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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12132021 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13, 2021 Volume 41,Page 562 CALL TO ORDER The December 13,2021 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 Sue McClure John Osenga Liz DeMoss Ristine Casagranda Mike Calhoon Randy Wells comprising a quorum of the Council; and Janette Bower, City Manager Brenda Ballou, City Clerk Brooks Chandler,City Attorney Excused—Osenga Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Brad Snowden said he was 70 years old and he often thought about the future of Seward.He said there was more to people than met the eye. He thought that Seward needed to establish or support safe winter transport to Seward to encourage visitors to come for winter activities,including air transportation. He thought a convention center was important for Seward's future. Bruce Jaffa said he often thought about Seward's future as well.He was concerned that the new redistricting plan would separate Seward from the community of Moose Pass;he didn't believe that Seward's interests would be well served under the current redistricting proposal. Lynda Paquette was concerned that the city kept talking about expanding,but she believed the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon was under capacity;she thought there were funding opportunities currently available for expanding or building a new wastewater treatment facility. She encouraged council to include an item addressing the sewage lagoon on the 2022 Capital Improvement Plan. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13, 2021 Volume 41, Page 563 APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (McClure/Casagranda) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda ..� Terry added a report from the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District by Tim Dillon to the agenda. There was no objection from council. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2021-138, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate Funds from the Easy ARPA Grant, in the amount of$6,000 for the Seward Technology and Community Enrichment Project on behalf of the Seward Community Library & Museum. Resolution 2021-139, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate Funds from the FY2022 ARPA Grant, in the amount of $37,777 for the Seward Technology and Community Enrichment Project on behalf of the Seward Community Library & Museum. Resolution 2021-140, Accepting American Rescue Plan Act(ARPA) Federal Grant Funds in the Amount of$577,195 for the Purpose of Investment in Water and Sewer Infrastructure. Resolution 2021-141,Confirming Application for the ARPA Local Government Lost Revenue Relief Program ("LGLRRP") from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and moi Economic Development to Offset Significant Revenue Loss Due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Resolution 2021-142, Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract with Carmen Jackson CPA, LLC for Finance and Accounting Services in an Amount not to Exceed $125,000, and Appropriating Funds. Resolution 2021-143, Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Task Order #2374.00 with R&M Consultants for the Development of the Proposed Hemlock Subdivision Concepts in the Amount not to Exceed $19,471 and Appropriating Funds. The November 8, 2021 and November 22, 2021 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes were approved. The December 6, 2021 City Council Special Meeting Minutes were approved. The December 27, 2021 City Council Meeting was cancelled. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 564 SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations &Awards—None City Manager Report. City Manager Janette Bower stated that she wished to have the police chief address the current situation with the jail. Police Chief Alan Nickell said on December 7,2021 he hosted a meeting in Anchorage at which nine out of the 15 community jail representatives, Alaska Municipal League (AML) representatives,Greg Russell from AML/JIA,and the city manager,to discuss jail budgets.Seward's jail deficit was similar to several other communities.The group wished to take action,but were not yet sure what the next steps should be. Ultimately, the group decided that AML would draft a message for the governor; each city would furnish its budgetary needs to include in the letter. Bower appreciated Nickell organizing and hosting the meeting.Bower had quickly received a note that the governor's office had been made aware of the meeting. She wished that the city would at least have a seat at the table to discuss the underfunding, and to make sure the governor knew Seward was serious.Bower said the city attorney had provided some insight on the jail contract;one particular item in the contract related to man hours, and the amount the state should be funding relative to the number of man hours the city furnished. DeMoss was concerned about the sidewalks downtown not being cleared by some businesses that were closed for the winter; the lack of sidewalk clearing was detrimental to the remaining businesses that stayed open year round. Both visitors and residents alike deserved to have a safe environment. DeMoss thought the solution was to make sure the snow was removed, and then address the lack of compliance by downtown businesses.In response,Bower said the city code stated the business owners' responsibility to clear the sidewalks,but there was not a process in place for enforcement; in her experience,Bower said she had had the city remove the snow and charge back the businesses. Casagranda was also concerned that the state plowed Third Avenue right onto the sidewalks. In response to Wells, Bower said the time frame for businesses to clear their sidewalks was 24 hours.Wells said he was a business owner and had been clearing lots of sidewalks,well beyond his area of responsibility. DeMoss said her hope was to enhance the Christmas and winter lights in town to make the town look more inviting and welcoming. McClure had received a lot of compliments on the Public Works Department doing the road clearing so quickly.McClure wanted to see the Christmas tree at Hoban Park lit up,as well as the tree at Williams Park,which had been specifically dedicated for that purpose. Terry was pleased to see employment at the city stabilize.She reminded everyone to keep fire hydrants clear of snow. She was happy to see that ice skating on Second Lake was back. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 565 City Attorney Report.City Attorney Brooks Chandler stated for the month ofNovember his firm had handled some personnel items,including a federal mandate for vaccinating government employees which proved to not be a mandate that the City of Seward was required to comply with. His firm had advised on some planning issues, lease issues, and public records requests. Terry had been watching the redistricting progress; she wondered what Chandler's advice would be for council at this point in time.Chandler said he was aware of three pending lawsuits,and the clock was ticking on when lawsuits could be filed. He suggested it was more cost-effective for the city to join others in a lawsuit rather than call for their own. Terry asked council if there would be any objection to having the city manager and city attorney work on the timeline for action. There was no objection from council. Terry said the Borough Assembly had reached out and offered their support should Seward wish to pursue action. Other Reports and Announcements Port&Commerce Advisory Board Quarterly Report by Chair Bruce Jaffa.Jaffa said he enjoyed serving on PACAB. PACAB had challenges with meeting quorum requirements to conduct meetings and work sessions. Jaffa thought there were advantages and disadvantages to conducting virtual meetings.PACAB had done some good work on reviewing rates and worked with the harbormaster on resolving issues.Success only raised new challenges;planning for future growth was critical, particularly at the Seward Marine Industrial Center (SMIC). PACAB had worked closely with the Electric Utility Department to accomplish the solarization of Seward.The board was disappointed that the city's heat loop project would not be carried through due to scope creep and budget increases;he thought it would still be beneficial for the city to pursue. The Lowell Canyon Hydroelectric Project was another project that would not be pursued;he was a strong supporter of renewable energy sources. The harbor continued to accomplish great improvements, on time, on budget, and to a high standard of quality. Halibut by-catch was an issue that was a tragedy; he encouraged the city to continue confronting that issue.PACAB was willing and available to address any project that council wished them to work on. Terry thought there would be some flow data collected by the US Army Corps. She also wished for an update on the requested extension of the project.Bower said she was going to ask for another extension. Alaska Municipal League (AML) Local Government Conference travel reports by Mayor Terry and Council Members Osenga,DeMoss, and Casagranda. Terry had met with the city's state lobbyist and spoke about potential funding opportunities. She had discussed redistricting and the jail contract with the AML executive director. Some of the classes she attended included: Alaska Municipal Climate Network, Housing & Homelessness, Encouraging Alaska's Business Development, Municipal Bond Packages, Port & Harbor Coastal Infrastructure,and the Grant Writing Workshop. She had also attended the Legislative Positioning Committee meeting. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 566 DeMoss attended several classes,including:Childcare&Early Learning,Open Meetings Act, and Encouraging Alaska's Business Development. Casagranda attended the business meeting with the city manager. She said there had been a lot of discussion about lessons learned through COVID-19 experiences.The Alaska Small Business session she attended had been excellent and had provided proactive ideas for small and local businesses. There were discussions about the shortage of workers this year; she thought perhaps some of the issues with a lack of workers related to rental assistance programs still being in effect. She was concerned that there was little discussion about J-1 workers. Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District Report by Executive Director Tim Dillon.Dillon appreciated hearing the reports on the AML conference.He welcomed DeMoss to the KPEDD board.Dillon said he had been asked to coordinate mayors and city managers from Railbelt ocean communities to uncover issues; Seward had been participating in those discussions. He said the mayors across the Kenai Peninsula had also been asking to form a collaborative group. The KPEDD Industry Outlook Forum would be held at the Kenai Visitors Center on January 6,2022;the program would be a hybrid of in-person and virtual sessions. Presentations 2021 Virtual High School Student Exchange with Obihiro,Japan. (Video) II PUBLIC HEARINGS Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing Resolution 2021-129,Adopting the City of Seward 2022 Operating Budget and Setting the Mill Rate. This resolution had public hearings on November 22 and December 6,2021, was amended on December 6, 2021, and is coming tonight for a third public hearing and approval. Bower said there were several amendments made to the budget that related mostly to health insurance. She noted that enterprise budgets did not need to be balanced like the general fund did because enterprise funds were run like businesses. 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 (Calhoon/Terry) Amend Resolution 2021-129 under the line item for the Feasibility Study for a Community Recreation Center by striking the amount of"$100,000" and replacing it with"$50,000". City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 567 Calhoon said he thought that pulling together some of the local resources, like the Senior Center, Boys & Girls Club, and AVTEC, to discuss what available resources could be pooled together to create a community resource. Casagranda wondered what the impact on having a feasibility study done would be if the budget was cut. Bower said the$100,000 was a placeholder estimate,but conducting a Request for Proposals(RFP)would indicate what the true cost would actually be.Terry stated that council would have to approve a contract and make any necessary budget adjustments before the city could act on having a study done. Motion to Amend Failed Yes: McClure, Calhoon, Terry No: Casagranda, DeMoss, Wells Main Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2021-130,Adopting the City of Seward Six-Year Capital Improvement Program. This resolution had a public hearing on November 22, 2021 and is coming tonight for a second public hearing and approval. Bower said having a Capital Improvement Plan(CIP) created in this manner was brand new for the city. She planned to start the process earlier next year in order to have more thorough discussions. 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 Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions Resolution 2021-144, Approving the Calendar Year 2022 Legislative Priorities. Motion (McClure/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2021-144 Bower requested council make an amendment to the item in Section 1 relating to ductile iron piping, and provided specific language to the city clerk. Amend(Casagranda/McClure) Amend Resolution 2021-144 in Section 1 by striking, "Replacement of ductile iron piping in the Water Department" and replacing it with, "Replacement of City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 568 galvanized and transite (AC asbestos- cement)mains with ductile iron water main piping in the Water Department." Bower said this amendment would clarify that the existing pipes would be replaced with ductile iron piping. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Bower said she intended to create a small pamphlet for the city's priorities to be used in Juneau and Washington,DC when city representatives traveled for meetings with state and federal legislators. Casagranda wondered why the Z Float,which was mentioned in the survey results,had not been included on the priority list. In response,Assistant City Manager Stephen Sowell indicated the survey response regarding the Z Float was received after the resolution had been drafted;the Z Float item was unintentionally left off the resolution. Motion to Amend(Casagranda/Terry) Amend Resolution 2021-144 in Section 1 by adding a new bullet that reads, "Funding for float extension project in the Harbor for Z Float." Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Council recessed at 8:59 p.m. Council resumed 9:04 p.m. In response to Casagranda, Sowell said these priorities would be entered into the state's Capital Project Submission & Information System (CAPSIS), but CAPSIS did not record the priorities in any kind of ranked order. Terry appreciated the thoughtful approach that administration had with developing this list, and that they sought feedback from multiple sources. Main Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items Update Evaluation Forms for the City Officials that are appointed by and report directly to the City Council: City Manager,City Clerk and City Attorney. Terry said the committee wished to maintain the January, February, and March order for conducting the evaluations,but wished to update the current employee evaluation form and create a City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13,2021 Volume 41,Page 569 new goal form.The new forms being proposed would standardize the evaluations for each employee against their respective job descriptions, and goals would be better defined. In response to Casagranda, Terry said the evaluation form would be completed by each council member, and then compiled into one overall evaluation; the employee would have the opportunity to provide input both before the council evaluations were completed,as well as during the executive session. Casagranda liked the new streamlined evaluation form. Council directed the city clerk to bring back a resolution on January 10, 2022 to approve the new evaluation forms. Council set the evaluation dates as follows: City Clerk on February 14, 2022, City Manager on February 28, 2022, and City Attorney on March 14,2022. Review applicants for the KPB Planning Commission. Council directed the cityclerk to readvertise the vacancy,to include additional information about the Y� role. McClure offered to have her contact information included on the informational sheet for interested citizens to contact with questions. Discuss the forensic audit presentation by Greene Forensic Accounting. Sowell stated the forensic audit had been completed,and the vendor was prepared to attend a council meeting in February or March to deliver their report; if council wished to have it done sooner, a virtual meeting could be delivered by the vendor in January. DeMoss wished to have a full council present for the report. Terry wanted to ensure the public had ample opportunity to be included, and suggested holding a work session. Casagranda suggested having the presentation on January 10,2022. Council scheduled a work session on January 10, 2022 for the vendor to make their presentation. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS—None CITIZEN COMMENTS Lynda Paquette was happy to hear the KPEDD report. She also noted a particular item in the city manager report about the heliotropic effect that she thought was impactful and indicative of what a positive addition the city manager was for the community. Tony Baclaan thought it was a great meeting tonight. He appreciated council allowing the KPEDD presentation; the insights were important to hear. He had attended a Rotary meeting last week and had learned how important it was for families to have dual incomes;the cost of childcare was sometimes as much as one income that could be earned,and this represented a disconnect. He City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13, 2021 Volume 41,Page 570 encouraged council to continue working on the connecting pieces between the workforce and family resources. Doug Schoessler said a pipe burst in city hall this morning,and the building was pretty cold. He appreciated the shout out to the public works road crews; they were working hard to keep the streets clear.The wind and the cold temperatures had a big impact on the public works vehicles and equipment;the more the equipment could be kept in a controlled temperature environment,the better the equipment worked. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Bower had been working on getting the Christmas lights up around the city; she wanted to continue making improvements.She appreciated council's attention on the budget,and that council worked together.She recalled Baclaan's advice to her to keep the budget process transparent,and she appreciated that. Wells had been overwhelmed this time by the budget process, but was looking forward to next year's process. Happy holidays. Calhoon thanked everyone for their hard work.He thought there would be a lot of work to do on next year's budget; he thought the city would have to tighten its belt. He wished everyone safe and happy holidays. On Saturday at 11:00 a.m., Santa would be at the American Legion. Casagranda echoed the concerns about the next budget cycle. She thanked Jaffa for the PACAB report. She thanked administration for getting a Certified Public Accountant on board,and she thanked Josh Estes for creating the student exchange video. Happy holidays. DeMoss gave a shout out to the Planning & Zoning Commission for a great meeting last week; they completed a lot of business. She thanked administration for good communications throughout the budget process;she appreciated the support getting through this budget cycle.Happy holidays and stay safe. McClure thought this was the best budget process she had been through;she appreciated the . transparency. The library would have an open house on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., and then the Resurrection Bay Historical Society would have an open house in the museum at 2:00 p.m. She was appalled and dismayed that the borough assembly decided not to have their annual meeting in Seward in April; she encouraged Seward residents to pay attention to the borough activities so that the assembly would pay attention to Seward in return. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Terry congratulated the Seward Middle School Girls' Basketball Team for winning the borough championship.The Alaska SeaLife Center was a great place to visit in the wintertime.Terry congratulated the library on obtaining grant funding,and commended the police chief for moving the jail budget shortfall issue forward with the state. The KPEDD Industry Outlook Forum would be available by Zoom or in person. She was excited about next year's budget process, especially City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes December 13, 2021 Volume 41, Page 571 because a CPA would be on board. Terry was grateful for the citizens,businesses,non-profits, city staff,and boards and commissions for all their support,input and work this year. The tsunami maps were being updated and would be distributed to the community. Merry Christmas and happy holidays. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m. rends J. 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