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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05212025 PACAB PacketPACAB Agenda Packet Photo by Kris Peck Wednesday, May 21, 2025 City Council Chambers Beginning at 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 Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes of Preceding Meeting 1)* Approve the April 16, 2025 PACAB Meeting Minutes ..4 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 18 2) Seward Chamber of Commerce D. Presentations — None 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS — None 8. NEW BUSINESS A. Resolutions — None B. Other New Business 1) Discuss a resolution to encourage application of heat pump grant funds [Jaffa] Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Agenda May 21, 2025 11Page 9. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS A. Reminder of Meetings 1) Regular Meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 [After the summer hiatus] 10. CITIZEN COMMENTS 11. BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS AND RESPONSES TO CITIZEN COMMENTS 12. ADJOURNMENT Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Agenda May 21, 2025 21Page City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 16, 2025 Volume 4, Page CALL TO ORDER The April 16, 2025, regular meeting of the Port and Commerce Advisory Board was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Chair Bruce Jaffa. OPENING CEREMONY Chair Bruce Jaffa led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Bruce Jaffa, presiding, and Benjamin Smith Dwayne Atwood Melissa Schutter Norm Regis Jesse Groom comprising a quorum of the Board; and Tony Sieminski, Harbormaster Jodi Kurtz, Deputy City Clerk Excused — Regis Absent — None Vacant - One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT r IN Ashleigh Lipsey, inside city limits, introduced herself as the new HR Manager for the city. Danny Meuninck, outside city limits, reminded everyone that the Comprehensive Plan Survey is still available till May 31, 2025. The corresponding public town hall workshops that will be happening next week at various locations. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Groom/Schutter) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the March 19, 2025, Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 4 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 16, 2025 Volume 4, Page SPECIAL ORDERS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATION Proclamations and Awards — None City Administration Report Harbormaster Tony Sieminski updated the board on a variety of topics including: KPEDD meetings, library digital workshops and movie screenings, the Comprehensive Plan surveys, Fire Department statistics, and Parks & Recreation updates. The board discussed about the decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard Mustang and how the Coast Guard had purchased land near SMIC to move forward with the fast response cutter project. They also discussed adding striping to the South Harbor Uplands parking lots. Other topics included the Coast Guard housing development, and current job openings with the City of Seward. Other Reports and Announcements Alaska Railroad Report Seward Port Manager Dwayne Atwood updated the board on the schedule for the pipe ship and upcoming cruise ships. He announced there will be a plaque exchange ceremony for the new Viking Venus cruise ship. He also shared updates on projects at the cruise ship terminal, work on the fuel line, and improving the pedestrian path along Port Avenue. Atwood explained the plan to move the Free Shuttle stop west of the terminal building to make space for a large tent. He was happy to report that the mild winter helped the construction crew stay ahead of schedule. The board discussed possibly rebuilding the old conveyor belt tunnel as a pedestrian tunnel. Another idea was to create a new road along the railroad tracks to the highway which would become the new way to access the cruise ship terminal instead of using Port Avenue. Chamber of Commerce Report Schutter corrected a statement that she had made in the previous meeting regarding the Visitor Guides being out. It was actually the Hometown Guides that are out. Schutter introduced the new Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Sweeting. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Sweeting Sweeting introduced herself to the board. She announced an official Meet & Greet event on Friday at the chamber. Presentations Setting Electric Rates by Taylor Crocker, Electric Operations Supervisor 5 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 16, 2025 Volume 4, Page UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW BUSINESS Other New Business Kenai Aviation Selected for Essential Air Service in Seward Sieminski referenced the information in the packet and said Seward was moving forward with commercial air service with flights to and from Anchorage. Jaffa noted that Kenai Aviation presented at a city council meeting and explained the role they would serve for transportation. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Reminder of Meetings Regular Meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CITIZEN COMMENTS — None BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Sieminski thanked Crocker for his presentation and welcomed Sweeting. Schutter congratulated Sweeting on her new position and to Lipsey on her promotion. She was happy to hear Atwood's comments on pedestrian pathways. She thanked Crocker for his presentation and always learned a little bit more every time. Groom thanked Crocker for his detailed and knowledgeable presentation. He congratulated Lipsey on her promotion and Sweeting on her new position at the Chamber of Commerce. Atwood congratulated Lipsey on her promotion. He noted how Police Chief Alan Nickell and HR Manager Tammy Nickell were a real asset to the city and wished them the best of luck in their retirement. Smith said the Electric Department's quality of service continues to improve. He also appreciated the focus on reducing rates. He noted the ability to plan more than a year or two ahead based on stable electric rates was very important. He advocated for long-term rate stability, especially for the larger customers in our community. Jaffa thanked Sweeting for coming today, and to Lipsey for her service as liaison to city administration. He was enthusiastic about port and harbor development and noted it was great to see local businesses benefit. He thanked the Kenai Peninsula Borough for bringing the assembly meeting to Seward and to Cindy Ecklund who is the lone representative for Seward, Bear Creek, 6 City of Seward, Alaska Port and Commerce Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 16, 2025 Volume 4, Page and Moose Pass. He thanked Meuninck for his work on the Comprehensive Plan and encouraged everyone to participate in the survey. He also thanked the Electric Department for the improvements they have brought to this community. Jaffa also noted that Seward has a growing medical community. Lastly, Jaffa reminded everyone that PACAB still has one vacant seat. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:32 p.m. Jodi Kurtz Bruce Jaffa Deputy City Clerk Chair (City Seal) 7 CMR — May 12 Administration: Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District (KPEDD) Industry Overview Forum (IOF): Jason attended the KPEDD IOF on April 24th at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce. The format was a little different this year — more in-depth presentations on topics and organization on the Kenai Peninsula. A few highlights include In depth Economic Analysis of the Kenai Peninsula by Wink Consulting. One of the interesting facts that came up was that the Seward Bear Creek Area is one of the only areas in the Borough that is shrinking in population and school enrollment. Presentation by Cory Ortiz, the new AVTEC Director. I think that we will be seeing some tangible positive changes from a number of their programs in the near future. There was also an in-depth discussion of the natural gas shortage in Cook Inlet and both short - and long-term strategies to manage that situation. Cassidi Cameron will be coming and speaking to Council on June 23 on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Harbormaster's Office and South Harbor Uplands Design Charette: On Thursday, April 17 R&M and KPB staff came into town to do a walkthrough of the current harbor facilities and had discussions with the staff on how they use their spaces and what they needed to be more efficient. They also walked the south harbor uplands for future development ideas. Tony Sieminski and Jason Bickling spent the rest of the afternoon having planning and design conversations with that group. We will be bringing the design concepts before council in presentation once they are completed. 4' t Y 4 0 y V- i ` 4 8 Fire Department • Emergency Responses for the Year 2025: 191 • Fire and Life Safety Inspections 2025: 177 with 103 violations noted • Building permits YTD: 33 with a total valuation of $28,238,014.26 • Fire Marshal Mallory will be hosting a Junior Firefighter camp for kids 7-10 yrs old June 16 &17, sign-up your kids for a fun 2 days of interactive experiences. Contact: 907-224-3445 • Seward and Bear Creek Fire departments tested out 8 new members on their Firefighter 1 on April 26th • We have 12 students from Seward and Bear Creek FD in Fire Apparatus Operator Pumper class that is 3 weeks long and covers driving, operating, and pumping fire apparatus • On May 2, crews rescued a female victim from a boat fire at SMIC and safely extinguished the fire. Thanks to Bear Creek, Lowell Point, and SVAC for their assistance Community Development • Community Development is working on analyzing and compiling the information and feedback given at the recent Comprehensive Plan Town Hall workshops. Over 100 members of the community participated in the process. We don't have much feedback from the younger demographic (18 and under) and so we are working with the Middle and High School to potentially connect with their students before the end of the school year. The Comprehensive Plan surveys are still available for the public to take until May 31 and can be found at the links below: ❑ Vision: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/4c59d80d2c7d43a9b6e65082ae13e949 ❑ Quality of Life: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/793a0540a7764506abf5d19c75c1488d ❑ Land Use: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/11139b68b39e4310bc4fc3b2125e88c8 ❑ Economy: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1567669fe8064b2e979ee39e24a75b51 • New signs have been ordered to replace the current Seward City Tours Shuttle Stop Signs 9 Seward Parks and Recreation Sports & Recreation: • Pink Cheeks was Saturday, May 3rd. At the time of drafting this CMR, there are 73 participants signed up. • We are currently transitioning our membership to MyRec from RecDesk. MyRec is gym management software that provides more communication in the platform and will enhance members' experience at AVTEC gym. Gym users can expect to check in using the new software on June 1st. The biggest change for members is that they will be scanning into the gym on a barcode scanner, which they can either do using a physical key tag or a barcode saved on their phone. • Bike Rodeo and Super Saturday was Saturday, May 10 in front of City Hall on Adams Street. Kids received a free bike helmet, participated in a bike course, pumped their bike tires, and got a free tune-up from Karl at the Seward Bike Shop. During this time, we will be providing yellow trash bags for participants to aid our community in the post -winter trash pickup. Trash bags can be 10 left along the Seward Highway for pickup by waste management. We have prizes such as kayaking trips and boat tours available for the party that picks up the most trash! • We kicked off our Drive Less, Move More Challenge! This annual emissions reduction challenge takes place from Earth Day to the end of August. Participants log their hours on RunSignUp to earn a sticker after they accumulate 10 miles of either walking or biking to commute to work or for errands. The winner of the biking and walking category will each receive a $100 gift card. Tell your coworkers about this challenge, it's a great excuse to spend more time outdoors in your daily routine! • Exit Glacier Run will be held Sat, May 17 in conjunction with the Torch Run. Race begins at 10 AM. Same day registration until 9:30 AM • The Kite Festival was a massive success, with a large bit of help provided by some outstanding weather. We had music, vendors and a bonfire to accompany the return of the Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 18th. We had around 30 kids show up for the Egg Hunt. Saturday was a beautiful day with hundreds in attendance. Alaskakiters provided wonderful kite displays in Marathon Campground, and we had more amateur kite flying occur than in past years. 11 Teen Rec Room: • April has been a big month for the Teen Rec Room. As of April 21, the Teen Rec Room has taken on a new lead with Adam Thomas stepping into the role of Program Assist to the Teen Rec Room. • The Teen Rec Room has seen 38 check -ins in the second half of April (4/16-5/1) with a total usage time of 73 hours and 21 minutes. We have noticed that the usage of the teen room is beginning to look more consistent with at least 3 teens using the facility at any given point. Though we are starting to see more consistency, we are still adding new members each week. • First impressions of the point system are showing promise moving forward. We currently have 7 teens showing up and offering to help us clean and do other tasks on a daily basis with more teens showing interest every day. • We have officially made pizza available for teens to purchase every day of the week. The teens have already begun taking advantage of the new punch passes. Not only are they taking advantage of the new access to meals, they are also jumping at every chance they get to help us prepare the food, as well as clean up afterwards gaining skills that will follow them as they grow into young adults. Campgrounds: • Our Campground season is officially open for the Summer season! • All the Parks restrooms are now open including the Shower house. • Installed new Water fountains / bottle fillers at Kawabe Park and Adams restrooms. • Prepping Gardens around town to plant beds in June. 12 Park Maintenance: • The permanent restroom installation for Williams Campground is complete! Huge thanks to the Public Works and the Electric Dept for your help with placing the unit. That was a huge feat we could not do without you!! • Working on fencing for the William group tent site. • Will start painting projects soon. Planning on sprucing up the SPRD warehouse with a fresh coat of paint. • Field prep for upcoming Softball Season. Fertilizing all Park area green spaces. • Repair and installation of Ramp at the Skate Park. • Playground resurfacing at the PARKS playground. Parking: • Paid Parking now open. If you haven't gotten your Parking pass go to www.cityofseward.us/parking. • Looking for Parking Attendants - great pay, enjoy the outdoors, and get your steps in. Go to cityofseward.us to apply online! Harbor Department • No major issues have been reported within the Harbor area. • Deputy City Manager Bickling and I will be meeting with R&M and KPB Architects on 5.6 to continue our design discussion about the new Harbormaster building and South Upland concept. • Starting May 4, the Harbor office will be starting our summer hours and open seven days a week. • Seasonal services and facilities are now open for the summer. We had some minor repairs and will continue to address those issues as they arise. • The AAHPA awarded our three scholarships on April 29 and one Transpac Marinas scholarship on May 24. The AAHPA received 31 applicants and Transpac received 34 for their generous scholarship. • We saw 37 lifts with the 50-ton Travelift 13 • Ryan Anger, Elijah Wessel, Mike Newcomb and I cut the lines loose one final time for the USCGC Mustang on April 25 and watched her leave and head South to her new home. This was an end of an era for the 110's with the last 3 in the nation here in Alaska. We are excited about that next phase and look forward to welcoming a new Sentinel -Class Cutter. • Fun Fact —James Cook entered Prince William Sound in 1778 and initially named it Sandwich Sound, after his patron the Earl of Sandwich. Later that year, the Sound was named to honor George Ill's third son Prince William Henry. SMIC • A boat fire occurred on May 1 within the SMIC storage yard. Details are still unknown and more to follow if needed. • The new lease for JAG's yard/rail extension project has been completed. JAG has sent it to their legal team and we are waiting for a response • We saw 12 lifts with the 300-ton Travelift Electric Department • Power Sales Agreement Progress: The Power Sales Agreement between Chugach Electric Association and the City of Seward continues to move forward positively. We anticipate finalizing and closing the agreement by the end of May. • Staffing Changes and Recruitment: Our Electric Utility Cashier has announced plans to relocate to another area of the peninsula, bringing the total current job openings within the Electric Department to three. Open positions include Electric Utility Cashier, Electric Billing Specialist, and Journeyman Lineman. • Lawing Substation Rebuild Engineering: Engineering efforts for the Lawing Substation rebuild have significantly progressed. The project site has now been surveyed, and detailed substation design work continues to advance toward completion. • GIS Mapping Project RFP: The Electric Department currently has an open Request for Proposals (RFP) to true up and update our electric system assets within the City's Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Accurate GIS mapping is critical as it will support the development of our five-year maintenance plan and improve asset valuation and management. 14 • KPFF Project Management Selection: The City has officially engaged KPFF Project Management to oversee the EPA -funded Shore Power Project. KPFF's extensive project management experience will be instrumental in guiding this significant infrastructure initiative successfully. Human Resources • The City recently posted three positions to the public. The Electric Department has two new openings — Electric Utility Cashier and Electric Utility Billing Specialist. Both are customer service -focused positions. • The Electric Utility Billing Specialist position is a new role in the City and will focus on customer billing issues, utility tariffs and accounting related to enterprise funds. This position will also alleviate the need to use a non -local contractor for these services, something we expect the Seward community will greatly appreciate. • Community Development is looking for an executive assistant. This versatile position will not only support the administrative functions of Community Development but also assist the Director and Planner with research to help formulate code and assist with Planning & Zoning Commission meetings. • There are still positions available in the Finance Department, openings for patrol officers, and several seasonal jobs at Parks & Recreation. If you know anyone who would like a rewarding career in a diverse and supportive workplace, direct them to apply at Job Opportunities I City of Seward Finance Department • The Finance Department has been finalizing the audit — which went very smoothly — and the team deserves all the credit for the great outcome • Finance is also busy working on some updates to the Fee Schedule, which will be brought to City Council at the next meeting on May 27 Public Works • Public Works Director Doug Schoessler recently traveled to Anchorage for knee surgery, and Jason Cournoyer, the Water/Wastewater Foreman is serving in the Acting role • We are looking for to his return on May 27 to give the Public Works Week presentation before council and share more about his department 15 Seward Community Library & Museum Special Announcements: • - Summer Hours — Starting May 1 o Mon — Fri: 9 AM — 6 PM o Sat: 9 AM — 5 PM o Sunday (starting May 11): Museum only 1 - 4:30 PM • Movies 2@2pm is BACK! Mon — Sat: Come watch 2 movies at 2 PM. Only $5 Admission o "Waves Over Seward: The 1964 Earthquake" - 25 minutes o "Iditarod National Historic Trail" - 25 minutes • d Volunteers Wanted! The Seward Community Library & Museum is currently seeking volunteers to help staff the Museum or Library front desk on Saturdays. This is a great opportunity to support your community, gain experience, and spend time in a vibrant public space. If you're interested or would like more information, please stop by the library or contact us at 907-224-4355. Museum Updates: • Summer Admission Price ADULTS: $5 Children 12 & Under: Free! • Resurrection Bay Historical Society RBHS will host their last Thursdays: Our History program before the summer break on May 15 at 7 PM! • Digital Literacy Workshops will be at the Seward Senior Center in May o May 14- Mobile Device Basics (Android) o May 21- Video Conferencing Basics o May 28- Cybersecurity • Saturday @ the Library: Matinee Movie Join us on these Saturdays in April at 3 PM for a lineup of fun films! o May 17- The Princess Bride o May 24- Over the Hedge o May 31- The Sandlot • Level Up at Your Library: Summer Reading Program —Join us in the Community Room for the Summer Reading Kickoff Event on May 13 at 5 PM. There will be a Puzzle & Game Swap 16 • Check out these pictures from our awesome Earth Day event. 17 RAILROAD Port Activity Update May 21, 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 • An estimated 7,000-plus tons of steel pipe arrived on the cargo ship Ocean Dream on April 25 and the next two shipments of pipe are scheduled for late May and June. • The 2025 cruise ship schedule now includes 61 ships and 84 total ship days at the dock. The first ship, the Carnival Luminosa, arrived on April 26 and the final ship will be the Viking Orion on September 21. • A plaque exchange ceremony was held aboard the Viking Venus on May 1. City officials and port staff participated. • The 2026 cruise ship season now includes 70 ships and 90 total ship days at the dock. That schedule also includes a four -ship day on August 6. Port Capital Projects • A new pedestrian path from the terminal to Port Avenue was completed on May 7. New asphalt was also added to the Port Avenue rail crossing to improve the approaches and grade. • In late April the Alaska Railroad finished the installation of underground communications line conduit for the freight dock to service the security building and security cameras. • The cruise dock and terminal building replacement continues to move forward. Initial stages of the $137 million project include new water and fuel line installation. The major demolition will begin in September. More 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. • 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 70,000 cubic yards of project fill has been staged. Dwayne Atwood, Accredited Maritime Port Executive Seward Port Manager 907-265-2696 office / 907-362-6038 mobile mailing: PO Box 95, Seward, AK 99664 physical: 913 Port Avenue 18 May 2025 May 2025 June SuMo TuWe Th Fr Sa SuMo TuWee TTh h Fr Sa 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Apr 27 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7-00pm PRt7 Mtg] 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 7:OOpm CC Mtg 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 6:OOpm P&Z WS I 1 12:OOpm PACAB I I 5:30pm HPC WS / Mtg 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 II Memorial Day I 15:30pm CC Work Session 7:OOpm CC Mtg Council Calendar 1 5/6/2025 8:13 AM June 2025 June 2025 July 25 SuMo TuWe Th Fr Sa SuMo TuWeeTTh h Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Jun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7-OOpm PAr7 Mtgl 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 7.00pm CC Mtg l 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 6:OOpm P&Z WS l 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 7:00pm CC Mtg l 29 30 Jul 1 2 3 4 5 Council Calendar 2 5/6/2025 8:13 AM