HomeMy WebLinkAbout03222021 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021
II I
CALL TO ORDER Volume 41,Page 398
The March 22,2021 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00
p.m.by Mayor Christy Terry.
OPENING CEREMONY
Police Chief Alan Nickell led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
Christy Terry presiding and
Tony Baclaan Sue McClure
Sharyl Seese(telephonically) John Osenga
Liz DeMoss Ristine Casagranda
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Norm Regis,Acting City Manager
Brenda Ballou,City Clerk
Excused—None
Absent—None
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING
The City of Seward is currently experiencing a declared public health emergency due to Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19), so alternate methods for providing Citizen Comments were created.
Unless otherwise noted, the following Citizen Comments were submitted in advance and read into
the record by the City Clerk:
Erik Slater supported Resolution 2021-036 to waive recreation fees for non-profits.He was
the president of the Seward Sports Association,the non-profit organization that organized the co-ed
softball league,and said the association did a lot of work to help maintain the fields;in exchange,he
thought it would be fair for the city to waive the fees for the using the ballfields and the pavilion.
Lori Landstrom wanted to speak on behalf of Sustainable Seward. She supported having
fast charging stations for electric vehicles in Seward.
Shari Adelmann supported Resolution 2021-036. She said the Seward Sports Association
had been running the softball league successfully,and she wanted the support for them to continue.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 399
Patrick Domitrovich (telephonically) said he was interested in serving as the city's
representative on the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council(PWSRCAC). He
wanted to give back to Alaska. He had spent a lot of time in Prince William Sound, and was
particularly interested in supporting the Division of Natural Resources(DNR)cabins. He wanted to
give back to the community.
Lynda Paquette was disappointed with the public works report in the packet tonight because
it didn't include any updates on the condition of the sewage lagoon.
Patricia Perry owned an ice cream business and had been a mobile vendor through the city
last year; she wanted the city to allow mobile vendors to have first right of refusal for the same spot
they had the previous year.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
Terry removed Resolutions 2021-032 and 2021-030 from the agenda.
Terry added a proclamation for Seward's Day and a Mayor's Report to the agenda.
Terry removed Resolutions 2021-035 and 2021-036, and the appointment of Orson Smith to the
PWSRCAC, from the consent agenda.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Resolution 2021-033,Approving A Mid-Cycle Budget Amendment In The Amount Of$3,377
For Absentee By Mail Election Supplies, And Appropriating Funds.
Resolution 2021-034,Authorizing Signatures For All City Bank Accounts And Rescinding All
Previous Resolutions In Conflict Herewith.
Approval of the March 8, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards
Seward's Day Proclamation.
City Manager Report.Acting City Manager Norm Regis reported the following purchase
orders between $5,000 and $30,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council
meeting: $5,225 for the recurring annual fees for Pay Stations for the dump station, parking, and
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 400
campgrounds for the Parking Department;$5,644 for ammunition for the Police Department;$5,500
for OCLC group contract services for 2021 for the Library Museum;and,$6,474 for hard drives for
the back-up server for the IT Department.
Casagranda asked if there had been any communication from the city's lobbyists indicating
the city would be receiving any infrastructure funding from the state or federal government. Regis
said the state legislature was looking at a General Obligation (GO) bond, and the state was also
waiting to see if the federal funding they received was designated for use on infrastructure.
Casagranda asked for an update on the water and electric meter audits.Regis said businesses
that were open had been completed for the water meters;there were 11 electric meters remaining that
would be completed this week. Terry requested to have a follow up report included in the April 12,
2021 council meeting packet.Regis agreed to have a report,and said the water meters would likely
not be completed because there were still businesses that had not re-opened for the season.
Casagranda thought Public Works should have access to the utility bills for businesses in
order to verify that the businesses were being charged correctly.Regis said he would coordinate with
Public Works and the Fire Department.
DeMoss wondered when the meetings would be re-opened to the public again; she thought
that since vaccines were becoming more prevalent,perhaps it was time to transition to re-opening.
Regis said last week's special council meeting was open to the public and it went fine;he thought the
meetings should be opened up to the public.Terry asked if there were any objections to re-opening to
the public; there were none. Terry said she would want the public to come in person or submit
written comments;the use of Zoom would discontinue.Casagranda said one citizen had told her they
were not comfortable attending in person;she wondered if there could be a transition period.Osenga
and McClure both were in favor of re-opening, as long as masks and social distancing were
observed. In response to McClure, Information Technology Director Dustin Phillips said it cost the
city approximately$1,900 for Zoom for the year;he was an exempt employee,so his attendance at
council meetings didn't cost the city more money,but was instead an opportunity cost. Regis added
that the other employees in the IT Department were non-exempt,so they incurred overtime to attend
meetings to run Zoom. Terry reiterated that the livestreaming of meetings on YouTube would
continue,even without Zoom.In response to Baclaan and Casagranda,Regis said a speaker could be
installed in the hallway for citizens to hear the meeting proceedings while socially distancing.Terry
suggested the April 12, 2021 council meeting be held both on Zoom and in person, and then the
April 26, 2021 meeting be held in person. In response to Baclaan, Terry said the boards and
commissions could follow council's lead and transition into re-opening to the public.Both Seese and
Casagranda wondered why there was a need to transition off of using Zoom. In response,Terry said
she preferred to have in-person meetings. Seese again wondered why Zoom would have to be
discontinued, even if citizens were allowed to sit in the audience. In response, Terry said the IT
employees' time would be better spent working on IT projects and not running Zoom for meetings.
Terry requested the city clerk draft a memo stating the pros & cons of re-opening meetings to the
public for the next council meeting.
City ofSeward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021 Volume 41, Page 401
Mayor's Report. Terry reported she had met with the city's state lobbyist,Senator Micciche
and Representative Ben Carpenter;they reviewed the capital budget summary for this year,but asked
that for next year,the priorities be presented in a ranked order. Terry said,even if the state's General
Obligation (GO) bond wasn't financed, some potential projects could still be funded, including
AVTEC upgrades, the Long Trail, Alaska SeaLife Center building repairs, and harbor grants.
Casagranda asked if the Electric Department could provide a prioritized list of their projects.
Regis said there would be a report in the next agenda packet.
Other Reports and Announcements
Chamber of Commerce Report.Executive Director Jason Bickling said he was already
seeing an uptick in visitors coming to Seward. In response to McClure, Bickling said the Fourth of
July Festival would be July 1-5, 2021, and the Mount Marathon Race would be on July 7, 2021. In
response to Terry, Bickling said there would be a little bit of money left over from the Shop Seward
program;he was working on a new program to use the remainder of the funds. In response to Terry,
Bickling said he had been working with the Electric Department to coordinate the installation of a
fast-charging Electric Vehicle(EV) station at the chamber.
Presentations
Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District(KPEDD) presentation by Tim Dillon.
Northern Edge presentation by Senior Chief Petty Officer Brandon Raile,John Mosher, and __
Kenny Searle.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Ordinances for Public Hearing and Enactment
Ordinance 2021-004, Establishing A Code Of Ethics For Municipal Officers, Defining A
Procedure For A City Manager Conflict Of Interest,And Quantifying The Term"Substantial
Financial Interest".
Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Enact Ordinance 2021-004
Terry said she co-sponsored this ordinance with Osenga to help clarify and clean up
procedures, and to set reasonable standards of conduct.
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened. No one appeared and the public hearing was closed.
Motion to Amend (Terry/Casagranda) Amend Ordinance 2021-004 in Section 1 (a)
by adding the following sentence to the end
of the paragraph:"A city manager shall file ,.r
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021 Volume 41, Page 402
the disclosure statement within thirty (30)
days after the first day of employment."
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Motion to Amend (Baclaan/Casagranda) Amend Ordinance 2021-004 by striking Item
12 regarding dress code in its entirety.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing
Resolution 2021-031,Recommending Kenai Peninsula Borough Approval Of The City-Owned
Fourth Of July Creek Subdivision, Seward Marine Industrial Center Fire Department Replat;
A Replat Of Block 2&Block 5,Fourth Of July Creek Subdivision, Seward Marine Industrial
Center.
Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approve Resolution 2021-031
Regis said the Fire Department's training center at SMIC needed to have its boundaries
defined in order to allow the city to identify more property that could be leased.
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened. No one appeared and the public hearing was closed.
Casagranda wondered if any thought was being given to the undeveloped 1,700 acres at
SMIC and the future development of it. Regis said for this resolution,the fire training center needed
to be defined; for future development, the additional acreage to the east would potentially be
available.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2021 032 A mending--The W'ate tewatecr iffy ov Incr-ease-Rates And-T-o
f
Provided--By- ates, inc., T,ff ctive April 15, 2021, This resolution was removed from the
agenda.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Items Postponed from Previous Agenda
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March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 403
. This resolution was removed from the agenda. tiJ
NEW BUSINESS
Resolutions
Resolution 2021-035, Authorizing The City Manager To Purchase An AeroClave
Decontamination System From AeroClave, LLC In The Amount Of $84,534.20, And
Appropriating Funds.
Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approve Resolution 2021-035
Mayor Terry handed the gavel to Vice Mayor Baclaan and declared a potential conflict of
interest because she managed the cruise ship terminal for the Alaska Railroad and this piece of
equipment would be used primarily at the cruise ship terminal. Baclaan declared no conflict
existed. There was no objection from council.
Regis said the state had Commercial Passenger Vessel (CPV)money available specifically
for COVID-19 mitigation at the cruise ship dock. Regis said consideration had been given to finding
something that could be used going forward, even after the cruise ship terminal was reconstructed.
This fogging machine was being recommended because it was transportable,easy to use,and quick- 1
acting. In response to Terry, Regis said the equipment would belong to the City of Seward, but
would be stored at the cruise ship terminal during cruise season, and could be used wherever and
whenever the city needed to use it. In response to DeMoss, the vendor would be providing training
on how to use this equipment.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2021-036, Authorizing The City Manager To Waive Ball Field And Pavilion
Rental Fees For Nonprofit Organizations.
Motion (Baclaan/McClure) Approve Resolution 2021-036
Acting City Manager Regis declared a potential conflict of interest because he worked as a
paid umpire for softball games. Mayor Terry ruled a conflict did not exist. There was no
objection from council.
Regis said the Seward Sports Association(SSA)had reached out and asked for consideration
on having the fees waived. The SSA had been a good partner with city and had been very responsible
in their use of the field and facilities.
Terry supported SSA. She wanted to be clear that non-profits included any non-profits. The
way this resolution was written, it appeared to apply to all pavilions.
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March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 404
t
Motion to Amend (Terry/Casagranda) Amend Resolution 2021-036 in the title and
Section 1 to add the word"ballfield"before
the word"pavilion"so it reads,"...ballfield
pavilion."
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Terry wondered if the intention of this resolution was to establish a rule for 2021,or create a
policy that would remain in effect in perpetuity. Casagranda would support either suggestion.
Motion to Amend (Terry/Casagranda) Amend Resolution 2021-036 by creating a
new Section 3 which reads, "This policy
shall remain in effect until rescinded by
council." and moving all other Sections
down.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Council recessed at 9:15 p.m.
Council resumed at 9:20 p.m.
Other New Business Items
Vote and appoint Orson Smith or Pat Domitrovich to the Prince William Sound Regional
Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) with a term to expire May, 2023.
The city clerk passed out ballots to council and instructed them to vote for no more than one. The
city clerk collected the ballots and read the votes aloud:
Orson Smith 3
Pat Domitrovich 4
Motion (Terry/Casagranda) Appoint Pat Domitrovich to be the city's
representative to the Prince William Sound
Regional Citizens'Advisory Council with a
term to expire May, 2023.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Discuss amending the Mobile Vendor permitting process.
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March 22, 2021 Volume 41, Page 405
Baclaan had been contacted by some vendors with this request. He supported this program,
and wished to make improvements in response to their requests. He knew from first-hand
experience, it was hard to build a business if a business owner couldn't demonstrate stability.
Motion (Baclaan/Casagranda) Direct administration to bring forward a
resolution reflecting the statements in the
agenda statement as presented.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Assistant City Manager Stephen Sowell offered to conduct a business owner survey to
collect feedback for council's consideration moving forward.
Discuss the results of the second interview with city manager candidate Janette Bower, and
determine next steps.
Osenga was looking forward to moving forward with Bower. Seese concurred, as well as
McClure, Casagranda, and DeMoss. Baclaan agreed, and added that it appeared Bower was very
invested in coming to Seward. Terry said it appeared council was unanimous in wanting to move
forward with Bower.
In response to Terry, Casagranda, McClure, and Osenga all volunteered to be on the
negotiating team. The city clerk was directed to coordinate a meeting between Bower and the
negotiating team.Terry said,following successful negotiations with Bower,there should be a special �{
meeting called to approve the contract.
Schedule a work session to discuss the new animal shelter.
Sowell conversations about the city's Capital Improvement Plans have been revitalized,and
there was interest in looking at the animal shelter design ideas for a scaled-down version. Deputy
Police Chief Karl Schaefermeyer had mocked up a 1,500 square foot model, and Animal Control
Officer Shelli McDowell had provided input on what should be included in the design.
Council scheduled a work session on April 12, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss design plans and next
steps for the new animal shelter.
In response to DeMoss, Sowell said the city had previously paid approximately$150,000 to
have a design created by an architect, but the cost to build the structure was well over$2 million.
In response to Baclaan, Regis said he would look into the possibility of selling the land that
the current animal shelter was located on in order to offset the cost of the construction of the new
facility.
Update on the RFP responses for the forensic audit; discuss the possibility of removing line
loss from the requirements and re-advertising.
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March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 406
Regis said the city sent out ten proposals and received only one in return.One of the concerns
expressed by potential proposers was that having line loss included as a requirement actually was
restricting them from proposing because they didn't have that kind of expertise.
Casagranda was in favor of dropping the line loss requirement and going back out to RFP.
In response to McClure, Sowell said he spent$3,000 in advertising costs for the first RFP;
$200 to Seward Journal and$2,800 to ADN.
Council unanimously consented to removing line loss from the RFP as a requirement and re-
advertising.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
February, 2021 City and Providence Financials.
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens'Advisory Board(PWSRCAC)Board Meeting Highlights
from January, 2021.
CITIZEN COMMENTS—None
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN
COMMENTS
Regis would be out of the office starting Wednesday for one week; Sowell would be acting.
He congratulated Pat Domitrovich for being appointed to PWSRCAC.
Seese congratulated Domitrovich. She enjoyed the Northern Edge presentation.
Casagranda thanked Baclaan for being dedicated to the mobile vending program; the
program was a great seed for starting a new business.She looked forward to being on the negotiating
team;Regis had been an amazing acting city manager. She thought the proceedings surrounding Fort
Raymond seemed clunky; she hoped administration would be involving the public in the process.
She congratulated Domitrovich, and appreciated Orson Smith for applying.
DeMoss thanked the Seward Sports Association and Parks&Recreation for bringing forward
the resolution tonight; gear could be rented from parks & rec on Thursdays and returned on
Tuesdays,like ice skates,etc.She thanked Baclaan for bringing forward the mobile vendor updates.
Osenga thanked everyone for both presentations tonight.He congratulated Domitrovich.He
congratulated Travis Beals for finishing the Iditarod, and Dallas Seavey for winning. Be safe.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
March 22, 2021 Volume 41,Page 407
McClure received several compliments to Public Works for keeping the streets in good
shape during this hard winter. The anniversary for the 1964 earthquake would be this Saturday; she
um]encouraged everyone to make an emergency evacuation plan, and to have food and water on hand.
Baclaan thanked council for their dedication and hard work. He said the mobile vending
program was a great way to get a business started. He appreciated meeting Janette Bower. He
congratulated SSA.
Terry thanked Tim Dillon from KPEDD for supporting Seward. She reminded everyone that
they could watch the council meetings on YouTube,GCI Cable Channel 9 and KIBH-FM 91.7 radio.
She wished everyone a Happy Seward's Day on Monday, and reminded everyone the city offices
would be closed. Happy Easter.
Seese left the meeting.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Go into executive session to discuss the negotiation strategy for the city manager hire.
Motion (Terry/Baclaan) Go into executive session to discuss the
negotiation strategy for the city manager
hire.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Council went into executive session at 10:13 p.m.
Council came out of executive session at 10:35 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m.
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