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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08252025 City Council MinutesCity of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 98 CALL TO ORDER The August 25, 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 — Finch Absent — None PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS Founder's Day Proclamation was read by John Osenga and accepted by Sue McClure CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Amanda Sweeting, outside city limits, spoke on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. She updated council on the Seward Silver Salmon derby results and statistics. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Osenga/Wells) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 99 The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the August 11, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes Resolution 2025-080: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept a Loan from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for $600,000 with Loan Forgiveness of $600,000 to Fund the SMIC Water Pumphouse Addition and Hypochlorite Generator Project Resolution 2025-081: Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract with Prism Design & Construction, LLC for the Construction of the SMIC Water Pumphouse Addition and Hypochlorite Generator Project in the Amount of $797,600.33 Plus a 10% Contingency Resolution 2025-082: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase Blower Equipment for the Lowell Point Lagoon for $156,518.34 Plus a 10% Contingency Resolution 2025-083: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase Two Police Interceptor Vehicles Under the State of Alaska Fleet Vehicle Contract, With Associated Upfitting and Police Specific Equipment, in the Amount of $89,610.17 for Each Vehicle for a Total of $179,220.34 Plus a 10% Contingency No grounds for protest for the Liquor License Renewal for The Cookery No grounds for protest for the Liquor License Renewal for Tony's Bar No grounds for protest for the Liquor License Renewal for Tony's Liquor Store No grounds for protest for the Liquor License Renewal for Woody's Thai Kitchen IN -PERSON REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS City Manager Report City Manager Kat Sorensen referenced the first three resolutions that were approved on consent agenda. She thanked the Public Works Department for securing funding for those big projects. Sorensen also updated council on: Seward Seahawk football home games, Electric Department town hall meetings, federal and state delegations, and bringing the U.S. Coast Guard back to Seward. City Clerk Report City Clerk Kris Peck was pleased to announce the student exchange group had returned safely from Japan. He thanked Julie Crites for being the chaperone for the Seward students. On the topic of the October election, Peck explained how the clerk's office randomizes the order of names that appear on the ballot. 1 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 100 City Attorney Sam Severin said the City of Seward was more involved in leases than most cities he had worked with. Severin addressed a recent code violation issue with a local business that had reached a reasonable degree of compliance. Severin also updated council on the electric utility update with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska [RCA]. Lastly, he introduced fellow city attorney Rob Palmer who joined the firm about a year ago. Earlier in the day Palmer took a tour of Seward with the Public Works Director. Wells asked for clarification about code enforcement issue and how to avoid a similar situation again in the summer of 2026. Severin described how the fine scale could escalate now that everyone was aware of the situation. Sorensen added the city had only recently been made aware of the situation and it was now on the radar for next summer. Presentations Port of Seward Terminal and Dock Replacement Project Status Update from Alaska Railroad Vice President of Real Estate Christy Terry [cancelled in lieu of the work session] PUBLIC HEARINGS Ordinances for Enactment Ordinance 2025-011: Amending Seward City Code, Title 5 Revenue and Finance, Chapter 5.22 Developer Incentive and Reimbursement Program, 5.22.075 Application Required, 5.22.085 Application Content, and 5.22.095 Approval Process Motion (Wells/Osenga) Enact Ordinance 2025-011 Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling recalled previous discussions on the Developer Reimbursement Program [DRP] which led to this ordinance being drafted. This ordinance would allow developers to submit applicants when the DRP funding was closed. Instead of the city manager being the sole decision maker, this ordinance would promote a collaborative process between the city manager, city council, and the developer. 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. Warner was excited to see this ordinance come forward. She spoke in favor of the collaborative work session approach to discuss the applications. Bickling also noted the discussion item on tonight's agenda was in regard to the application process and criteria paperwork. Motion Passed Unanimous City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 101 Ordinance 2025-012: Amending Seward City Code, Title 3 Personnel, Chapter 3.45 Annual Leave, to Include a Paid Parental Leave Policy Motion (Osenga/Wells) Enact Ordinance 2025-012 Sorensen provided a draft of a paid parental leave policy as a laydown. It was almost identical to the City of Soldotna policy. This ordinance would give the city manager the directive to implement the policy. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. Shane Hand, inside city limits, spoke in favor of the ordinance and said it had the full support of the Seward Public Employee Association [SPEA]. He explained the accrual process for annual leave and how it can be depleted relatively fast. Hand addressed some possible concerns that this ordinance would benefit only a select group of employees. He appreciated what the City of Seward already does for employees, however there was still room to improve. Passing this ordinance tonight would be a great benefit for city employees. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed. McClure thanked Warner for sponsoring this ordinance. Motion Passed Unanimous Ordinance 2025-013: Amending Seward City Code, Title 3 Personnel, Chapter 3.65 Collective Bargaining, 3.65.010 Freedom of Choice, to Clarify Employees' Rights within the Bargaining Unit Motion (Osenga/Wells) Enact Ordinance 2025-013 Human Resources Manager Ashleigh Lipsey explained how this ordinance amends the personnel section of city code. The current city code incorrectly states that employees have the right to opt out of being in the union. This language was actually a misinterpretation of a supreme court decision. All employees are covered under the collective bargaining agreement. Sorensen noted that during union negotiations, SPEA had requested this ordinance to be brought forward. Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public hearing was opened. Shane Hand, inside city limits, spoke as a representative of SPEA. He was in support of Ordinance 2025-013. This ordinance would clarify the fact that all city employees are protected and have rights to union representation. No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed. 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 102 Motion Passed UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Unanimous Resolution 2025-079: Approving the Proposal from KC Corporation to Construct a Three -Sided Shelter in the City of Seward Electric Department Laydown Yard for a Cost of $251,064 and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Wells) Approve Resolution 2025-079 Electric Operations Supervisor Taylor Crocker described issues with theft, fencing, and winter weather at the laydown yard. His solution was to build a shed to protect their equipment. The city had received seven proposals for this project and KC Corporation was selected. Council and Crocker discussed winter weather, freezing conditions, theft of copper, security cameras , wooden spools, and the importance of indoor storage. Crocker felt the location was good for the laydown yard, despite being outside of city limits. Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Discuss Developer Reimbursement Program Application and Project Criteria Bickling introduced the application forms and project criteria that were included in the packet. He explained how the Comprehensive Plan related to these forms. He described the proposed scoring sheets and scoring rating system. Wells clarified that an individual person could be considered a developer. Barnwell said the rubric was helpful, but cautioned against taking it too literally. Bickling went into more detail about the rubric and the grading scale. McClure made a comparison to the evaluation criteria for bids and proposals for city projects. Wells said this revised process would send a clear message to potential developers that the city has a fair system in place. Any potential developer could also use the same rubric and use it as a self - assessment tool. Council directed administration to carry the Developer Reimbursement discussion to the next meeting agenda to allow for more feedback from council. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 103 INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Planning & Zoning Memo on the Need for a Code Enforcement Officer Finance Department Q2 Financial Report Finance Department Central Treasury Report HYPER Financials City Council Meeting Monday, September 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. CITIZEN COMMENTS Kristin Wise, inside city limits, said she was recently hired by the City of Seward, and it was a wonderful place to work. She gave a shout out to all the city department heads for all their hard work. She thanked City Administration for leading the city in balanced, positive, and passionate way. Shane Hand, inside city limits, thanked council and administration for moving forward with supporting city employees and new families. He felt that working for the city was very favorable, however he had some concerns about entry level positions not being competitive. On another topic, he asked about the possibility of paving Dunham Drive. He was concerned the Dunham Loop would never get paved. He wanted this addressed in the development process. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Sorensen thanked the Finance Department for their hard work and noted the great work session on the audit findings. This was the first fully clean audit since 2016. Crites said she was glad to be back after a great experience in Japan with the student exchange group. She looked forward to the upcoming council presentation on the exchange. Crites felt that council did some good things tonight in regard to city personnel. She thanked all speakers and thanked Christy Terry for her presentation. Warner thanked administration and clerk's office for putting together a great packet. She was excited that council had decided to invest in the city employees. This family friendly policy would have a ripple effect through the community. Warner was also excited about the revisions made to the Developer Reimbursement Program. Lastly, she thanked Amanda Sweeting for making regular Chamber of Commerce updates at council meetings. Barnwell congratulated the Finance Department on the successful audit. He thanked Christy Terry and said the dock presentation was fantastic. Lastly, he was proud to be part of approving the paid parental leave ordinance. Wells echoed previous comments. He asked the City Clerk to look into some microphone sound quality issues with the meetings on YouTube. 1 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes August 25, 2025 Volume 42, Page 104 Osenga congratulated the winners of the 70t Silver Salmon Derby. He thanked Christy Terry for her presentation on the cruise ship terminal. Kudos to City Administration and Finance Department for all their great work. He was proud to be a part of it. McClure was proud of the City of Seward. She was relieved to see city employees were happy people and enjoyed working for the city. She recalled back in the day, city employees were underpaid and underappreciated. McClure also announced the upcoming Founder's Day celebration, and the Community Choir rehearsals. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 p.m. Sadizeltretoe--- Kris Peck Sue McClure City Clerk Mayor (City Seal) 1 1 V �r=° ' _•. ei SEAL • • t .-.— i i T '.ciTE OF PAPss • • •