HomeMy WebLinkAbout03262019 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 648
111 CALL TO ORDER
The March 26,2019 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:01
p.m. by Mayor David Squires.
OPENING CEREMONY
Police Chief Tom Clemons led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
David Squires presiding and
Sue McClure Suzanne Towsley
Jeremy Horn Sharyl Seese
John Osenga Kelley Lane
comprising a quorum of the Council;and
Norm Regis,Acting City Manager
Jessica Fogle,Deputy City Clerk
Holly Wells,City Attorney
Excused—None
Absent—None
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING
Yield Loomis,a Seward resident of 49 years,strongly encouraged the renaming of Citizens
Field to the Ryan Lewis Memorial Field.She explained that Ryan Lewis grew up in Seward and had
a love for baseball since he was a little boy, which made him the perfect choice for renaming
Citizens Field.He was also well-loved and respected in Seward and the softball communities around
the state, and he was a volunteer who helped build Citizens Field.
Lara Loomis thanked council for their service and for hearing out the citizens who wanted •
Citizens Field to be renamed Ryan Lewis Memorial Field.She believed that Ryan was the epitome of
Citizens Field and she felt very strongly that it should be renamed after him.
Colby Lawrence stated that when he thought about softball,he thought about Ryan Lewis.
He did not see any reason why Citizens Field should not be named after Ryan.
Amy Komarek was in support of renaming Citizens Field to Ryan Lewis Memorial Field.
Her family had all played with,against,or coached Ryan. She would be honored to have the baseball
field renamed after Ryan Lewis. •
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 649
Heather McKean was a friend of Ryan Lewis's. She emphasized that renaming Citizens
Field would not be memorializing Ryan's death,but would celebrate his life. She asked that Citizens
Fields name be changed to Ryan Lewis Memorial Field for his love for softball.
Amy Haddow was a family friend of the Lewis family. She believed that Ryan was very
deserving of having the field renamed after him. She stated that his loss had affected many people of
all ages.
Skip Reierson,the project manager of Citizens Field,strongly believed that the field should
be renamed to Ryan Lewis Memorial Field.
Squires asked for everyone who was in attendance to support the renaming of Citizens Field to raise
their hands;over 50 citizens who were present raised their hands in a show of support for renaming
Citizens Field after Ryan Lewis.
Bruce Jaffa was excited that so many citizens came tonight to show their support for
renaming Citizens Field to the Ryan Lewis Memorial Field. He was also in support of renaming
Citizens Field to Ryan Lewis Memorial Field. He believed that the governor's budget plan was not
cost-effective and would hurt Seward financially;every kid would suffer if the number of students in
a classroom moved to 40 students per teacher. He encouraged citizens to speak up on this topic at the
upcoming Kenai Peninsula Borough meetings.He believed that Seward would be a critical location
for evacuation if the state had an emergency,and this was one reason that the Seward airport should
be expanded.
John Wisel H wanted to speak about the Gateway Subdivision; his civil engineer was
working adamantly on pursuing this project. He enjoyed meeting with previous Interim City
Manager Jeff Bridges and was sad to see him go. He would like to take advantage of housing
opportunities by making more housing available for long-term Seward residents rather than nightly
lodging businesses.
Phil Kaluza was concerned that he was having difficulty installing solar panels on his roof.
His goal was to have the same opportunity as every other home owner in the state of Alaska. He
wanted to see the process streamlined so the next person would not have as much trouble as he was
having.
Kyle Walker strongly believed that the city manager interviews should be held in public.
Christy Terry stated the Port and Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) recommended
council send a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Commission,
and copy Federal, State and Borough Representatives insisting Alternative 1.1 "reconstructing the
new runway" be reconsidered for the Seward port. She thanked Council Member Towsley for
attending the PACAB meetings and for adding this item to tonight's agenda.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26,2019 Volume 40, Page 650
Motion(McClure/Towsley) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
McClure removed the approval of the March 11,2019 minutes from the consent agenda.
Lane removed Resolution 2019-032 from the consent agenda.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Resolution 2019-030, Renaming Citizens Field Located On City-Owned Property Lot 6A-2
Fort Raymond Subdivision Replat Number 3 To The Ryan M. Lewis Memorial Field.
Resolution 2019-031, Amending The Agreement Covering Terms And Conditions Of
Employment Between The City Of Seward, Alaska And Local No. 1547 International
Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers AFL-CIO, Anchorage, Alaska To Provide For The
Inclusion Of The Position Of Field Engineer Into The Bargaining Unit.
Certifying The Election Results From The March 19, 2019 Special Municipal Election.
Approval of March 9,2019 City Council Special Meeting Minutes.
Non-Objection To The Renewal Of Beverage Dispensary-Tourism Liquor License For Gene's
Place.
Appointing Sue Ward To The Historic Preservation Commission With A Term To Expire
May,2020.
SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards—None
Chamber of Commerce Report.Cindy Clock was excited to hear about the renaming of
Citizens Field, as well as John Wisel II's housing development project. She reported that this
month's new chamber members were Amanda Joy Lion Healing, The Ranting Raven's Coffee
House,The Tufted Puffin LLC,Twigs and Tweeds,and Moose Pass Campgrounds. She said that
citizens had five more days to sign up for the 2019 Mount Marathon Race at mmr.seward.com.The
Chinese Fam Tour in Seward this past week was a big success and the chamber was invited to a
Buyer's Dinner in Girdwood yesterday.She said the final Winter Weekend was on April 13 and 14,
2019.The next Chamber lunch was scheduled for Thursday,April 11,2019 and Justin Sternberg
was going to talk about the Blue Economy. On March 14, 2019, Justin Sternberg brought Tim
Dillon from the Kenai Peninsula Borough to meet with the Alaska Railroad, AVTEC, Seward
Marine Industrial Center, City of Seward, and the Seward Chamber of Commerce. Seward
Business Network was hosting a Social Media Workshop with Nile James on April 10, 17,and 24,
2019 at 6:00 p.m.at SeaSalt Grill&Bar.The first ever Seward Seabird Festival was scheduled for
June 22,2019.The Chamber was working on planning the Seward Halibut Tournament for June 1-
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 651
30, 2019. Clock reported that beginning in April, she would add more data to her reports. The
chamber was hiring Visitor Center representatives for the summer.
In response to McClure, Clock said she was not sure how many people had signed up for
the race this year so far, but there were still lottery spaces available.
In response to Seese, Clock said that Silver Salmon Derby volunteers did not have a
minimum age requirement,but it was preferred that younger children had an older sibling or adult
there to assist them.
City Manager Report.Acting City Manager Norm Regis reported the following purchase
orders over$5,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting:$9,527.52
to Kachemak Electric for SMIC blower house parts and switch repair for Public Works; and
$10,000.00 to Alaska Textiles Inc. for fire retardant safety clothing for Electric.
Regis said that on March 27, 2019 at 10:30 a.m., the borough would have a tsunami siren
warning drill.
Regis read the following scoring criteria for the Request for Proposals for elevator
maintenance repair service:
Past Performance& Experience 30%
Staffing 10%
Fees& Costs 30%
References 10%
Completeness of Response 20%
Total 100%
Regis read the following scoring criteria for the Request for Proposals for the harbor
custodial services:
Cost 35%
Qualifications 30%
References 20%
Organizational Structure 10%
Clarity of Proposal 5%
Total 100%
Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations
Seward Senior Center by Dana Paperman
Port& Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) Report by Council Member Towsley
Election Stakeholders Group Meeting Update from Vice Mayor McClure
PUBLIC HEARINGS
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 652
Ordinances Requiring Public Hearing and Enactment
Ordinance 2019-007,Amending Portions Of Seward City Code 15.10.226 Land Uses Allowed
Table, To Allow Animal Shelter In The Institutional Zoning District By Conditional Use
Permit.
This ordinance was introduced on March 11, 2019 and is coming tonight for a public hearing and
enactment.
Motion (McClure/Osenga) Approve Ordinance 2019-007
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened.
Carol Griswold was concerned about loud noises surrounding this site. She supported this
ordinance,but she wanted to make it non-specific to this site.
No one else appeared to address the Council and the public hearing was closed.
Regis said the site for the animal shelter had been approved by both the Planning&Zoning
Commission,as well as council. He stated that the site was about 200 feet away from the well.
Assistant City Manager Brennan Hickok stated that Resolution 2018-080 had been
included as back-up material and justification in the council packet for placing the animal shelter in
the Institutional zoning district. This was based off of Resolution 2018-049, which prompted
administration to use the Institutional area for the location of the animal shelter. In response to
Towsley,Hickok said that taking out portions of this ordinance mentioning this specific lot would
not slow anything down.
McClure said she would like to see the language for this ordinance left as is. She stated that
animal lovers were the people who selected this particular site for the animal shelter.
City Attorney Holly Wells recommended that council make "animal shelter" plural to
"animal shelters"in the title of the ordinance.
Motion To Amend (McClure/Seese) Amend Ordinance 2019-007 by striking the
word, "Shelter" and replacing it with the
word, "Shelters" in the title and
throughout.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 653
Resolution 2019-028,Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A New Lease With Raibow
Fiberglass And Boat Repair LLC For Lot 5 Block 7 Fourth Of July Creek Subdivision,Seward
Marine Industrial Center, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Plat No. 2015-14 Raibow Replat #2
Seward Recording District, Third Judicial District, State Of Alaska.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Approve Resolution 2019-028
Regis said Dave Phillips had turned in his paperwork to lease this additional property from
the city and he did have insurance.He had run out of space to store his vessels,and his yards were all
full. Regis stated that Exhibit B was provided as a Paydown and would be included in the lease.Regis
stated that Phillips had a temporary oil water separator, but the lease required him to install a
permanent one. Phillips would not build on this property, but he would be responsible for utilities
associated with the property.
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened.
Carol Griswold felt that this lease did not provide any reassurance. She was appalled that
this 20 year lease was reviewed and approved by the city attorney. She was concerned that Raibow
was allowed to clear the property before the lease had been signed. She wanted Phillips to be
required to purchase a multi-million dollar bond or insurance, so the city would not be liable for
lawsuits, defaults,or clean-up and restoration of this site. She wanted to see the fencing and the oil
water separator added to the lease, as well as timelines for completion and penalties for non-
compliance. She wanted Phillips to pay for a current appraisal for this particular parcel at today's
going rate. She urged council to deny this lease or send it back to the attorney for corrections and
resubmittal. She thought this lease was not in the public or the environment's best interest.
Dave Phillips, the owner of Raibow Fiberglass and Boat Repair, stated that he did not do
anything environmentally unsound and that the Department of Environmental Conservation(DEC)
gave him a AAA rating. He said he cleaned up the yard and he planned to keep the yard completely
clean and environmentally sound.
No one else appeared to address the Council and the public hearing was closed.
Regis said he used the borough assessment rate,which was 8%of the fair market value, for
the appraisal. The property was set to be reappraised in 2020.
In response to Towsley, Wells said this lease had been drafted by one of their firm's senior
attorneys, Kristy Garrett. This lease received thorough review and it was approved by the city
attorney firm. For a more thorough discussion on this topic,Wells suggested an executive session,so
Kristy Garrett could be included in this discussion.
Seese agreed that a bond should be added to this lease in order to cover the property.
In response to Towsley,Regis said that Kristy Garrett recommended that Exhibit B,personal
guarantee, be removed and Exhibit C, environmental compliance plan, be added to the lease.
•
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26,2019 Volume 40, Page 654
In response to Lane,Regis said that none of the other lease holders at SMIC had a bond.
Wells said insurance provisions were substantial and bonds were usually required for
construction services.Leases did not generally carry bonds,but they carry insurance,which was in
this lease and covered boat repairs and boat storage.
In response to Seese,Wells said that the late fee was set by Alaska Statute as 10.5%plus the
flat monthly late fee of$2.50. She said council might want to consider changing the late fee.
Lane suggested council postpone this ordinance and have it brought back after some of the
concerns were addressed.
In response to Squires, Regis said that the addition of the oil water separator was a verbal
agreement but he could add it into the lease.He said that if a timeline was set,then the Harbor would
do extra monitoring on the property until the equipment was installed.
In response to Squires, Regis suggested a two or three year timeline on the fence, but he
asked council to suspend the rules to ask Phillips.
Council suspended the rules to speak with Dave Phillips.
Dave Phillips was concerned that council might not want to enter into a 20 year lease. He
said that he could install a fence and an oil water separator in 18 months. Phillips said he had a$5
million general liability insurance,which was stated in the lease.
In response to Lane,Phillips said he wanted to put a fence around his property for security
purposes and the installation of a fence was recommended by his attorney.
Squires stated that an oil water separator was a high priority for him. He would like the oil
water separator to be installed and inspected by the City within two years. Squires said he had been
concerned about the availability of a fire hydrant for this property, but these concerns had been
addressed.
Regis said that the fire hydrant at JAG was available to Phillips.
Council went back on the rules.
Regis reminded council that the lease did not go into effect until 30 days after the resolution
was signed.
Wells said that the two year deadline for the installation of the oil water separator could be
added to the lease.
In response to Squires,Wells said she would recommend the legal language being added to
the ordinance that mandated this timeline.
Council recessed at 9:14 p.m.
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March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 655
Council resumed at 9:20 p.m.
Motion to Amend (Lane/Horn) Amend Section 2 to read,"The City Manager
is authorized to execute the new lease
agreement with Raibow Fiberglass and
Boat Repair, LLC in substantially the form
as presented at this meeting, but subject to
an amendment to install an oil water
separator system within no more than two
years from the effective date of the lease
and an amendment requiring completion of
the other identified improvements
enumerated in the January 31, 2019 letter
from Mr. Phillips to the City of Seward.
The date of completion for the other
improvements shall be identified by the
City Administration prior to the execution
of the lease".
Lane requested to have the "other identified improvements" stated in the agreement. She
thought this amendment had dramatically improved the lease.
Seese asked to have a time limit of 18 months added to the lease. She wanted to know when
Phillips planned to put in the underground utilities.
Wells suggested including a clause stating, "The timeline shall be identified in the lease,
subject to a written approval by Administration".
Squires requested giving Phillips a 10 year timeline to complete other identified
improvements.
Horn said he considered anything other than the oil water separator business decisions that
Phillips should be allowed to make on his own.
In response to Osenga,Regis said the timeline had not been added to any other leases in the
SMIC area in the past.
Lane withdrew her amendment.
Motion to Amend (Seese/Towsley) Add to Section 2, ""The City Manager is
authorized to execute the new lease
agreement with Raibow Fiberglass and
Boat Repair, LLC in substantially the form
as presented at this meeting, but subject to
an amendment requiring the installation of
an oil water separator system within no
City ofSeward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26,2019 Volume 40, Page 656
more than two years from the effective date
of the lease".
r..
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Yes:Lane,McClure,Towsley,Horn,Osenga,
Squires
No: Seese
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Items Postponed from Previous Agenda
Discussion and direction to city administration regarding housing development within the
original Seward townsite, including selling city lots within the RI zoning district.
Hickok explained that R1 was single family residents located within city limits.He said these
four lots were currently empty and there were three options as to what the City could do with these
lots:
Option One: Sell all four lots separately as 30' x 100' lots
Option Two: Combine the lots into two 60' x 100' lots and sell them
Option Three: Combine the lots into one single 120' x 100' lot and sell it
In response to Lane,Hickok said that utilities were available at all of these lots.In response to
Squires, Hickok said that his recommendation would be to maximize housing and go with Option
One. In response to Squires,Hickok said that the four lots had been surveyed.In response to Seese,
Regis said that one house could be placed on each lot.
Council directed the city manager to move forward with Option One and prepare to sell each of the
four lots individually.
NEW BUSINESS
Ordinances for Introduction
Ordinance 2019-008,Amending And Revising Seward City Code,Title 2,2.05.030,Exemptions
for Particular Records.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Introduce Ordinance 2019-008
Towsley said she brought this ordinance forward to increase transparency and responsiveness
to citizens,and she believed it would be helpful to the community.
Motion Passed Unanimous
This ordinance will come for public hearing and enactment on April 8, 2019.
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 657
Resolutions
Resolution 2019-032,Authorizing Signatures For All City Bank Accounts And Rescinding All
Previous Resolutions In Conflict Herewith.
Motion (McClure/Osenga) Approve Resolution 2019-032
Lane said this resolution would replace Jeff Bridges with Norm Regis as the city manager,so
the records needed to be updated. She thought three signatures would be sufficient, and someone
other than the Finance Department should be responsible for these bank accounts.
In response to McClure, Hickok said the bank required that at least one finance employee to
be on the list of city signatures. Towsley reminded everyone that a similar resolution would come
forward after a permanent city manager was hired.Squires said this document enhanced Sam Hickok
and Kris Erchinger's duties in the Finance Department. Regis said the city clerk was added to these
signatures when former interim city manager Jeff Bridges was hired.
Motion Passed Yes:Osenga,McClure,Towsley,Seese,Horn,
Squires
No: Lane
Other New Business
Approval of the March 11,2019 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Approve the March 11, 2019 Meeting
Minutes.
Motion to Amend (McClure/Towsley) Amend March 11,2019 Council Meeting
minutes by accepting substitute laydown
for the first Citizens Comment section.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Discuss City's legal representation,including directing City Manager to create a Request for
Proposals for legal services.
Motion (Lane/Seese) Postpone the discussion of City's legal
representation to May 28, 2019.
Lane and Towsley wanted to postpone this discussion until after tonight's meeting. Regis
suggested postponing this item until after the new city manager was hired. McClure said this
discussion should wait until after the evaluation of the legal team was completed. Squires wanted to
delay this discussion until the new city manager was hired. He said it would be a show of faith in the
City ofSeward Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 658
new hire to allow him or her to come up with solutions.Lane said asking for a request for proposals
would give Seward more options for legal representation.
Motion to Postpone Passed Unanimous
Discuss Port& Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) letter regarding Seward airport.
Towsley said the Department of Transportation (DOT)was moving forward in a way that
PACAB believed was not valuing all of the shareholders' opinions, and PACAB wanted to
coordinate with the city and reach out to DOT to request Alternative 1.1 which proposed to lengthen
the runway.
Council suspended rules to speak to Bruce Jaffa and Christy Terry.
Bruce Jaffa said at the meetings held in 2017, the citizens and former Assistant City
Manager Ron Long wanted to endorse Alternative 1.1,which was the correction or rebuilding of the
long runway.He said DOT's view discarded Alternative 1.1,which prompted many citizens to object
to their methodology and findings. He said DOT had developed a request for proposal, and the
design activity was moving forward, but the construction had been delayed. He suggested
approaching DOT and suggesting that their contractor modifies his plan to use Alternate 1.1.
Christy Terry said PACAB was looking for council to draft a letter to the state requesting
Alternative 1.1.
In response to Towsley,Terry and Jaffa said that PACAB would be open to having a work
session with the Department of Transportation.
In response to Squires, Jaffa said that the area serves Seward and the eastern peninsula, as
well as many other communities,and property owners needed to consider the impact of their actions
on the surrounding community.
Terry stated that a member of Murkowski's staff did come to a PACAB meeting and was
made aware of this issue.
Council went back on rules.
Lane and Towsley were in favor of the letter and a work session regarding the airport.
Squires wanted this letter to go to the U.S. Coast Guard, as well. He requested that a DOT
commissioner or representative and the project manager for this project attend the work session.
Council directed administration to draft a letter regarding the airport.
Consider cancelling the April 19,2019 work session to minimize disruption for the auditors.
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 659
Deputy City Clerk Jessica Fogle stated that on April 19,2019 the auditors would be using
council chambers and there would also be a city-wide emergency drill which would require use of
council chambers.
Motion (McClure/Seese) Cancel April 19, 2019 Work Session
Motion Passed Yes: Seese, Towsley, Lane, Osenga, Horn,
McClure
No: Squires
Schedule a work session with Providence for a Providence Seward Administrative update,to
include the new administrator, capital needs, Mountain Haven census, PSMC liability issue
and options to address the liability, and 1% sales tax refunds.
Hickok said Providence should have a new permanent Executive Director in Seward in May,
2019. He offered the option for council to have two work sessions,one with the Interim Executive
Director now and one with the new Executive Director later.
Lane was interested in scheduling a work session with the Interim Executive Director,but she
would not be interested in having a second work session.
McClure suggested council see if the Interim Executive Director could meet on April 22,
2019 at 5:30 p.m. for a work session. Council unanimously agreed and directed the city manager to
schedule the work session.
Vote on citizen delegates to attend 53rd Turtle Ship Festival in Yeosu, South Korea.
Lane declared a potential conflict of interest because her husband,Reed Lane,was one of the
citizens who applied to attend the 53rd Turtle Ship Festival in Yeosu, South Korea. Mayor
Squires ruled that Lane did have a financial interest and that a conflict existed. Lane left the
dais.
McClure reiterated that applicants would pay for their own travel expenses.
Council voted unanimously to send Reed Lane, Soo Kang, and Cindy Ecklund to Yeosu, South
Korea.
Squires thanked the citizen applicants and said Lane and Horn would be contacting them to
set up a meeting prior to travel.
Council Member Lane was not available to return to the dais, so council took up the next item of
business on the agenda.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
On-going City Project and Goal List.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 660
Squires asked for an update on ADA accessible parking at city hall, as well as ground
transportation for ambulance services. He wanted to hold off on the Seward Community Health
Center expansion project until after the work session with Providence. He requested an update on
council chamber audio improvements.
Lane returned to the dais.
Lane requested progress on the incentive family entertainment-type business coming to
Seward.
Towsley said the Ad Hoc Committee for City Audit with BDO was requesting to delay the
work session with auditors from April 1,2019 to April 8, 2019.
Motion (Towsley/Seese) Reschedule the work session with BDO
Auditors from April 1, 2019 to April 8,
2019.
Hickok recommended council waiting to see if the auditors were available on April 8,2019
for a work session before the council meeting. Council directed administration to verify with BDO
auditors that this date change will work for them.
Motion Passed Unanimous
January, 2019 Providence & City Financials.
Seese requested that a breakdown of the General Fund be in each month's packet.
City Attorney Report.
Wells requested to meet with each council member for half an hour before the next council
meeting,either telephonically or in person,to discuss priorities and goals.
In response to Lane,Wells said that the majority of the$14,000 spent on the city attorney this
month was for PERA.Wells said that each council member would get a better feel for attorney costs
associated with each request,and Wells intended to change the structure of the city attorney report in
an effort to help with this by making it more thorough.
Council returned to Other New Business.
Discuss air travel, hotel, and purchasing rewards programs.
Hickok said he traveled last week and used the Alaska EasyBiz program. He said if an
employee had an existing Alaska Airlines account,then they still received their mileage points,but
the city would also receive one mile for each dollar spent by an employee. He requested direction
from council on how they wanted to institute this program.
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March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 661
In response to Squires,Hickok stated that this program was with Alaska Airlines and their
associated partners.
In response to Seese,Hickok said that this program was available to citizens,as well,and the
city would reap the benefits.
Council suspended rules to speak to Tom Clemons.
Tom Clemons said he had been using EasyBiz for almost 16 years for his own travel.He said
he made it a policy in the Police Department that EasyBiz had to be used for any work-related travel.
In response to Squires, Clemons stated that there was a print-out report available from
EasyBiz. In response to Osenga, Clemons said that zero cost was associated with using EasyBiz.
Council went back on the rules.
Council directed the city manager to research EasyBiz and other rewards programs.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Extend the adjournment time for tonight's
City Council meeting to 12:00 a.m.
Motion Passed Unanimous
COUNCIL COMMENTS
McClure said she appreciated all of the tsunami warning flyers around town. She said that
interviews for the permanent city manager would be conducted during a special council meeting on
Thursday, March 28, 2019 starting at 1:00 p.m., and there would also be a public Meet and Greet
later that evening.
Towsley reported that no money was spent on influencing the election out of the $500 set
aside for the special election. She was excited about the results of the special election. She thanked
all citizens who spoke passionately about renaming Citizens Field to the Ryan Lewis Memorial
Field.
Horn thanked citizens who spoke on Ryan Lewis' behalf and said he missed his friend,Ryan
Lewis.
Seese said that her heart went out to Horn and all of Ryan Lewis's friends. She would like to
add memorials to the ball field for others who pass over the years, as well. She was excited to see
what John Wisel II could do for this town.
Osenga was happy to move forward with the Ryan Lewis Memorial Field and he thanked the
citizens who spoke about the renaming of the field.
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March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 662
Lane thanked the public for coming out to speak tonight.She believed that the results of the
special election would benefit all of Seward. She thanked council for choosing her to go to Yeosu,
South Korea.She congratulated Vernon Willet for joining I.B.E.W.She was very excited for the city
manager interviews on Thursday, March 28, 2019.
Squires thanked Sue Ward for volunteering for the Historic Preservation Commission. He
thanked McClure and Towsley for presenting their reports.He said council needed to make sure they
got the Raibow lease right.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Tim McDonald said his heart went out to the Lewis family.He said that he was in favor of
the airport,but he was not in favor of jets.He was happy about the city audit and he hoped that it was
thorough.He stated that annexing Mile 8 would unite Seward and give the people a vote.He did not
agree with the city leasing parcels of land and he would like to see a public request for proposals
rather than leases.He said he wanted a full-time council and a strong-mayor system,with the mayor
as city manager.
Bruce Jaffa said it was refreshing to see how many people attended tonight's council
meeting. He thanked council for their service and their time.
Carol Griswold thanked council for putting in a lot of time and commitment. She thanked
them for working really hard to address her concerns with the Raibow lease, and she said she
appreciated the addition of the oil water separator to the lease.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS
Regis said when leases changed hands,they must come before council. The city was being
paid for boat storage on the city property being leased to Raibow Fiberglass and Boat Repair,LLC
but after the lease went into effect,Phillips would get paid for it.He said he allowed Phillips to clear
the land before the lease was signed because he was improving the land.
Towsley thanked Jaffa, Terry, Griswold, and McDonald for speaking at tonight's council
meeting. She thanked John Wisel II for helping with the ambiguous situation on Fourth Avenue last
week.
Lane announced that she had office hours on council meeting days from 3:30-5:00 p.m.at
Resurrect Art because it was important for council to be accessible to citizens. She thanked Jaffa,
Terry, Griswold and Tim McDonald for speaking tonight.
Squires encouraged all citizens to be more involved in council meetings and elections. He
tried to offer Horn support by saying,"You've been here 16 years.I hope you are here a lot longer.
It's not going to get any easier,sir. We lose friends and we lose acquaintances and we find out that
they all mean something to somebody in this town".
EXECUTIVE SESSION
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 26, 2019 Volume 40, Page 663
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Go into executive session to complete the
city attorney evaluation.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Council went into executive session at 11:27 p.m.
City Attorney Holly Wells was invited to remain.
Council came out of executive session at 11:58 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:58 p.m.
Jessica Fogle Day Squires
Deputy City Clerk Mayor
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