spoke to the importance of proclamations being neutral on political issues. He spoke in support of adding D-Day to the list of proclamations. Council discussed striking the right balance of proclamations without having too many or too few. McClure wanted to review this topic further and bring a revised list back to the council. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Upcoming City Council Meetings City Council Meeting Monday, June 23, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. CITIZEN COMMENTS — None COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Sorensen thanked Kody George and Brian Hickey for all their work on the RTO. She noted Jason Bickling contributed heavily to both the work session and meeting. Sorenen also introduced Kristin Wise as her new Executive Assistant. Bickling thanked council for all their work on the agenda tonight. He thanked the City Clerk for his collaborations on the special improvement district, and thanked the city attorneys. It was very much a team effort. Warner thanked everyone for all hard work on special improvement district and hoped the property owners would soon become homeowners. She was excited about the Jesse Lee Home property development. Barnwell was excited about the special improvement district and thanked Jason Bickling and Randy Wells for their work on that project. He thanked the city attorneys for working on the RTO. Lastly, he spoke in favor of the mayor wielding the proclamation power. Crites thanked administration for all their work. She thanked Kody George for the RTO explanation that made a very complex topic easier to understand. Crites noted the miraculous boulder rescue had made national news and she thanked the local first responders. Finch was glad to see both the Jesse Lee Home property and the Afognak neighborhood moving forward. Finch said proclamations were important to help the public remember those who had died for this country so the rest of us can enjoy our rights and privileges. Seward would not be Seward if not for the military. City of Seward, Alaska June 9, 2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Volume 43, Page 69 Osenga said the trip to Washington D.C. information to everyone they met. He also about all the legislative happenings in D.0 McClure was pleased that council was everyone to the Solstice Cemetery Tour. tradition from Lee Poleske. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m. Kris Peck City Clerk (City Seal) 001111111111,11 • OF SE '%r. so • SEAL =• ; ap °fir ?O': • i to cST if, 1 19..�'4Q' .% %,�E8OF�A was great and Sorensen was fantastic about relaying praised lobbyist Sebastian O'Kelly for being awesome moving along in Afognak Subdivision. She invited She would be leading the tour and carrying on the &v 1 ► l_ Mire_ Sue McClure Mayor 1 1 1