HomeMy WebLinkAbout08272007 City Council MinutesCity of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
August 27, 2007 Volume 37 Pa~e405
CALL TO ORDER
The August 27, 2007 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:30
p.m. by Mayor Vanta Shafer.
OPENING CEREMONY
Police Chief Tom Clemons led the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
Vanta Shafer presiding and
Willard Dunham Linda Amberg
Bob Valdatta Steve Schafer
Jean Bardarson Robert Thomas
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Phillip Oates, City Manager
Jean Lewis, City Clerk
ABSENT -None
CITIZENS' COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED
FOR PUBLIC HEARING
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (Bardarson/Amberg) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
The August 13, 2007 regular city council meeting minutes were approved.
Election workers; Jean Cripps, Betty Casey, Rose McSwain and Mary Williamson, and
canvass workers; Kim Reierson, Lori Draper, Jackie Campbell and Debbie Bond were
approved for the October 2, 2007 municipal election.
Non-code Ordinance 2007-005, Authorizing An Exception To SCC 3.65.020 To Permit
Retroactive Application To July 1, 2007 Of Provisions In A Collective Bargaining Agreement
~... As And If Approved By Separate Resolution Of The City Council, was introduced and set for
public hearing on September 10, 2007.
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August 27 2007 Volume 37, Page406
Ordinance 2007-006, establishing Section 15.15.025, Historic Preservation, Seward Historic
Plant & Tree Register, was introduced and set for public hearing on September 10, 2007.
Resolution 2007-083, approving the expenditure of $16,883 from the 2007 street department
operating budget for additional costs associated with paving of various sections of city streets
authorized in Resolution 2007-044.
Resolution 2007-084, authorizing the city manager to spend an amount up to $28,750.00 for the
repairs to the 1997 436C Caterpillar Backhoe to NC Machinery.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations and Awards
The Resurrection Bay Lions Club Presented Seven AED's To The Seward Police
Department.
A Proclamation Was Read For Founder's Day August 28.
Jenny Kaiser Was Awarded A Police Certification.
A Plaque Of Appreciation Was Presented To Lynn Hohl For Over Seven Years Of
Leadership And Dedicated Service On The Seward Planning & Zoning Commission.
School Board Report. Lynn Hohl stated the School Board had passed goals to increase
two-way communication of site councils, and to evaluate the delivery of education relative to school
size. A $30 activity pass or user fee, that may not benefit smaller schools, failed to pass and would
be addressed again in the fall. Hohl remarked that the special education task force ended this past
week but standing committees that could propose education legislation were enacted and she urged
support. She said substitute teachers were needed and that salaries had been raised. Training for
anyone interested in substitute teaching would occur in September. Both Moose Pass and Seward
Elementary received a performance incentive award by the State for schools whose students showed
significant improvement from the year before. Hohl stated the School Board would have their
October 1, 2007 meeting in Seward.
In response to questions, Hohl said bus drivers were needed in Seward and when drivers
came from other areas, bus trips became expensive. Declining enrollment was the reason for the
reduction in programs and teachers.
City Manager's Report. City Manager Phillip Oates thanked the volunteers for a Great
Silver Salmon Derby. He noted a task force would be assembled from the community to identify
areas of the budget process.
Oates stated the city was soliciting volunteers for both the fire department and the volunteer
ambulance corps., along with membership on various boards and commissions. City staff, the
Chamber and PACAB would be hosting an economic forum at the High School on September 19,
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
August 27, 2007 Volume 37, Page407
2007. He thought they would break into work groups to look at development for new businesses,
how to help existing businesses, and look at government.
^ The Japanese Creek Levee Repair invitation for bid was advertised for requesting
temporary work to repair the levee. He would go further into detail on why later in
this agenda. An annual floodplain outreach notice had been drafted that addressed
flood insurance and emergency contact information.
^ The Alaska Railroad Coal Task Force would be resuming meetings, with coal
shipments scheduled for October, November, and February.
^ Long Term Care Facility platting and zoning dates with Planning & Zoning and the
Borough would be running from September 4, 2007 through October 16, 2007.
^ The Oak Street extension would not go out for bid this fall. The school district route
would be utilized in the meantime.
^ Phase II of the harbor expansion was complete. New restrooms were open, fresh
water and power were in to all slips, the new pump out station at the end of Q float
was operational with tokens distributed from the harbor office.
^ A power pole breaker failure created severe fluctuations of power in some of the
downtown area, which took 40 minutes for the line crew to fix the problem.
Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations
PUBLIC HEARINGS -None
NEW BUSINESS
Resolutions
Resolution 2007-085. Authorizing The City Manager To Pursue Funding For Two Electric
Generators And Associated Components And Design/Build Proposals For Fort Raymond
Generator Building And A Warehouse With Office Space.
Oates stated the results from an extensive work session were to purchase two used generators,
controls, housing building and office space for a total of $8 million dollars. He recommended two
phases. Phase I would pursue funding to purchase two refurbished generators and a building to
house them for $6.5 million. Phase II would build a separate warehouse with office space for $1.5
million on the Fort Raymond site selected with Resolution 2006-37.
Oates stated if the public works shop was combined, the city would have to purchase property
~ outside the Seward area big enough for a combined site, significant rate increases would be needed
for electric, water and sewer, and the price of building materials was increasing daily while a site
selection process went on. Although this did not offer a solution for the public works shop, and there
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
August 27 2007 Volume 37, Page408
would be a minor loss of savings and efficiency by not combining the shops, Oates stated it was time
to address the generator problem now. He stressed the advantages to purchasing the generators, •~
warehouse and office space were: no rates would be increased, they could bond the project, total
cost to build would only increase with time, it met all immediate and foreseeable needs, could be
used for an EOC or backup location, saved office lease costs, solved equipment, office and storage
needs by combining all electric materials stored in three different locations, was expandable, and
allowed for automation of the control system that was badly needed.
Oates expressed the Public Works property on 6`h Avenue would only generate around $1
million dollars and would continue to explore the possibility of combining shops with the State of
Alaska for the future.
Motion (Thomas/Schafer) Approve Resolution 2007-085
In response to questions, Utility Manager Tim Barnum stated the city could use Chugach'
switches but he did not think it was advantageous and warned there would be a cost to oversee this.
Barnum stated the cost estimates were as good as they could get without going into design. He stated
cost estimate figures came from a Delta Junction project from Dryden and Larue, and were thought
to be a bit on the high side. Over $2 million was built in for contingencies.
Schafer stated contingencies were needed and necessary for overruns.
Mayor Shafer liked the phases and felt there was no alternative but to start improvement now
because of the need for the new generators.
Motion Passed
OTHER NEW BUSINESS
Unanimous
Pull the work session on the Library/Museum and schedule a work session to discuss the Nash
Road Bench Area which includes SMIC, for Monday, September 24, 2007 at 6:00 p.m.
The City Manager updated the council on non-compliance of previously passed Resolution
2007-079 by the property owner which addressed levee repairs and subdivision agreements in
the vicinity of Japanese Creek, and his intent to put the repairs to bid and bill the owner for
half the cost of those repairs.
Council member Schafer had a conflict and left the dais and sat in the audience.
Oates referred to the two letters submitted by Afognak Construction which declined paying
for a portion of the levee repairs, and stated the city was forced in a position to put a bid out to repair
the levee with opening on September 18, 2007. Since Afognak was declining in the sharing of
repairs, the city would bill the property owner for reimbursement. Oates stated the bridge and
culvert were still not removed and needed to be before flood season. He also noted the Schafer's
would not elevate to base flood elevation (BFE). Oates reminded that the only reason this was
platted before a subdivision agreement was in place was because of the original plan to locate the
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
August 27, 2007 Volume 37, Page409
Long Term Care Facility on the property.
Oates further stressed the problem was the letter from Afognak was eliminating the city's
ability to manage the risk of the levee. FEMA had determined the city would not be eligible for any
federal dollars for building on the alluvial fan. He was told by Nelson & Associates that the levee
design was curved because it was the only easement they could get from the property owner at the
time. Oates would not enter into a subdivision agreement until all code provisions were met.
In response to questions, Oates stated the BFE could be established, but bed loading would
have to be managed. If there were houses built, that would be a different paradigm. Oates said the
Charter of the Flood Service Board specifically kept them from planning where the city already had
agreements in.
Mayor Shafer was concerned about the bed load removal. When the city changed the way
water flowed with the levee, and now had responsibility, she did not think the community should
have to take responsibility for a portion of the creek that the city did not own.
Oates stated the City should not be afraid to make the right choice in fear of a lawsuit. He
stated FEMA recommended the land be used for other purposes than homes.
Bardarson and Amberg agreed the bed loading needed to be addressed now. It was eternal
and would not go away.
Answering a question by Dunham about the road not being where the city had granted it,
Oates explained that nothing in the creek bed had ever been permitted by the city, thus the city could
not manage the risk.
Thomas thought seeking state help was a pipe dream. They had no legal obligation and the
Borough would not help out the situation either.
Administration would move forward with Resolution 2007-079 and update the council
periodically.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS (No action required)
Providence Seward Medical Center July Financial Report.
City of Seward July Financial Report.
COUNCIL COMMENTS
Amberg thanked the Resurrection Bay Lions for their generous donation of the AED's, and
would welcome the school board in October. She noted all the yards in the community looked great.
Bardarson thanked Sam Daniel for cleaning up the highway and encouraged citizens to
participate and volunteer.
City of Seward, ,4laska City Council Minutes
,4ugust 27, 2007 Volume 37, Page410
Schafer thanked the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance for their bear proof garbage
cans. He recently found out first hand that they worked when a bear worked on his can for 45
minutes to no avail.
Dunham thanked the Chamber for a great Salmon Derby, and the Resurrection Bay Lions
Club for the AED's in every police car. He thought with budget talks coming up, a fund could be
established for improvements and growth to the city computer system, possibly contracting services
and out sourcing, and changing the three hour parking lot. Dunham wanted to start talks about the
new property around the south harbor area and to clean up the north launch ramp fish cleaning
station.
Oates iterated that they were applying for navigational servitude by the Corps. of Engineers
and then would get guidance to bring back to the council.
Mayor Shafer stated volunteerism could be very rewarding and encouraged people to
consider volunteering.
CITIZENS' COMMENTS
Steve Schafer spoke with Mr. Cline who refused to do a BFE where none was required by
zoning. He stated Mr. Nelson had designed the levee straight at first, but it was the building manager
of the city that made it curved to not fill through a part that was excavated. Cline said the dike did
not fail, it was damaged a bit but worked marvelously well considering the magnitude of the flood.
He thought the city needed to fix its levee and was kicking the little guy. The road was across the
creek before the levee was even thought of. He stated the city took over floodplain management
after that. Schafer said the levee easement stated the city would put a road over the levee at
Schafer's grade, up to but not crossing the creek, for the purpose of the Schafer's to access the
property. He felt it was the city's levee, and they should fix it. The city changed the design and
made it curved.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZENS' COMMENTS -None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m.
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