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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03102014 City Council Minutes City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 293 CALL TO ORDER The March 10,2014 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Jean Bardarson. OPENING CEREMONY Police Chief Tom Clemons led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Jean Bardarson presiding and Marianna Keil Ristine Casagranda Christy Terry David Squires Dale Butts Iris Darling comprising a quorum of the Council; and Jim Hunt, City Manager Johanna Kinney, City Clerk Cheryl Brooking, City Attorney Brenda Ballou, Deputy City Clerk Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING -None APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Terry) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion to Amend (Casagranda/Terry) Add the following item to the consent agenda: Schedule a joint work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss Mobile Vendors and Transient Vendors on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Consent Main Motion Passed Unanimous City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 294 The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the January 27, 2014 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes. Non-objection to the liquor license renewal for Chinook's Waterfront. Schedule a joint work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss Mobile Vendors and Transient Vendors on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards - None Borough Assembly Report,Sue McClure stated she had attended two assembly meetings, traveled to Juneau,and attended service area board meetings since the last meeting. On February 11, 2014 the assembly removed the deed restriction on the Spring Creek Correction Center property.On February 25, 2014 there was nearly two hours of public testimony by 22 citizens relating to supporting the continued funding for various non-departmental borough services, including the Central Area Rural Transit System(CARTS),the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District, and the Kenai Peninsula Community College. At the same meeting, the assembly also moved $30,000 in supplement funding to the Bear Creek Fire Service Area for fuel,utilities,and operating expenses for the new building because they were opening sooner than expected. As well,Ordinance 2014-06 was defeated which would have shortened the period of time between introduction and j public hearing from 25 days to 13 days. McClure traveled to Juneau with seven other assembly members and the borough mayor. She attended the Seward Bear Creek Flood Service Area Board (SBCFSAB) meeting where a potential mill increase was proposed which would raise it from .50 mills to 1.0 mills for the flood service area. McClure was seeking feedback from the public; the proposal had been submitted to the borough mayor, and she would be meeting with him soon to provide feedback from her constituents. The result of this proposal would appear on the June 2014 borough budget. There was still one vacant seat available on the SBCFSAB. The assembly would next meet on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 and one key agenda item would be to allow borough employees to also serve as elected officials on service area boards. On April 15, 2014 the assembly would meet in Seward for their annual meeting. In response to Butts, McClure said the SBCFSAB had already submitted the proposed mill rate to the borough mayor,and the borough mayor would then be including it in his proposed budget for the assembly's consideration. Keil asked McClure how much Seward had contributed to SBCFSAB in the last 11 years since being a part of the service area,and after a quick calculation in her head, McClure said .50 mills translated to approximately $200,000 currently, so $1.2 million would be a close estimate. To obtain a list of projects that that money had been used for, McClure suggested contacting Stephanie Presley with the SBCFSAB. City Manager's Report, City Manager Jim Hunt stated the following purchase orders between $10,000 and $50,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council gnimeeting: $15,000.00 to Electric Power Systems for installation of three reclosers at Ft Raymond; City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 295 $37,734.80 to Metco, Inc. to pour 140 yards of concrete to cover and repair Spruce Creek Sewer Main; and, $45,000 to Michael L. Foster and Assoc. for engineering services at the Lowell Point Sewage Treatment Facility. The Public Works Department issued a Notice to Proceed to Metco, Inc. for the Dairy Hill Drainage Mitigation Project. Staff was working on finalizing paperwork with FEMA regarding Spruce Creek. The department was building a Scope of Work for the upgrade and refurbishment of the#4 Lift Station in Forest Acres. Staff was working to finalize a Request For Proposals for sludge removal at the Lowell Point Sewage Lagoon. In the Harbor Department,the owners of three of the five impounded vessels had paid in full. The next step was organizing and scheduling a sale for the remaining vessels.The D Float contractor was currently installing the electrical for the docks. Harmon Construction completed the remodel of the interior of the Harbormaster Office restrooms. The Parks and Recreation Department was seeking government bids for an upcoming Toolcat purchase and was beginning to install the Luke Pay Stations at the campgrounds. Staff was assisting a contractor with the assembly of new campground electronic fee stations. Park Maintenance was working on an Integrated Pest Management Plan for spraying city park and campground areas. There had been three local electrical outages/trouble calls since the last council meeting,with two users affected. The cause of outages was broken cutouts and the incidents occurred in the areas of Grouse Lake,Salmon Creek,and Lawing.The Electric Department was up and running at its 111.• office location at 238 Fifth Avenue, also known as the City Hall Annex. A Request For Proposals was released for Seasonal Shuttle/Transportation services and the following scoring criteria would apply: Age, condition, quality and appearance of coaches: 20% Customer Service: 20% Safety Record: 20% Seating capacity and ADA accessibility: 10% Cost 30% Total 100% Finance Department Director Kris Erchinger provided an update of Finance Department staffing issues. In 2002, the Finance Department dropped from eight employees to seven, and the staff remained at seven today. The current staff was relatively new, only one person had been there for five years,and all others had less than two years of experience. Erchinger said she was not asking for additional staff,but she was asking for patience while they work through establishing their new software system and prepare for audit. The 2014/2015 biennial budget was released yesterday. Although council approved the Finance Department's purchase of a new computer system two years ago,due to unexpected delays and hardships,the new system had not yet been installed, and the go- live date had been delayed several times in the last year. In order to keep the project moving, Erchinger had recently engaged a new firm to assist with the implementation and the new go-live City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 296 date was re-scheduled to July, 2014. As well, she said the audit would start three weeks from now, but she anticipated that the Finance Department would be fully prepared. In response to Butts,Erchinger said her staff was willing and able to continue the additional work they were doing for the Seward Community Health Center(SCHC).Erchinger said they could handle it. Keil and Bardarson both thanked Erchinger and the Finance Department for the long hours and hard work they were putting in. City Attorney's Report, City Attorney Cheryl Brooking stated her office had provided assistance on the following items: personnel matters, contract matters, code enforcement and potential code revisions,maritime liens and impoundment of vessels,reviewed the SCHC operating agreement, potential land transfers and leases, and environmental compliance matters. Brooking introduced her colleagues: Will Earnhart, Eric Wohlforth, and Cindy Cartledge. In response to Squires, Wohlforth said he would be taking the lead as Brooking's replacement. Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations Year End Synopsis Presentation by Joe Fong, Administrator of Providence Seward Medical & Care Center. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None NEW BUSINESS Resolution 2014-024, Approving Amendment No. 1 To The Management And Operating Agreement Between The City Of Seward And Providence Health & Services To Address The Removal Of The Primary Care Clinic From Providence's Scope Of Work,Modify Space Use, Seek Cost Savings, And Agree To A Future Reduction In The Annual Fixed Periodic Fee. Motion (Terry/Keil) Approve Resolution 2014-024 Erchinger said the purpose of this resolution was to carve out the clinic services from the existing contract with Providence. The new SCHC opened today,and no later than four months from February 14,2014 when Providence ceased operating the clinic,council would be presented with an amendment which would propose to modify the annual fixed periodic fee.The annual fixed periodic fee came to $900,000 in 2012 and was applied to costs of Providence's management of the clinic. Since 1995, 1% of Seward's city sales tax revenue had gone toward paying off the bond for the hospital, and those bonds were paid off in 2013. Butts expressed his concern that the City Attorney had not reviewed the amendment being presented tonight,and wanted assurances that the City Attorney would be reviewing the amendment for the annual fixed periodic fee that would come forward no later than June 14, 2014. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 297 Motion Passed Unanimous ... INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Thank you letter to Senator Begich RE: Seward Airport funding. Upcoming council travel: Mayor and Vice Mayor traveling to Washington, D.C. for the annual legislative trip and to Seattle, WA for the Economic Partnership trip with the Chamber of Commerce. COUNCIL COMMENTS Keil thanked the Seward Volunteer Fire Department for hosting their annual Awards Banquet last Saturday. She was delighted to see how many volunteers were actually involved in providing services,she was impressed by the support the firefighters' families provided,and she congratulated Mike McHone for receiving the Firefighter of the Year Award. Terry thanked the Marathon Wrestling Club for the tournament they held this past weekend, and she would like to have a Certificate of Appreciation created for the next council meeting to be presented to Art Osborn and Jewel Williams for organizing this event which involved 440 kids and 900 matches. She thanked the firefighters for volunteering their time, and their families for supporting them. She also thanked Melinda Maddox at the Independent Living Center for her hard work, and all the city's boards and commissions volunteers for their time and effort. Butts thanked the Finance Department for their hard work, as well as all the boards and commissions volunteers. He appreciated everyone who gave their time. He thanked the Fire Department volunteers. Casagranda thanked the Fire Department for the dinner,for the volunteers and the families of the volunteers. The Seward basketball team traveled to Cordova and she thought they were going to State. Squires thanked the Fire Department, the Finance Department, and Joe Fong for his presentation and for responding to citizen inquiries during the transition to the SCHC. He appreciated the update on the warehouse building project,but wanted to see a target date set for the building's completion. Darling thanked Erchinger for providing an easy-to-understand explanation on the SCHC and for the tour of the SCHC of the facility today. She announced that Mountain View Sports had leased the Brown&Hawkins building and would open for business on April 10,2014,and they were seeking to hire employees.Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell would be at the Resurrect Art coffeehouse tomorrow from 4:00—5:00 p.m. Bardarson congratulated the Seward Community Health Center for their successful opening today, and she thanked Providence for their support of the community during the transition. She ow. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes March 10, 2014 Volume 39, Page 298 thanked Cheryl Brooking for her many years of service to Seward as the City Attorney,and wished her good luck in her new position with the Attorney General's office. CITIZEN COMMENTS -None COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS -None EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion (Terry/Keil) Following a brief recess, go into Executive Session to discuss pending matters with the City Attorney prior to her departure on April 10, 2014 from the City. Council requested the following people stay for the Executive Session: City Manager Jim Hunt, Assistant City Manager Ron Long, City Clerk Johanna Kinney, Deputy City Clerk Brenda Ballou,City Attorney Cheryl Brooking,and the following visiting attorneys from the law firm Wohlforth,Brecht,Cartledge&Brooking,APC:Eric Wohlforth,Cynthia Cartledge, and William Earnhart. Motion Passed Unanimous Council recessed at 8:46 p.m. Council resumed the meeting at 8:53 p.m. Council went into executive session at 8:53 p.m. Council came out of executive session at 9:53 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:53 p.m. kla lia •IIIP 161.(V Jo anna Kinn can Bardarson Ci Clerk Mayor (City Seal) .....„.„..� **y OF SE{.,q•. Cis �RFOR.r . •• ?G 4, • J • I,, SEAL -o- :• • ...1,, doh.. N,. i • ##**1.$ 0 F PleV 4o