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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09082008 City Council MinutesCiry Council Minutes City of Seward, Alaska Volume 37, Page 628 September 8 2008 CALL TO ORDER "~"' The September 8, 2008 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Clark Corbridge. OPENING CEREMONY Sergeant Doreen Valadez led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Clark Corbridge presiding and Willard Dunham Betsy Kellar comprising a quorum of the Council; and Phillip Oates, City Manager Johanna Dollerhide, Acting City Clerk ABSENT -Jean Bardarson, Linda Amberg, Tom Smith Bob Valdatta CITIZENS' COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Mary Daniel spoke to the council about her trip to Obihiro as one of the adult exchange citizens. She thanked council for continuing the sister city program. Marci Treadwell also traveled to Japan. She thanked the city for supporting the program and those who help make it successful. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Dunham/Valdatta) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed The following was removed from the agenda: Unanimous Executive Sessions to go into the City Clerk, Attorney, and Manager Evaluations. The following was added to the agenda: Executive Session to discuss pending litigation and give direction to the City Attorney relating to the Ninth Circuit appeal by the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance and Alaska City of Seward, Alaska September 8, 2008 Community Action on Toxics, Case No. 08-35401. Schedule 1 or 2 work sessions on the Efficiency Study. Ciry Council Minutes Volume 37, Page 629 Discuss scheduling a continuation of the budget work session held this evening. The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: The August 25, 2008 regular and the September 2, 2008 special city council meeting minutes were approved. The November 10, 2008 city council meeting was cancelled due to the Alaska Municipal League Conference. Election Board Workers: Betty Casey, Jean Cripps, Mary Williamson, Carol Griswold, Rose McSwain and Mark Kansteiner were appointed for the Municipal Election on October 7, 2008. Canvass Board Workers: Marsha Vincent, Kim Reierson, Debbie Bond and Jackie Campbell were appointed to count absentee ballots on October 8, 2008. Non-Objection to the application for a beverage dispensary liquor license for Christo's Palace. The city clerk was directed to advertise for a Special Citizen Advisory Ad Hoc Committee to ..~ name the Long Term Care Facility. Resolution 2008-087 Authorizing The City Manager To Amend The Contract With Performa, Incorporated For Repair And Refinishing Of The Fire Apparatus Bay Floors Increasing The Original Amount Of $35,000.00 To $42,546.00 And To Include A 10% Contingency For A Total Amount Not-To-Exceed $46,000.00. Resolution 2008-088 Approving A Management And Operating Agreement Between The City Of Seward And Providence Health & Services -Washington, DBA Providence Health System Alaska, And Appropriating Funds. Resolution 2008-089 Authorizing Close-Out Of The October 2006 Flood Disaster Project, And Appropriating Funds. Resolution 2008-090 Appropriating Funds To Cover Excess Costs Associated With 2008 Winter Snow Removal, And Increased Costs Associated With Fuel, Utilities, And Heating Fuel. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations and Awards City Council Minutes City of Seward, Alaska Volume 37, Page G30 September 8 2008 A proclamation was read for Sea Otter Awareness Week, September 21 through September 27, 2008. A proclamation was read for former City of Seward Engineer Dennis Dooley's memorial. Borough Assembly Report. Borough Assembly Representative Ron Long stated he attended the AML summer conference in Wrangell. The two main focuses were energy and transportation. A meeting was scheduled with representatives ofAML tomeet with DOT to work on transportation issues. The Assembly met on September 2, 2008 and approved a resolution describing how to designate communities for this year's municipal assistance for unincorporated communities. The amount was undetermined, but would be equally split among unincorporated communities. The Borough was taking some criticism for not having a con statement in addition to the pro statement on the borough citizen initiative to exempt sales tax on non-prepared foods seasonally on this year's ballot. The Assembly accepted. and appropriated $55,000 to the Bear Creek Fire Service Area for completion of their multi-use facility. The Assembly had the first of two heanngs to accept a $1.369 million dollar grant from National Resources Conservation Service to buy back flood-prone properties in the Old Mill subdivision to put into a conservation easement. The second of the two public hearings were to be held in Homer to authorize general-law cities to levee and collect taxes on non-prepared food items. City Manager's Report. City Manager Phillip Oates stated Community Development Director Bob Hicks submitted his resignation. Oates thanked Hicks for his work. A community emergency preparedness drill would occur November 8, 2008. The city was working with the Public Health Nurse, the State Department of Health and Human Services, and the Borough to organize a community exercise administering mass immunizations m the case of an outbreak. Free flu shots would be available while supplies lasted. Volunteers were needed for this exercise. Harbor -Power was available on I and T docks. The City was looking into the cost of a feasibility study for the 250-ton Travelift and the Upland Boat Maintenance/Storage Area of SMIC. The study would provide guidance on decisions concerning closing, privatizing, or ~mprovmg the area to meet environmental requirements. PACAB supported the zoning of the South Harbor Uplands as Harbor Commercial, and would go before the Planning and Zoning Commission in the next month. In the Electric Department, the new transformer at Lawing was back in service and the city was scheduled to back feed Chugach's customers for one or two days this week, so they could do maintenance on their substation. Public Works was continuing to prepare for winter, pricing new boilers for the Community Center, working on ADA parking at City Hall, grading roads, filling potholes, and cutting brush. Paving for Jesse Lee Drive was scheduled for September 15, 2008. Water/Wastewater was working ~.. on several projects including sludge piles and the lagoon at SMIC, lead and copper testing of town and SMIC, Cedar to Ash Street sewer line and paving, and flushing of sewers. City of'Seward, Alasku Septernber 8, 2008 City Council Minutes volume 37, Page 631 Parks and Recreation was painting bathrooms, the Hoben Park Fountain was completed, and Sports and Rec was busy with leagues, tournaments, and various community events. In other areas, the final price of the Long Tenn Care Facility construction was $21 million anal change, which was down $2.3 million from the Unit Company bid, as directed by the council. Oates thanked Frank Dahl and The Pit Bar for their many contributions anal fundraisers in the last year. The City of Seward received their recertification as a Tsunami Ready community along with attaining the Storm Ready designation. Informational sheets on the two ballot propositions went out m utility bills this week as well as online. Oates met with the Chamber to discuss these initiatives and the efficiency study. Council had conducted two work sessions on the efficiency study, and more were to come. Oates hoped to get through these issues before the budget time. City Attorney's Report. Cheryl Brooking stated the attorneys gave advice on taxes and fees, proposed contracts, resolutions, ordinances, administrative matters, employment issues, ballot and voter qualification issues, aspects of the proposed levee project, options to extend leases, lease amendments, and provided information on flood management. With regard to the Small Boat Harbor and SMIC, the attorneys provided assistance with various harbor and SMIC land use matters such as harbor compliance, environmental issues, leases and contracts. The attorneys continued with on going mediation and settlement discussions with the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance lawsuit. Port and Commerce Advisory Board Report. Ron Long stated the board passed a resolution to come forward to recommend a zoning district and potential uses for south harbor uplands. The board thought it best to be less restrictive in the uses allowed and many possibilities were suggested. He welcomed Kari Anderson as an ex officio member of the PACAB and mourned the loss of staff, as Anne Bailey would no longer provide administrative support to the board. A vacancy was created by a member who was not attending meetings anymore. The next work session topic was the introduction of the harbor budget and their next resolution would be a recommendation to council on what to do with the 250-ton travelift policy and storage area. Other Reports, Special Presentations Vice Mayor Willard Dunham gave a report on the AML Summer Conference of Mayors. OTHER NEW BUSINESS Discussed, reviewed and sought guidance on the AVTEC land exchange concept. Community Development Director Bob Hicks briefed the council on the present situation with. the AVTEC land exchange concept. After much discussion and information presented, council directed staff to continue the land exchange project. Discussed scheduling the Economic Work Session. Oates briefed the council and public on the .`.~ letter received by the Chamber of Commerce, who had declined participating in this suggested work session. After discussion, council directed staff to not schedule another economic work session. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes September 8, 2008 Volume 37 Page 632 Council scheduled two work sessions for the continuation of the Efficiency Study on September 23 and 24, at 7:00 p.m. Council discussed scheduling a continuation of the budget work session conducted September 8, 2008. It was decided another work session was not needed. COUNCIL COMMENTS Kellar stated the council visited the Long Term Care Facility site tonight and said it looked very nice and thanked Christy Terry for facilitating this visit. Dunham reminded every one that the September 26, 27, and 28t~' was the Seward Music and Arts Festival and encouraged all to go. They still needed help with the mural project that would happen during that weekend. Dunham suggested the manager hire some kind of committee coordinator position that could help do minutes for boards and commissions instead of getting rid of all clerical support. Oates responded that he planned to provide administration support, but just to limit minutes to an audio recording of minutes and a brief, action only account for the minutes in hard copy. Dunham stated his trip to Wrangell included meetings in their brand new convention center. Dunham was impressed with how they ran the convention center and by the way Wrangell did their beautification of their waterfront. Valdatta commented on Seward City C"ode section 6.10.220 regarding the 5% securitybond required for bids and wanted to know if the city could work something out to waive this. It was causing confusion and heart burn. CITIZENS' COMMENTS Ron Long clarified the letter discussed tonight from the Chamber was from the President of the Chamber Board, not the Chamber of Commerce Director. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZENS' COMMENTS EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion (Dunham/Kellar) Go into executive session to discuss pending litigation and give direction to the City Attorney relating to the Ninth Circuit appeal by the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance and Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Case No. 08- 35401. Motion Passed Unanimous Council went into executive session at 8:21 p.m. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes September 8, 2008 Volume 37, Page 633 Council came out of executive session at 8:58 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Johanna Dollerhide, CMC Acting City Clerk Clark Corbridge Mayor (City Seal) , ~~+~QF sE1~~~~ ®. • ~~ ~r ~ ~ 1 ~~ r ~ ~' • r ~ ~ ;L ~ ~' s .• ~~ a -,~-- r ~'bgrE OF P`~' .• ~~~rrrrrrsr++++~