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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05092011 City Council Minutes City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 573 CALL TO ORDER The May 9, 2011 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Willard E. Dunham. OPENING CEREMONY Chief Tom Clemons led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Willard E. Dunham, presiding; and Marianna Keil Jean Bardarson Vanta Shafer Bob Valdatta Ristine Casagranda Tom Smith comprising a quorum of the Council; and Phillip Oates, City Manager Brenda Ballou, Acting City Clerk L ABSENT — None CITIZENS' COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Patricia Heim announced that there would be a Fireside Chat held at the K. M. Rae Building regarding early education in Seward during the 1950's and 1960's on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Todd Brewer expressed concerns about surveillance cameras that were installed throughout town because he didn't feel the public had been given time to consider their opinions before the cameras were ordered. He felt that security was a double -edged sword: it protected borders, but it also controlled populations. He added that the money necessary to maintain the equipment would be better used for the overtaxed public. Carl Norman stated that the new proposed taxes for the Library Museum Project were exorbitant. He went on to illustrate his point by stating that a 1% increase over a 4% existing tax actually represented a 25% increase. He said Seward could not afford the Library Museum Project. Devin Putney said he attended the work session for the surveillance cameras in September h 2010 and remembered that the discussion involved having clearly marked signs where the cameras were placed, that Council would review the locations and view, and that no cameras would be placed on Fourth Avenue. He believed the cameras should be removed. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 574 r Museum Project's fundraising dinner held last week at Mary Tougas reported on the Library , g the Inn at Tern Lake. She said there were only five seats left vacant, that it was a great success, and that it yielded over $16,000 gross for the project. She thanked the sponsors, merchants and attendees. She went on to announce and show samples of the black granite commemorative tiles that were ready for sale as another fundraising endeavor for the project. Tiles would be available in the following sizes: 6" x 6 ", 6" x 12" and 12" x 12 ". The tiles would be placed on the walls of the completed building. Sandie Roach' requested that Ordinance 2011 -003 be pulled from the Consent Agenda so that she could hear the Council's discussion. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Shafer) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Councilmember Shafer requested to remove the Approval of the April 18, 2011 City Council Special Meeting Minutes and the April 25, 2011 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes from the Consent Agenda and the Regular Agenda. Councilmember Casagranda requested to remove Ordinance 2011 -003 from the Consent Agenda. Vice Mayor Bardarson requested to add Item #4 to Other New Business Items to a work session for an update on GCI projects. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Resolution 2011 -034, Awarding A Contract For Three Years To Merritt Enterprises For Custodial Services At The Harbormaster's Building, And Public Restrooms Behind The National Park Service Building, The Northeast Launch Ramp And The Upland Area For $31,800 Per Year. Resolution 2011 -035, Appropriating $39,834 For Year Two Of The Seward Shuttle Bus Contract With First Student. Cancel the 5/23/2011 work session with Friends of the Jesse Lee Home, and schedule a work session to discuss Alaska SeaLife Center Energy Efficiency Funding for May 23, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 volume 38, Page 575 Proclamations and Awards fir A proclamation was read for Keefer Brown. Keefer accepted his recognition award and received a standing ovation. Special Olympics Torch Run/Terry Pollard Exit Glacier Race. Chief Tom Clemons encouraged everyone to support Special Olympics. Terry's Tires Bike Rodeo is May 14. Melanie Hauze thanked Terry's Tires for their sponsorship. Welcome to the Pacific Ocean Division of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Peace Officers' Memorial Day May 15. Chief Tom Clemons accepted this proclamation and recalled the many officers who have been taken down in the line of duty. Borough Assembly Report, Sue McClure stated the last meeting was exciting because of the proposal to raise the sales tax cap from $500 to $2,500. The resolution was unanimously defeated. Another proposed item was to decrease the number of Borough Commissioners from 13 to 11, but after discussion it was decided to postpone that discussion until September. She announced that May was motorcycle awareness month and urged people to be aware. The proposed budget for the Borough was available and included a 2 % increase for senior citizens. She announced that there would be two public hearings on the budget, scheduled for May 17, 2011 and June 7, 2011. Borough Assembly Members were currently offered health insurance, the same as Borough employees, but it was proposed that it should be eliminated, or at least require those who take it to pay 30 %. This issue would also be discussed at the June 7, 2011 meeting. Another item on the May 17, 2011 agenda would be anadromous streams (fish- bearing) and adding more streams to that protection category. She reminded everyone that the Borough website contained minutes from past meetings as well as information about upcoming issues. She stated that the Borough had been malapportioned since the 2010 census and the Borough Assembly had created a committee to address redistricting. There were currently nine districts, and this item would either appear on the October ballot for voter approval or else the state would mandate a result. Councilmember Valdatta praised the hospital in Soldotna, to which McClure elaborated that the Central Peninsula Hospital had expanded its services and had recently produced a quarterly report based on patient feedback in which they were named top in the state. Mayor Dunham stated that he and Vice Mayor Bardarson attended the school board meeting last week and was dismayed when the superintendent spoke about having difficulty working with AVTEC on a cooperative exchange. AVTEC reported that the Borough funds the University of Alaska with tuition monies, but students attending AVTEC in Seward were required to pay their own costs. McClure responded that she had a meeting set up for the following week to address this. Mayor Dunham received Unanimous Consent from the Council that it was a formal request for McClure to look into this. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 576 City Manager's Report, City Manager Phillip Oates addressed the elimination of federal earmark funding and would be meeting in Kenai the following week to support a $50,000,000 fund. He reported that he and Vice Mayor Bardarson would travel to Seattle the following week to meet with vendors relating to Coastal Villages. As well, Alaska Railroad President, Christopher Aadnesen, would be visiting Seward and making a presentation about his vision for the future at 11:00 a.m. in Council Chambers on Tuesday, May 17, 2011. City administration joined City Attorney Cheryl Brooking in court on May 3, 2011 for oral arguments to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance continued to appeal the question of attorney fees. In response to a letter received from Seward Ship's DryDock on May 2, 2011 regarding the splash zone coating requirement on the sheet piling, Oates stated he would be bringing in an expert to analyze the work being done and the condition of the sheet piling, and would report back to the council the findings. The Harbor Opening Day weekend would be May 20 -22, 2011, and the Chamber would be hosting a Military Appreciation bar -b -que on May 21, 2011. Staff had been researching replacement options for the 250 -ton Marine TraveLift, which was 21 years old this year; one vendor quoted $1.75 million for a delivered and assembled 330 -ton TraveLift; motor pool contributions had not been made to replace this lift, however, staff was researching grant opportunities and would discuss the privatization of this operation with PACAB in June 2011. GCI submitted calculations for adding fiber optic line to city poles; city personnel met with GCI and they would be submitting updated calculations based on criteria requested. John Foutz, Electric Manager, attended meetings Juneau pertaining to ARCTEC Capital Projects and gave a presentation to the House Energy & Resource Committee. Mayoral Report, Mayor Willard E. Dunham stated he was following movement by the legislature on Seward issues, and that he had phone conferences with the Alaska Municipal League, our lobbyists, Coastal Villages funding, AVTEC program funding and Alaska SeaLife Center Foundation funding credits (HB84). He had lobbied for the AVTEC nursing program to counter UAF's opposition to it; he received a letter from Alaska Health Consortium that they would meet with the council to discuss. He traveled with Vice Mayor Bardarson to Marinette, Wisconsin to attend the keel- laying of the Sikuliaq research vessel. Richard McCreary, CEO of Marinette Marine Corp., builders of the vessel, presented Dunham with a commemorative plaque to bring home, which he donated to the Library Museum. David Conover, Director, Division of Ocean Sciences of the National Science Foundation, complimented Seward on its work to get the ship built and said he looked forward to visiting Seward in the near future. The Mayor and Vice Mayor then traveled to Seattle where they met with the shipping companies; it was clear that Seward needed to work very closely with the Alaska Railroad to complete a dock extension. TOTE had visited Seward in the past few months and was planning on returning. Dunham and Bardarson visited Northland Services and were pleased to hear that they would be returning to Seward in the fall. Northland was very interested in the Coastal Villages project as they served most of the villages who were members of the corporation. They met with Sampson Tug & Barge to thank them for their scheduled service to Seward and discuss port improvements. The meetings with Crowley were very satisfying. Dunham and Bardarson learned that Crowley would be expanding their presence in Seward. Crowley had made another large investment in the AVTEC Marine Training facility. Rockwell Smith, Senior Vice President, and General Manager, and Scott Haggarth, General Manager of Ship Assist and Escort Services, were especially City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 577 talkative about Seward and its position for working in the northern areas. The Mayor stated that he was honored to represent Seward at the Bering Sea Fisheries Conference in Seattle. A group of 1 graders visited City Hall from Seward Elementary; they had lots of questions and were intrigued with Chief Clemons and his police officers. He thanked GCI for their $10,000,000 investment in Seward for fiber optic cable. Vice Mayor Bardarson would be meeting with Japanese industry heads to discuss the possibility of bringing marathoners to Alaska while she was at the International Trade Pow -Wow and sales conference in San Francisco. There was an estimated five million marathoners in Japan who travel all over the world to race, and there would be 25 or so Japanese marathoners scheduled to visit Seward in August or September. Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations Jesse Lee Home Update given by Tom Swann. Swann stated that the funding was up to 80% of the $ 15,000,000 necessary to complete the project. The school would be a Charter school and would allow Seward teachers to work there as well as at the regular schools in town, the funding for which would come through the Borough. Students who attended would be from Seward, as well as from around the state. The Mayor requested that the assessment/structural report be completed by the next work session and Swann agreed. PUBLIC HEARINGS — None. UNFINISHED BUSINESS — None. NEW BUSINESS Ordinance for Introduction Ordinance 2011 -003, Amending Seward City Code Sections 5.35.010 And 5.35.035 To Allow For An Increase In Sales Tax For Alcohol Beverages And Tobacco Products. Motion (Keil/Shafer) Introduce Ordinance 2011 -003 The Council decided to delay discussion related to this Ordinance until the May 23, 2011 meeting. Motion Passed Unanimous Imo Resolution 2011 -036, Amending The Surveillance Camera Policy. (Clerk 's Note: this resolution was still being reviewed by the attorney for the May 9, 2011 meeting at the time of packet preparation.) City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 578 Motion (Bardarson/Keil) Approve Resolution 2011 -036 Mayor Dunham stated that he had taken a casual poll of business owners on Fourth Avenue and found no one to be in opposition to the surveillance cameras being in their current positions. He said the business owners felt protected and welcomed the additional security their cameras gave their businesses. He added that many business owners appeared `surprised' that the issue seemed to be `getting personal.' He expressed that there were potential monetary concerns over moving or removing the cameras, and that the city attorney was investigating whether there was cause for concern over criminal intent by the city. Councilmember Shafer responded that this issue was not about securing businesses; she felt that business owners had their own obligation to protect their own businesses. Rather, she stated that she opposed the Federal government dictating where they believed the cameras ought to be placed. She questioned the wisdom of following the governmental directive like sheep. Shafer stated that the cameras were an invasion of privacy; she also stated that there still seemed to be some confusion about whether the cameras were actually working or not. Councilmember Keil felt that having a camera on the inside of the fire department building would be just as effective as having it on the outside. Councilmember Smith suggested that Council not act on this resolution until they had a Iti statement from the city attorney. He further suggested that council review the current list of locations and determine their own needs for where they thought the cameras ought to be placed. Vice Mayor Bardarson agreed that council should wait for the city attorney's opinion, and suggested they postpone the issue to the June 13, 2011 meeting. Motion (Bardarson /Shafer) Postpone Resolution 2011 -036 to June 13, 2011 Motion to Postpone Passed Unanimous OTHER NEW BUSINESS Schedule a work session to discuss redistricting. Council decided to write a position letter to the Redistricting Board rather than conduct a work session, as they were all in agreement on the main points they wanted to express. Schedule a work session for a GCI update. City Manager Oates would be scheduling this work session for early June, exact date to be determined. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS (No action required) — None. City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 579 COUNCILS' COMMENTS Councilmember Casagranda requested that all council members and audience turn off their cell phones completely during council meetings to mitigate interference of the telecasting. She also raised a discussion about the Coastal Villages Region Fund; the city was waiting for a $400,000 appropriation which was expected on the capital budget for July 1, 2011, then the council could schedule public informational meetings about the project. Councilmember Shafer congratulated three nurses from Providence Hospital who were celebrating their 20 reunion. Councilmember Keil gave 'atta boys' to the road crew for doing a good job clearing up the winter gravel and patching pot holes around town. Vice Mayor Bardarson thanked everyone for doing a good job with the Super Saturday Clean -Up, and remarked that the Performing Arts Center talent show was great. Mayor Dunham gave kudos to the police department for participating in the Super Saturday Clean -Up; he congratulated the Rotary Club for their preparation for Seward's 100 year celebration; he mentioned that AVTEC chefs who recently graduated had won a bronze medal at a national competition. He also expressed his condolences to the family of Ron Miller. CITIZENS' COMMENTS Tom Tougas said that Seward needed a community plan to represent its collective values and goals, and that the community should drive the city's budget and how it's used rather than the budget driving the community's values. He suggested that council use the `down time' between biennial budgets to work on gathering the community's directives. Keith Campbell echoed Tougas' comments and challenged the council to rise to the occasion. Matt Hershock asked if there was a contractual obligation to the camera system that would prevent the city from not having a camera on Fourth Avenue. Mary Tougas said that Tuesday, May 10, 2011 there would be a meeting held in the library basement to planning the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Library Museum Project. Joanie Merritt thanked Tougas and Campbell for their pro- active thoughts. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZENS' COMMENTS City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes May 09, 2011 Volume 38, Page 580 Councilmember Shafer said she believed the surveillance camera grant was closed in December 2010 and that the cameras could now be moved or removed without penalty. Councilmember Keil asked council to keep in mind during the upcoming budget season the perspective of pursuing projects tied to grants only if council agreed they would otherwise pursue them through the general fund. Councilmember Casagranda agreed. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:17 p.m. 4 .0/1 renda Bal ou ' Willard E. Dunham Acting City C P rk Mayor (City Seal) .• '4� Of SEM / Ni� to 11 %° *. t � w d r-7 .0 4 1 **, P t O FP►� . i