Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09262016 City Council Laydowns to-0/4g CITY OF SEWARD Jim Hunt, City,Manager P.O. Box 167 Telephone (907) 224-4047 Seward,AK 99664 Facsimile (907)224-4038 MANAGER'S REPORT September 2 thru September 16,2016 The following purchase orders for between $10,000 and$50,000 have been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting: NONE ADMINISTRATION • SMIC weekly teleconference • Attended Q &A at Seward Senior Center giving state of the city update • Working with contractor on City hall carpet abatement project. • Attended Borough Healthcare Task Force update meeting • Attended meeting with Providence administrator Joe Fong • Toured AVTEC diesel shop with DOL Commissioner and Deputy • Attended Suicide Awareness walk - • Attended the 1st Responder Picnic • Managed flood with department heads. • Finalized EWP Grant with USDA for nearly $1.5 million dollars • Meeting with department heads ELECTRIC • Number of outages/trouble calls in Sept: 3 Number of new Job Orders started since Jan. 1, 2016: 46 • Scheduled Power Outage: Generators ran for approximately 9 hours. Over all it was a smooth process. • Snow River: We have submitted for all required permits and are waiting for final signature from DOT. • Swan Incident: We are aware of the contact on Nash Road and are researching remedies for this area. • End of construction season is approaching. Reminders out to customers to submit job orders. PUBLIC WORKS • Five inches of Rain in a day brought the water level up less to than 2 feet from the bridge at the falls even while working all night to remove material. • Sinkholes and potholes are being repaired as weather permits. When not patching the road we have been working on alleys to fill in low spots and level up the surface. • Mostly a normal week. We are working on systems,preventative maintenance, and backups to for our lift stations and pumps. Operators are also doing the required training to keep their certificates current. • Our New Public Works Admin Assistant-Jennifer Cotter completed her first week on the job. She will be a big help to Public Works as we move ahead. We will continue her training and introductions to all departments next week. • We have started our selection process for the Mechanic/Operator position and are looking forward to having a full staff again. • Congratulations to James Mitchell for winning the McCarthy -Half Marathon Race this week. k; -M4 -4. 4.1e,3'..,.0�. C< L ' Ste, �' I 4 ,,':%"=" I ''i :r '�'� e ' -::$4,,,I!'=3,4 'T� a . � X ,, a '•," y # x yy ea` 0.fi' c '0 `6,t 5t: 'a, . �,a., , 8�:i ,u +arm 1 7,t, > div c � eai, i , bv ,,1 �:c�a�'-s tN, � � c . 0. HARBOR • We had construction meetings with Hamilton Construction and R&M for the SMIC breakwater project on 9-15-2016 and 9-22-2016. • Hamilton Construction gave us a new completion timeframe of Mid-December this is still a tentative date. • The Harbor has started preparing the boat harbor for winter; water will be shut off in early October. • The North East Harbor restroom will be shut down on the 30th of September,the Harbormasters building restroom and South Harbor restrooms will be open through the winter. • • The Harbor is still hauling boats out of the water though it has slowed down this week. • The Harbor has ordered two no wake buoys and no wake signs to be placed throughout the harbor,the buoys and breakwater signs will be in place this fall,the other no wake labels will be installed on the piling around the harbor weather permitting. • The Harbormaster will be in training the week of September 26th to the 30th. He will be available by phone or e-mail. • Attached is the Harbormasters 4th quarter newsletter FINANCE • Seward's 2nd Quarter taxable sales were up 5.4% over the second quarter in 2015, and showed the highest increase in taxable sales in the Borough,with other cities and the Borough coming in as follows: Homer up 1.6%; Kenai Borough down -2.6%; Seldovia down -2.7%; Kenai down -3.1%; and Soldotna down -17.7%. Cumulative (first and second quarter 2016), Seward was up 4.47%over 2015,with other cities/borough as follows: Seldovia up 6.35%; Homer up 2.92%; Kenai Borough down -2.57%;Kenai down-4.57%; and Soldotna down -19.3%. • This month's fuel adjustment factor is $0.050946; up from $0.042864 last month, but still lower than July's per kWh fuel factor of$0.065279. • Chugach Electric Association passed along an increase in rates which will be effective on this month's utility bills. For Large General Service customers, the demand is going up by $0.82 (from $22.08 to $22.90). The demand rate had gone done in July from $22.23 to $22.08. This change in demand is a 3.01% increase from where it was before July's decrease, and a 3.7% increase from July's rate. The energy charge (cost per kilowatt hour) is increasing $0.00068. • We expect to receive information in the coming week or two from the State of Alaska, needed to complete our annual financial report. Therefore, we are hoping to schedule a work session and final presentation of the year's financial performance, at a Council meeting in October. • Advertisements have been placed in both the Seward Journal and Seward Phoenix LOG regarding the upcoming bond proposition related to road improvements. One ad shows the existing bonded debt for the City of Seward, and the other explains the nature of the bond proposition. The bond proposition ad provides three maps indicating the identified road priorities the shows the annual cost associated with the bonds (approx. $230,000) and explains that to raise sufficient revenues from an increase in sales tax would equal 0.2%sales tax increase (from $4.0%to 4.2%) and from property tax would equal a mill increase of 0.72 mills (from 3.12 mills to 3.84 mills). Ultimately if approved,the City Council will be asked to make the decision on how to pay for the bond issue. PARKS AND RECREATION • The Parking Department continues to serve visitors and local as the season has taken its annual slow- down period. We continue to advise customers and sell permits as we work on larger and smaller project such as the pedestrian path, signs and preparations for next spring. We will close September 30, then move the chalet, office building to another location for the winter. • Rehabilitating and closing flower gardens; opened up the 'new' City Cemetery as we work with surveyors and designers, we are now ready to receive cremains as well as remains. • The campgrounds are winding down for the season, but we are still experiencing an increase in camper nights as customers enjoy half-price RV camping for the remainder of the season. • Staff is working on removing dead and dying spruce trees along the waterfront with plans to replace them with native Sitka's in the spring. (See more information at the bottom of this report.) • We are also installing four new doogie-doo stations along the Waterfront Park bike path, as well as installing new information boards or interpretive panels in Triangle Park, at Third Ave and Phoenix. • In the coming weeks we will be re-painting the interiors of the waterfront restrooms and shower house, as well as replacing and painting crumbling parking, curb stop blocks. • We will be applying for grants seeking funding to replace and update one dozen interpretive panels. • We continue to work on the Waterfront Park beach erosion mitigation via the Borough's Flood board grant. • The Annual Community Halloween Carnival is Monday, October 31St from 6 to 9 pm. Booth space is now available: www.cityofseward.us. • The Glacier Family Medicine Pumpkin Prowl at Forest Acres Park Sat, Oct 22 at 6:30 pm • The Family Masquerade Ball Sat, Oct 22nd , following the Pumpkin Prowl at the Seward Resort. • Working on multiple Grant applications,#SewardStrong November 1, Seward Prevention Coalition work, Beach Erosion Mitigation, etc. • Seward Parks &Recreation has begun the process of replacing sponsored, donated memorial trees within Waterfront Park, due to the poor health and slow death of over one dozen adopted trees. Therefore,the City of Seward is reaching out to those people and their families who adopted these trees, back in the late 1980's and beyond. The spruce were indeed planted according to USDA standards, since many were purchased with grant funds through the State of Alaska's community forestry program. We have sought professional help from the State, but it appears that compaction over time has damaged the trees and their soil. Call the Parks Maintenance and Campgrounds' office at 224.4055 or email bhickok@cityofseward.net. • Volunteer Cemetery Help sought On a similar topic,the City Parks &Recreation staff continues to seek help in both City Cemeteries: The Historic Cemetery and the 'new' cemetery,which was the Oddfellows and, of course, Woodlawn Cemetery on Salmon Creek Road. As you consider volunteering, please help us contact existing family and friends who can bring their gravesites up-to-date and up-to-regulations by removing rocks and decorative rocks and by placing headstones that meet the minimal requirements. The cemetery rules can be found online at www.cityofseward.us. SPRD staff can assist you with locating one grave site to adopt to assist the community's efforts to improve the cemetery, the safety of the visitors and record-keeping. Call the Parks Maintenance and Campgrounds' office at 224.4055 or Director Karin Sturdy, 224.4053 or ksturdv@cityofseward.net. The City is moving forward surveying new plots and researching old gravesites, which will include cremains. Work in October will move the City closer to the development of reserving a gravesite for the future, much like private cemeteries allow. LIBRARY • August 2016 Statistics 21812 Front Door Counter; 4159 Joint Library Catalog Checkouts; 398 Alaska, Digital Library Checkouts ;942 Museum Admission; 592 Iditarod Movie Admission; 2 Museum Research Questions; 42 Programs; 24 Passport Applications; 268 Room Uses; 2177 Public Computer Sessions • We will be closed October 4th for a Training/Work Day the first Thursday of the month, October through May. This will provide staff with much needed time to catch up on training as well as further develop their work skills, programs and services. • We are pleased to welcome Tim Morrow back to our team as a Library Museum Aide. He previously worked as an Aide, then as a Technician, a few years back and brings back with him a love for what we do,the community we serve and a fabulous sense of humor. • The Seward Community Library Association is resuming monthly meetings this fall, normally held in the evenings at the Library Museum on the third Thursday of each month and are open to the public. Visit their website to learn more about them: www.friendsofsclm.org • The Resurrection Bay Historical Society has also resumed monthly meetings this fall, normally held in the evenings at the Library Museum on the fourth Thursday of each month, and are also open to the public. Visit their website to learn more about them: www.resbayhistorical.org „, l°2-8NS Seward Boat Harborr kW iia , • `o- 4th Quarter Newsletter , { ` The harbormaster office is open six days a week from October 1 through March 31,2017.The office will be i..7.,,11„, 1.',.:"J'.,;'-1closed on Sundays.The marina will still be attended seven days a week,so that snow removal,boat lifts and „ Y gg r,s ,rv ` maintenance jobs don't get neglected.Payments need to be made during office hours,but you can also use the ^ Harbor's convenient and safe online payment system by Paymentus.For your convenience,in addition to our iI { ` a phone answering service,we also have a drop box just to the right of our office entrance. There is also a box -F containing transient moorage contracts to improve the moorage registration process. '[lie Harbormaster office will also be CLOSED on the following holidays this Quarter:Octoberl8th for Alaska Day,November 11`h for Veterans Day,November 24`1'and 25`h for Thanksgiving, December 24`,at noon for Christmas Eve through December 26th for Christmas Day Observed. Project Status Reports ', , 't- 'i r4 Pt ; 3 4 t s z '—` it ,, New Fish Cleaning Station i , �� ,, •,4.4' ti's ! I � 4 Harmon Construction has finished the new fish cleaning station located at the 1 J_ 4rptl , North East boat launch in the Harbor.Please remember.if you use this cleaning I' � s i.(�,; Irv, � station do not leave your vessel in the launch area ' •;, ,. „ 'D-4 ' t ,I �� I� #s,b*a' €� r+ I ' ”� z7” • Float Replacement „I+, t,•:�. �, . . :�._ ._w • • r99 "4 1 i ' '.,i;;;.=;-*-i Turnagain Marine has finished the A,B,C and S-Float replacement -$.'11115.'"•'12-11'1'""-'11. 4-e ".1 it i • , project;we are still currently working out some electrical issues with F � ,i»,.»����i � � 1 ,€�,iiict ia� ; �� � the new GFCI requirements but are happy to report very few Tn A ,moi l£l € � problems with the tenant boats in those areas. Those boats that have ru . ` ,,,.1.'''..,1!"-t#4414-;t9 � � � i plugged in and tripped the GFCI breakers have been assisted by :'Z1,-71 t' , �, :� harbor staff in identifying the problems. SMIC Breakwater The SMIC breakwater project is moving along. HamiltonCopstruction is currently placing rock into 4 :the basin it should be finished by this fall. If you are t - „yet going to that area fora 330 Ton Travelift be aware I 't,: ': , " �= r • f there are some navigational changes to be aware of. t .,. rxr ,4 2 ;` Please contact the office for assistance navigating . 7 = into SMIC. �� € � s PLEASE REMEMBER TO STAY OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION ZONES Ways to Pay Yol_l.r. Bill You still have multiple options to pay your md'itl'ily harbor bill: 1. The first option is to come by the.'harbdi;office and pay with check,credit card or cash. 2. The second option is to drop it at City.Ha1J when,you.pay your utility.bill and they will route it to our office. 3. The third option is available 24 hours per day:and•it,is,to call the toll free number 866-997-5412 andpay with a visa or master card(credit card or debit card),or electronic check:When you call,please have your card ready.For e-checks have your bank routing number and account number ready. 4. Mail your check-in the self-addressed envelope included with your bill or drop it in our drop box outside the Harbormaster Office. 5. The last option is to go to our website at www.cityofseward.us and click on the Online Payments tab. Pan down to"Harbor Billing". a. You can either make a quick and easy one-time payment or b. You can sign up to make recurring payments on one or more accounts,and make user friendly reports. Our goals at the SewardBoat Harbor are: Provide Excellent Customer Service and continue to make.harbor improvements, without making major rate increases. • y c.) w} Are you ready for INIiter? a n Clear the Main Docks.With winter coming,the harbor would like to remind you to keep ,„; y .r: the main walkway clear. Please remove all dock boxes,dock carts,mooring lines,power cords z �,�,,'" %; , 43 and any other obstacles that might inhibit safe and efficient snow removal from the main float - ' s .* � ' It is not uncommon for our snow blowers to eat power cords that were buried in the snow. a -.1y4, ,,,,,' .� , Snow removal from the finger floats are the shared responsibility of you and your neighbor. r a �• ..,,,;,, Please help our staff and do your part to keep the main floats clear. 0 Winter Boat Watch.There are a number of reputable individuals and businesses that perform this critical service.Each boat watch is required to have a city business license,but you might want to check to make sure that your boat watch has liability insurance.As you winterize your vessels,remember the harbor has several locations for oil and antifreeze. Please put the appropriate liquid in its proper place i.e.:oil in the used oil dumpsters and antifreeze in the antifreeze containers. These are currently the names and numbers we have:" Capt. Turner, Dennis 907-598-8023 Marathon Dive&Marine Services (Bixler McClure) 907-599-0499 Professional Vessel Service (Mark Hendsbee) 772-321-8688 Pro-grade Services(Dave) 907-362-9756 Sailing Inc. 907-224-3160 Seven Seas 907-965-1900 Storm Chasers 907-224-3536 All boat watches must have valid city business license. We cannot recommend anv boat watcher and this list is only a courtesy. Additional Information The Seward Small Boat Harbor monitors:VHF channel 17 seven days a week 8am-5pm.The Seward Police Department dispatcher's office monitors VHF channel 16 which is reserved for hailing and emergencies.The dispatcher relays emergency calls to harbor personnel 24 hours a day 365 days a year.If you use the telephone to request emergency personnel by calling 911 your call is normally routed to the Borough's dispatch office in Soldotna.Of course a marine related problem will be relayed to Seward personnel.For best service,in case of emergency it is recommended that you call the Seward dispatcher at 907-224-3338. SLOW Please remember there is NO WAKE allowed within the boat harbor;also please slowdown PRIOR to N j entering the harbor Your ake follows you inside creating a hazard for other vessels trying to exit the harbor. `i' lank IOU Please store your dock carts on your fingers or on the landing floats next to the gangways. Do not block or secure any items to the Life Ring or Fire Extinguisher Boxes. The Seward Harbor has a noise ordinance.Quiet time is from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Please respect your neighbor's quiet time. If you live aboard your vessel Seward City Code requires you to register with the Harbormasters office annually. This is for your safety. If we have an emergency we will be able to notify you.There is no fee to register for being a live aboard. ' Avoid unnecessary:utility.charges by shutting your power off when you are done. Boats that have pulled ±t ,,..', s. '-- - for the winter must notify,the Harbor Office in writing to shut off power. You can stop by the office and sign the 1.`-31,;.'.7.,,: , paperwork or email us at harbormaster@cityofseward.net to shut off the power for the year. y .. HARBOR STAFF:HARBORMASTER Norm Regis nregis rr cityofseward.net;DEPUTY HARBORMASTER Matt Chase;OFFICE STAFF Melody Moline,Maggie Wilkins,Ashley Savage,HARBOR WORKERS Flip Foldager,Luke Moore,Jeff Roy,Eric Olsen,Tony Sieminski and Kyle Campbell.You can contact us at harbormaster@cityofseward.net cityofseward.net or call 907-224-3138 ext.2. Our goals at the Seward Boat Harbor are: Provide Excellent Customer Service and continue to make harbor improvements, without making major rate increases.