Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04142022 Historic Preservation Minutes City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 2022 CALL TO ORDER Volume 3,Page 337 The April 14,2022 regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 7:30 p.m.by Chair Cheryl Seese. OPENING CEREMONY Vice Chair Ward led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Cheryl Seese presiding and Sue Ward cht Mary Ann Benoit Dona Walker Art LeMaster comprising a quorum of the Commission; and Bailey Sayler, Library Museum Director Brenda Ballou, City Clerk Excused—Libbrecht Absent—None Vacant—One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING—None APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Ward/Benoit) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Benoit removed the February 10, 2022 special meeting minutes from the consent agenda. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approve the March 10, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes. SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards—None City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 2022 Volume 3,Page 338 City Administration Report.—None Chair Report.Chair Seese stated she wished to have a special meeting next week to review the nominations of the annual HP award, and for some other items the commission needed to discuss. The commission scheduled a special meeting on April 21, 202 at 6:00 p.m. Seese continued her report by stating(verbatim),"OK.This is going to be really difficult.I'm going to get into some hairy stuff and some really disappointing stuff. Hopefully, I can do this without breaking down. I will not be renewing my commission. I have served on this commission since February of 2018. For the majority of my service, I have served as chair, missing only one meeting on December 10, 2020. My position as chair requires a lot of personal time behind the scenes, and as of lack, through the lack of communication with staff, it has only increased my workload. I have served well,to the best of my ability. I have not served with a personal agenda for the good of Seward.My relationship with the city council has so deteriorated that I no longer believe my service will be of value to this commission.At our March 29th joint work session with council for the 2022 priorities resolution,Mayor Terry informed us,me,that we are to be a collaborative body working with the city council. At that meeting, we were asked if we wanted to go through the resolution and then take questions,or take questions and then go through the priorities resolution. I respectfully replied that we could begin with council's questions.The few words that troubled them were what they related to as adding to the layers of permit approval.We did our best to answer and we were understanding and respectful in our responses,even agreeing with them.The Mayor Terry spoke sternly about my having gone to the Journal. Unfortunately, it reflected badly on you, my fellow commissioners. And,she also informed us,me,that we are to come before council with any topic that we disagreed on with the city.This did not feel collaborative,but more like an attack.I was not even allowed to explain my entire reason for going to the Journal which as was able to explain...OK, I did, was able to explain that the journalist, Sam McDavid, listened to that special meeting and wrote his article based on his views of what he heard at that meeting.My statement was published under the opinion portion of the paper.My experience with the city council and,especially with Planning & Zoning, fellow commissioners made presentations before Planning & Zoning regarding our guidelines of historic preservation. They were treated quite rudely at the second presentation. At our joint work session with Planning &Zoning over steps Seward could take to protect our historic overlay, the packets which were put together by Jackie Wilde were full of valuable preservation steps made by towns who had achieved preservation,urn,where old American history exists back east. Our commission was basically dismissed shortly after the meeting began with no exchange of ideas being made,but rather the constant question as to why we were having this meeting.My interactions with both of these bodies that we work with have been largely negative and unsupportive. I am battle weary. These four years and what will be three months have left me unable to serve my church. So once I have rested from our work on our commission,I will dedicate my energies toward my church.May will be my last meeting.I greatly regret making this decision for I'll no longer be working with a fantastic group of serious and hardworking, dedicated commissioners who care about preserving Seward's history as passionately as I do. While council supported our CLG Grant 200005 Historic Signage Project,which was,which was great,they failed City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14,2022 Volume 3,Page 339 to support our work as listed in the grant regarding the provision of equipment and operators. Our commission sees itself as an important part of being included in the process of historic preservation. To begin with,the protection of historic downtown Seward,and next to work on historic residential areas of town. We want to do more than create historic signage. I have it on good authority that council will probably support our guidelines for historic preservation.It seems that anything we put forth for the preservation of the historic overlay or the historic business district, or anything interpreted as regulatory or adding to the permitting process,is rejected without our ability to explain what our meanings are and why we make the resolutions we do regarding the protection of our downtown historic district.On Monday night,I was never asked or invited into the discussion of the resolution to create the historic business district. At the end of the meeting,I commented,trying to clarify our perspectives and reading,reasons, for our resolution. One of the council members even asked why council was having to review this. Had they requested this? It is my understanding that our commission has the right to write and submit resolutions to council. Perhaps this member was unaware why council had this and Planning&Zoning did not. The answer is that the city manager chose to have council review the resolution before Planning&Zoning,in case council dismissed it, in which they did. It has respectably been denied. As a group, I believe we need to make a presentation to council explaining what we see as a need to protect the integrity of Seward's historic district.Yes,there has been a historic overlay for years.All councils and commissions are aware of what those boundaries are.However,there have been no protections or definitions of what is meant by the Seward historic overlay. An ordinance needs to be created and approved for code to achieve this. It has been more a joy to serve than a burden, and I will miss working with you. However, I will, as a citizen volunteer,be very involved with the Jesse Lee Memorial. Thank you." Other Reports and Announcements Report on Historic Preservation Facebook Page. Benoit reviewed the page activity and some future posts would focus on education. Update on USS Alaska project. LeMaster said the organizers had had an "internal disagreement"that had resulted in the project being cancelled entirely. Seese stated that Director Sayler had been advised to remove this item as a standing report on the agenda. Update on the Jesse Lee Home Memorial Park project.Seese stated that city council had met on March 14, 2022 at which there was a presentation, the same as was done one year ago by Jackie Wilde. Seese said there had been a different presentation that Wilde had created last year,as well,but she had been unable to locate it. Seese said the second presentation was more detailed and had been delivered to both Planning&Zoning and council.It was important because it had included information form Public Works and other departments that indicated limitations to the utilization of the property; that was the presentation that needed to be looked at. Seese said it was vitally important,and the commission needed to fight for it.She thought council needed to be aware of what was in that report; she thought there were a lot of members of council that didn't remember it, or were not on council at that time. Seese said Commissioner Ward had been in touch with Jackie City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 2022 Volume 3,Page 340 Wilde who told her the report was in Community Development. Seese recalled the presentation would have been made in the summer of 2020. Ward said the presentation had been in one of HP's packets. Presentations—None UNFINISHED BUSINESS Approve the February 10,2022 Special Meeting Minutes. This item was postponed from March 10, 2022. Motion to Amend (Benoit/Seese) Amend the February 10,2022 special meeting minutes by adopting the Substitute version. Motion Passed Unanimous NEW BUSINESS Other New Business Items Discuss Parks & Recreation's offer to take over Hoben Park flower urns. Benoit stated that an employee from the Parks&Recreation Department had offered to water the flowers in Hoben Park on behalf of the commission;she couldn't recall the name of the person, however. Seese thought that offer was great,but was more concerned that the fountain in Hoben Park was not working; she believed it was an electrical issue. She said that fountain belonged to the HP Commission because they had done a CLG grant, and she wanted the city to repair it. Walker asked if the city's water truck could be used. Seese said she had requested that,but had been denied the request for many years. Benoit wondered if the city could pay for the water at Zudy's in exchange for allowing Parks &Recreation to hook up a hose to use for watering the plants. Determine budget for Hoben Park flowers and supplies. Seese said she thought last year the commission spent about$167 on soil and flowers for the urns. Review Parks & Recreation's process for donating a park bench. Ward said she was interested in program. She wondered if there was a catalog of benches City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14,2022 Volume 3,Page 341 from which to choose. She imagined there would be parameters around what kinds of benches were acceptable,but the materials weren't specific. She didn't know if benches had to be on concrete pads or not, and what kinds of plaque options there were. Review current HP budget and discuss training,editor for standards&guidelines,and Hoben Park supplies. Seese said the commission received a training opportunity and the deadline had been extended through tonight; the price would increase after the deadline. The information would be provided to the commission next week. Out of the commission's budget would be the cost of the training and the travel; she thought the training cost was expensive. Seese said two commissioners had been scheduled to attend the training in the past,and she said there had been no grant funding to help offset their expenses. Seese wondered how the commission could fund getting an editor to work on the guidelines booklet;did the commission need to find a grant,or would city council fund it.City Clerk Brenda Ballou said either of those approaches could work, or both could work. Ballou said the first thing would be to comply with the city's procurement process:the commission would first need to define the scope of the project,then that would be provided to at least three vendors with the request that they provide quotes; from the quotes received, the commission would decide which vendor they wished to move forward with; the cost of the project would then allow the commission to pursue grant funding and/or make an appropriation request from council. Discuss the State of Alaska's correction of Benny Benson's age when he won the State Flag contest. Seese asked for all city records be updated to reflect Benny Benson's true age. In response, Ballou said the city's records could not be modified retroactively;however,efforts would be made to accurately reflect Benny Benson's age, as updated by the state, from here forward. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS 2022 Historic Preservation Meeting& Work Session Schedule Seese said the commission's work on the historic business district had been defeated,so the notes to work on the Land Use Table had been stricken. However, she strongly encouraged her fellow commissioners to continue working on the historic overlay,so that an ordinance was brought forward to change city code to protect the area. Seese said council believed that HP was expanding the boundaries of the existing historic district for the purpose of establishing a downtown historic district zone,and said council had a lack of understanding and knowledge about all things historic. Benoit stated it was HP's duty to advise council on the identification and protection of local historic and archaeological resources. She said the guidelines being created for the historic district were the commission's recommendations. City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 2022 Volume 3, Page 342 Seese said she attended the council meeting earlier this week where council discussed HP's resolution to create a new historic business district zone, and understood that council would not support the commission creating a new zone or adding a new column to the Land Use Table. However, the guidelines and a flyer would be supported by council. CITIZEN COMMENTS —None COMMISSION AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Benoit said she was really sad that Seese felt the way that she did and would be leaving the commission because Benoit thought Seese was doing an excellent job. Walker said the only reason why she was on the commission was because of Seese. Seese said she was sorry. She was tired and burned out. Ward said Seese had nothing to be sorry about;that was a perfectly reasonable explanation. At the last couple of meetings, Ward said she thought Seese had taken abuse. Seese said it had been a privilege to serve; this was an incredible team, and they had an awesome director to work with now. She thanked the commission for helping her grow into the chair she became. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 p.m. Brenda Ballou, _ C Cheryl S e City Cle `.l"pp S, •• Chair •Cit leat. Ca lok 17 • = •= S, coo = EAL sistiso s o•`