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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12152025 City Council MinutesCity of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeti►rg Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 143 CALL TO ORDER The Monday, December 15, 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. ROLL CALL There were present: Sue McClure, presiding, and John Osenga Robert Barnwell Julie Crites Casie Warner Lori Draper Mike Calhoon 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 Sam Severin, City Attorney Kody George, City Attorney Excused — None Absent — None PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS Recognition of Kevin Finch for Service on City Council was presented by Mayor McClure and accepted by Kevin Finch. Recognition of Randy Wells for Service on City Council was presented by Mayor McClure and accepted by Randy Wells. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December /5, 2025 Volume 43, Page /44 CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Andrew Scrivo, inside city limits, spoke in support of Resolution 2025-122 regarding education. He described the current state of public education in Seward. Joann McClain, outside city limits, spoke in support of Resolution 2025-121. She read from a prepared statement about how investing in childcare was very important in a rapidly changing economy. Kirstie Willean, outside city limits, spoke in support of education. Seward teachers were among the finest in the state despite working in an underfunded system. She fully supported Resolution 2025-122. Elle Zernia, outside city limits, hoped that council would taking action to update cannabis regulations in locally adopted city code. The updates had stalled out and remained unfinished. She provided examples of other cities that had stricter code. Nate Smith, outside city limits, spoke in regard to the candidates for the Planning & Zoning Commission. He felt the previous Chair Carol Griswold did an excellent job and was able to listen to all different points of view. Jennifer DesErmia, outside city limits, spoke in favor of Resolution 2025-122 which supported local schools and enhanced learning. This resolution aligned perfectly with the Seward Comprehensive Plan. Amanda Sweeting, outside city limits, expressed support for Resolution 2025-121. Access to reliable childcare was important to this community and workforce. From the Chamber of Commerce perspective, this resolution aligned with their mission of promoting local businesses, having a reliable workforce, and making Seward a place to live, work, and raise children year- round. Mica VanBuskirk, inside city limits, supported Resolution 2025-122 and noted this was a very important step forward for the community. Tim McDonald, inside city limits, said there was a 9 million dollar grant for grey cod relief. He said there was a large grey cod nursery near Lowell Point. On another topic, McDonald wondered about running free shuttle busses in the winter for people in need of transportation. It made him sad to see people trudging on foot along the highway in the winter. Katy Jurney, outside city limits, supported both resolutions on childcare and education. Students in Seward were not getting the same quality of education as students on the other side of the peninsula. She also described an abrupt closure in childcare that had affected her life. City of Seward, Alaska Cit• Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 145 Andy Wilder, inside city limits, introduced himself as one of the candidates for the Planning & Zoning Commission. He was a 30-year resident of Seward and wanted to see Seward continue to thrive and be a great place to raise a family. Rhonda Hubbard, inside city limits, spoke about marijuana establishments being operated in Seward. She described Seward's response thus far as more reactionary to AMCO licenses. She wanted to see more updates on a legislative level. She summarized a timeline of events that pertained to marijuana in the Land Uses Allowed table. She encouraged council to review work session notes and pick up the work and make changes to Title 8 in the code. Mark Swanson, outside city limits, spoke to issues regarding housing and schools and how council could be involved. Lavina Dickinson, outside city limits, spoke in support of Resolution 2025-122 and the current state education in Seward. She also addressed the proposed closure of the Seward Middle School. Randy Wells, inside city limits, said Seward was on the cusp of significant change with more year-round residents and a growing economy. He envisioned how Planning & Zoning, Community Development, and City Administration could work together for the benefit of all. He was proud of his tenure on City Council and said if he was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission, he would bring integrity and dedication to the seat. Becky Dunn, inside city limits, paid tribute to Shirley Dieckgraeff who recently passed away. On another topic, Dunn spoke to the burdensome rules and regulations of operating a daycare. [Clerk's note: It was clarified later in the meeting that it was actually Barbara Dieckgraeff who had recently passed away.] APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Osenga/Calhoon) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the November 17, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes Resolution 2025-123: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Funds from the Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod Federal Fishery Disaster Relief through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in the Amount of $9,438.15 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 146 Resolution 2025-124: Repealing Resolution 2025-064 and Authorizing the City Manager to Accept an Adjusted Loan Amount from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Clean Water Fund for $740,000 with Loan Forgiveness of $740,000 for Planning and Design of Lowell Point and SMIC Lagoon Effluent Disinfection and Completing and Implementing a Required Wastewater/Water Utility Rate Study Resolution 2025-125: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase Water Meters from Anchorage Well & Pump Service, Inc for an Amount not to Exceed $201,471.72 No grounds for protest to the renewal of the AMCO retail marijuana store license for the Tufted Puffin at 408 Port Avenue No grounds for protest to the renewal of the AMCO endorsement for on -site consumption at the Tufted Puffin at 408 Port Avenue No grounds for protest to the renewal of the AMCO retail marijuana store license for the Tufted Puffin at 216 Fourth Avenue IN -PERSON REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS City Manager Report City Manager Kat Sorensen updated council on the recent Electric Department town hall meeting and upcoming surveys. The Electric Department also hosted an open house tour of the Lowell Canyon hydro generation plant. Sorensen summarized the EPA grant stakeholder meeting regarding shore power at the new cruise ship terminal. One of Sorensen's resolutions for 2026 was using electronic payments in the City of Seward. Currently, the city can only accept and issue paper checks and Sorensen was looking forward to this upgrade. Lastly, she provided information on possible frauds and phishing scams to be aware of this holiday season. Barnwell asked about the U.S. Coast Guard update for Seward. Sorensen explained the timeline for the Coast Guard being situated across the bay. Barnwell wanted to request a joint work session with Planning & Zoning Commission regarding the cannabis industry. McClure echoed the request. McClure praised Sorensen for the City Manager Newsletter primer on the council meetings. Sorensen explained how people can subscribe to the city's e-notifications. She noted the Human Resources Manager was now utilizing the e-notifications for sending out job postings. City Clerk Report City Clerk Kris Peck said the clerk report contained a council packet cover from January 2006, which was the oldest packet cover on the Legislative History site. He noted that featuring a cover photo on packets was fairly unique to Seward and he was proud to be carrying on the tradition. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 147 McClure asked what the black rectangle photo on the 2006 cover was supposed to represent. Peck confirmed the photo was of a fireworks display. City Attorney Report City Attorney Sam Severin said November was relatively quiet and summarized from his written report in the packet. He described a slip and fall negligence claim from a cruise ship passenger. He described the generally hazardous conditions in Seward, including the annual Mt. Marathon Race, and felt that a slip and fall incident would be a tough sell. That being said, he was still taking the claim seriously. City Attorney Kody George said he had been keeping busy with the electric utility topics and the Railbelt Transmission Organization. He noted the Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling had provided some good suggestions. Presentations Chamber of Commerce Presentation by Executive Director Amanda Sweeting PUBLIC HEARINGS — None UNFINISHED BUSINESS — None Council recessed the meeting at 8:20 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 8:27 p.m. NEW BUSINESS Resolution 2025-117: Adopting the 2026 City of Seward Pay Plan Motion (Osenga/Warner) Approve Resolution 2025-117 Sorensen explained how this resolution was related to the Seward Public Employee Association collective bargaining agreement. The pay plan would be incorporated into the next budget cycle and included a 3% cost of living increase and 2.5% between steps for all employees. Barnwell clarified this was separate from the recent wage increase. Sorensen said this resolution was approving the pay plan correlative to the collective bargaining agreement. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-118: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the Proposal from Electric Power Constructors (EPC) for the Rebuild of the Lawing Substation in an Amount not to Exceed $5,200,000 Motion (Osenga/Barnwell) Approve Resolution 2025-118 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 148 Sorensen said this was the second to final piece of the infrastructure project. She pointed out that the resolution had incorporated the Section 2 Funding wording from a previous resolution of a similar nature to allow flexibility. Electric Operations Supervisor Taylor Crocker added that he attended a Community Council meeting in Moose Pass regarding questions on the Lawing substation. Based on the discussion he had taken a closer look at directional lighting and improving the fence. The key points of the rebuild are to bring the whole substation up to the current national standards and make the substation more visually pleasing to the neighbors. McClure noted the council had been well -versed on this topic. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-119: Authorizing the City Manager to Purchase Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Meters, Network Equipment, and Software from Landis+Gyr for Citywide Electric Meter Modernization in the Amount of $766,389, Plus a 10% Contingency and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Draper) Approve Resolution 2025-119 Crocker described the proposals that he received from different manufactures. The city's Request for Proposals contained 271 questions and it took Crocker 8 hours of work per response to grade them. Crocker summarized how the AMI meters technology would work, and addressed the comments on social media about the cellular technology. He addressed the concerns about AMI meters burning houses down and provided an example of a 2018 house fire in Anchorage. There was always a chance of fire in a meter base due to poor craftsmanship and faulty installation. Calhoon thanked Crocker for addressing the community concerns and proper installation. Crocker continued to describe the credentials required to install these types of meters. Crocker confirmed it would not be possible to be opt out of the program. He noted the city doesn't force anyone to be a customer. Council continued to discuss the AMI meters, surge protectors, and if the dollar amount was worth the upgrade. Sorensen added the current meters were given to the city for free from Kodiak. They were free because they were already obsolete technology. The current meters had served the city well and it was time to upgrade. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-120: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept the Proposal from National Metering & Technical Services to Perform Commercial and Industrial Meter Audits in the Amount of $37,005 Plus a 10% Contingency and Appropriating Funds Motion (Osenga/Warner) Approve Resolution 2025-120 City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 149 Crocker explained the audit was not about the meters themselves, but the ratio of current flowing to the meters. He had a bad feeling that the CTs [current transformers] were going bad. Hiring this group would bench test everything for accuracy. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-121: Establishing Child Care as an Economic Development Activity, and Directing Administration to Include Child Care in Economic Development Planning and Strategies Motion (Osenga/Calhoon) Approve Resolution 2025-121 Sorensen noted this resolution was sponsored by Warner. Warner described how this resolution would support a stable and thriving economy. She described childcare in Alaska and provided various reports on childcare. She hoped the city would align with happenings around the state. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2025-122: Supporting Local Schools and Directing the Development of Partnerships and Collaborations that Enhance Student Learning, Civic Engagement, and Workforce Development Opportunities Motion (Warner/McClure) Approve Resolution 2025-122 Sorensen noted this resolution was co -sponsored by Warner and Draper. Draper introduced the resolution. She described the education crisis that Seward was facing and how the students deserve better. She referenced all the people who spoke tonight in support of this resolution. She described a ChatGPT simulation that came to the conclusion that the current curriculum was impossible with only six teachers. Warner added that this resolution was a step to show that community valued education in Seward. She was proud to partner with Council Member Draper on sponsoring this resolution. Resolution 2025-022 was amended to include the Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm [KMTA] in Whereas #2. Barnwell said lack of education funding in the state was shameful. This system gradually eroded over time. He wanted the focus to stay on state legislators. Osenga asked about the City of Seward obligation and if the city was looking to add a city staff member to the school system. Main Motion as Amended Passed Unanimous City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 150 Other New Business Appoint a Planning & Zoning Commissioner with a term set to expire February 2027 There were three applicants: Randy Wells Andrew Wilder [Laydown] James "Mike" Taylor [Laydown] The city clerk distributed paper ballots to council since there was more than one applicant for the position. The final results were as follows: Wilder: 6 votes [Draper, Barnwell, Warner, Calhoon, Osenga, McClure] Wells: 1 vote [Crites] Taylor: 0 votes Andrew Wilder was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission with a term set to expire February 2027 Discuss Finance Reports — Content, Format, Frequency Sorensen summarized the current finance Excel spreadsheets and was looking for feedback so she could provide council with the most robust and desired information. Draper wanted to know the dollar amount varying from last year's dollar amount. Finance Director Sully Jusino explained a 2008 resolution that required finance reports to be delivered to council. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Current Roster of Boards & Commissions Regular Meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. City of Seward Campground Revenue Report CITIZEN COMMENTS Tara Swanson, outside city limits, thanked council for their support and prioritizing education in this community. This was the first step in a really important process. Sarah Tougas, inside city limits, thanked everyone for being here tonight. She had encouraged Mr. Wilder to apply for P&Z. She also provided an update on a recent Tsunami Swim Team event. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume =13, Page 151 Amanda Sweeting, outside city limits, explained the Holiday Decoration Contest for residential and commercial buildings and all the prizes involved. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Sorensen thanked city staff for speaking on all their big projects. She vowed to enter the Holiday Decoration Contest, provided she could inflate her large Christmas kangaroo in the high winds. Calhoon said the support for education tonight was not intended to be a knock on home -schooling. From his standpoint home schooling was a very important option. Calhoon provided updates on the American Legion events this holiday season. Draper said it was great to see all the citizens tonight providing comments. She provided an update on the AML (Alaska Municipal League) training she had attended for newly elected officials. Draper responded to a citizen comment and noted there was a shuttle bus running during the winter. Lastly, Draper provided updates on the Rotary holiday events and wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Warner thanked Draper for mentioning Seward City Tours running the shuttle in the winter. She wondered how to help spread the word that the free shuttle service was available. She gave a shout out to the library for hosting fun events and new Shush Booths. She noted Winter Break was approaching and the kids would be out of school. Crites thanked everyone who spoke tonight. She thanked Taylor Crocker and Electric Department for all the upgrades and improvements. She thanked Warner and Draper for their resolution on education. Lastly, she mentioned a great Fire Explorers youth program by Tyler Mallory. The program was geared towards teenagers who are interested in becoming a fire fighter or EMT. Barnwell appreciated the council discussions and compromise. Barnwell wanted to improve the school system. He congratulated Andy Wilder for his appointment to the Planning & Zoning Commission. Osenga thanked Amanda Sweeting for the Chamber of Commerce presentation. He congratulated Andrew Wilder for his appointment to P&Z, and thanked the others for applying. He thanked Warner and Draper for their resolutions tonight. Lastly, he wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. McClure provided a correction on a citizen comment from the beginning of the meeting, it was actually Barbara Dieckgraeff who had recently passed away. McClure shared her experience attending the AML Conference of Mayor's in Anchorage. She noted Draper joined the mayors for one bonus day. McClure offered congratulations to Andrew Wilder for his appointment to P&Z. Lastly, McClure provided updates on upcoming festivities, events and concerts this holiday season. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 15, 2025 Volume 43, Page 152 EXECUTIVE SESSION #1 Discuss with City Attorney the facts and litigation strategies regarding Sayler v. City, 3SW- 24-00057CI [employment] Motion (Osenga/Calhoon) Go into Executive Session #1 Those invited to stay were: City Manager Kat Sorensen, Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling, City Attorney Sam Severin, City Attorney Kody George, and Attorney Matt Widmer. Motion Passed Unanimous Council went into Executive Session #1 at 9:45 p.m. Council came out of Executive Session #1 at 10:12 p.m. McClure stated that council had a discussion with the attorneys in executive session. Council recessed the meeting at 10:12 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 10:17 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION #2 Discuss with City Attorney the facts and litigation strategies regarding Afognak Construction & Excavating, Inc related to subdivision public improvements at Forest Acres and Forest Acres Afognak Addition [potential code enforcement action] Motion (Osenga/Calhoon) Go into Executive Session #2 Those invited to stay were: City Manager Kat Sorensen, Deputy City Manager Jason Bickling, City Attorney Sam Severin, and City Attorney Kody George. Motion Passed Unanimous Council went into Executive Session #2 at 10:18 p.m. Council came out of Executive Session #2 at 10:39 p.m. McClure stated that council had a discussion with the attorneys in executive session and were ready to adjourn the meeting. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at l,Pg ' •,• : Sue McClure • V� oCpO�r��4•'•, Vt- fte CQ�w • Kris Peck City Clerk