HomeMy WebLinkAbout03242014 City Council Minutes City of Seward, Alaska
City Council Minutes
March 24, 2014
Volume 39, Page 299
CALL TO ORDER
The March 24, 2014 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00
p.m. by Mayor Jean Bardarson.
OPENING CEREMONY
Police Lieutenant Louis Tiner led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
Jean Bardarson presiding and
Dale Butts Ristine Casagranda
Christy Terry Marianna Keil
David Squires Iris Darling
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Jim Hunt, City Manager
Johanna Kinney, City Clerk
Nanci Richey, Administrative Assistant
61. Absent—None
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING - None
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (Terry/Keil) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
Keil added Recipients of the Seward Volunteer Fire Department's Annual Awards to Proclamations
and Awards.
Terry added Resolution 2014-026 to the consent agenda.
Terry added the Appointment of two applicants,Norma Shellgren and Devin Putney,to the Seward
Recreation Committee Applicants to the consent agenda.
Bardarson added Resolution 2014-028 to the consent agenda.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Resolution 2014-026, Approving Amendment #3 To The Employment Agreement With The
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 300
City Clerk And Appropriating Funds.
Resolution 2014-028,Authorizing The City Manager To Accept Legislative Grant#13-G0-014
From The State Of Alaska Department Of Commerce And Economic Development In The
Amount Of$10,000,000 For The Design And Development Of The Seward Marine Industrial
Center (SMIC) And Appropriating Funds.
Approval of the February 10, 2014 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
Council appointed Norma Shellgren and Devin Putney to the Seward Recreation Committee.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards
Recognizing Beverly Dunham on being inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of
Fame
Choose Respect Proclamation
April is Child Abuse Prevention And Awareness Month
Marathon Wrestling Club Certificate of Appreciation
501h Anniversary of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake
Recognizing the Recipients of the Seward Volunteer Fire Department's Annual
Awards
Chamber of Commerce Report, Cindy Clock explained the upcoming Kenai Peninsula
Tourism Dodge Ram Stay and Play Raffle. For each ticket sold,the Chamber received$25.00 of the
$50.00 sale. Mayor Navarre was proposing a borough wide 4%bed tax.The Industry Outlook Forum
would be held at the K.M. Rae Building called The Passage of Opportunity would be hosted by the
City of Seward, Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District, and the Kenai Chapter of
Alliance. Seward Harbormaster Mack Funk would attend Kodiak ComFish Alaska,Alaska's premier
commercial fishing trade show on April 17-19, 2014.
City Manager's Report,City Manager Jim Hunt stated that the following purchase order
between $10,000 and $50,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council
meeting: Quality Equipment Sales and Service, $20,984.31 for a flat bed and crane for the harbor
truck approved by council on February 10, 2014. This project was budgeted and approved for
$60,000.00. The truck was $28,500. The flat bed and crane was $20,984.31, leaving the project
$10,515.69 under budget.
In Public Works,Metco,Inc.started the Dairy ry Hill Drainage Mitigation Pro je ct o n March
26,
2014. The 2012 Spruce Creek Flood damage paperwork was being finalized. Staff was working on
CRW Engineering Group, LLC's water tank design engineering contract for the North Seward Water
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 301
Storage Tank and Pumping Facility, a request for proposals (RFP) for sludge removal at Lowell
Point, FEMA flood damage repairs on Barwell,Phoenix and Dieckgraeff Roads,and an RFP for the
Lowell Canyon 400,000 gallon water storage tank refurbishment. Harmon Construction would begin
the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) sidewalk improvements in May. Hunt met with Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) Commissioner Larry Hartig to discuss the
protocol for wastewater lagoon maintenance at SMIC and Lowell Point.
Seward Parks and Recreation declared that 2014 was to be proclaimed and celebrated as the
"Year of the Cemetery." Parks and Recreation was seeking volunteers to work on various projects
including documentation, rebuilding headstones, and specific site clean-up and repairs. On Friday,
March 28, 2014, the Seward Community Library Museum would be hosting New York Times
bestselling author,Michael Burlingame,who published the book"Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable
Man". The city was hosting the Museums Alaska/Alaska Historical Society Conference in October,
2014. Council and administration agreed to donate city funds of$2,000.00 to be split by the City
Council and the City Manager's Departments to the conference.
Squires asked how the planning was going for the statewide earthquake drill being held on
March 27, 2014. Hunt said the city had scaled back their role in the exercise due to time restraints
and poor planning. Fire Chief Eddie Athey said the actual sirens would go off for three minutes that
morning to test the system with a live exercise. He encouraged the public to review their own plans
of action for their families during an emergency and to create a plan if they didn't already have one.
For the Mayor's Report,Bardarson reported she met with Lieutenant GovernorTreadwell and
had discussed SMIC, the sewage lagoons, the airport, and the cost of energy in Seward.
Other Reports and Presentations -None
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Resolutions Requiring Public Hearing
Resolution 2014-025, Authorizing The City Manager To Purchase Tract C-6, Gateway
Subdivision Addition No. 2, Document Number 001554-0 In The Records Of The Seward
Recording District, Third Judicial District, State Of Alaska For$98,010,And Appropriating
Funds.
Motion (Terry/Butts) Approve Resolution 2014-025
Public Works Director W.C.Casey stated this property purchase was one of the final pieces
of the water tank project that had been planned for seven years. He hoped to pass this resolution so
that the design was finished and the water tank could be built. Hunt added that currently the water
was pumped uphill.
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened. No one appeared to address the Council and the public hearing was closed.
Terry confirmed with the clerk that the laydown before them was for the contract and the resolution.
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March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 302
Motion to Amend (Terry/Butts) Approve Laydown Changes of the Contract
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Casey stated the city took advantage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and
had spent $400,000 improving the distribution line that would lead up to this tank, and part of the
infrastructure was already there.
Terry stated that administration did a great job of negotiating and saving$60,000 to$80,000
annually for operating costs.
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
UNFINISHED BUSINESS -None
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution 2014-027, Waiving Competitive Procurement Requirements And Authorizing
Purchase Of A New International Digger/Derrick Truck In An Amount Not To Exceed
$296,935 Including Contingency, And Appropriating Funds.
Motion (Terry/Keil) Approve Resolution 2014-027 ..
Electric Utility Manager John Foutz stated this was to replace their used Digger truck
purchased back in 2005. The Electric Department was unable to find a previously used truck this
time. Foutz and staff also tried to find companies for the bid process but only one company made the
Digger Derrick truck on the West Coast and that was Altec Industries.
In response to Casagranda,Foutz stated that this was an International truck and Altec had a
maintenance shop in Anchorage that would work on it whenever the Electric Department's
maintenance crew was unable to perform the maintenance themselves. The truck would be stored
inside the warehouse which would help the city avoid problems with the electrical elements. Foutz
also stated that if this resolution passed,Altec could then begin building the Digger Derrick,and the
old truck would still be used for the 2014 season.
Bardarson asked why the resolution price was higher than the agenda statement and Foutz
replied that the figure listed in the resolution was correct, but there were recommended optional
items added in.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2014-029,Authorizing The City Manager To Accept Legislative Grant#14-DC-133
From The State Of Alaska Department Of Commerce And Economic Development In The
Amount Of$10,000,000 For The Design And Development Of The Seward Marine Industrial
Center (SMIC) And Appropriating Funds.
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 303
Motion (Terry/Keil) Approve Resolution 2014-029
Hunt recommended that council accept this grant from the State Of Alaska Department Of
Commerce And Economic Development.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Other New Business Items
Schedule a Work Session to discuss the Air Force Recreation Camp Property on April 21,
2014 at 6:00 p.m.
Schedule a Work Session to meet with the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home on April 14,2014 at
6:00 p.m. Council requested a date change for the work session to May 1, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. and
directed the clerk confirm that date and time with the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
Chill, It's a Drill!and The Great Alaska Shake Out March 27, 2014.
Seward's Day Proclamation.
Mayor's Day of Recognition for National Service.
December 2013 Financial Report for Providence Seward Medical Center.
Letter from City of Obihiro Mayor Yonezawa RE: 2013-2014 Mural Exchange.
COUNCIL COMMENTS
Keil thanked former City Council Member Doreen Lorenz for promoting Seward as the spot
to film the movie"Sugar Mountain"and for advocating for Seward. Keil had spoken to former City
Council Member Bob Valdatta who advised that council should be careful about including the
"contingency" fund wording in future resolutions.
Terry said Alaska's Institute of Technology (AVTEC) opened a Transportation Worker
Identification Credential (TWIC) office. She wanted the city to honor Fred Esposito's retirement
from the Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) at the next council meeting. Terry
recommended keeping the community updated on the progress of the SMIC development project by
newspaper, meetings, or in the City Manager's report.
Butts thanked the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Community Development
Department for their help on the work session discussion on mobile vendors and transient merchants
held tonight. He reminded everyone that March 29, 2014 was a fundraiser for the Animal Shelter
called the Cause For Paws Fur Ball. Butts was glad there would be a work session with Friends of
the Jesse Lee Home.
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March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 304
Squires discussed the emergency training event on March 27,2014 and what all the different
entities would be doing. He hoped for a statewide recovery community exercise this year.
Hunt agreed something should be done soon for emergency events, especially since there
were so many layers between government, employees, and council that would be involved in these
exercises.
Squires said the city would be looking to residents for help with evacuations.
Darling reiterated the importance of making an emergency response plan for all businesses
and families. She also reminded everyone about the Cause for Paws Fur Ball at Chinooks would be
held on March 29, 2014.
Bardarson commented on what a great fundraiser the Fur Ball would be, and also
encouraged everyone to think about what they would do during an emergency event.
Keil agreed it was important to have an emergency plan.
Butts thought Seward was prepared because the Seward Volunteer Fire Department and the
Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department members had participated in a lot of classes. He
congratulated the volunteers who had taken these extensive training classes.
Hunt stated that much of the recognition for being named"Tsunami Ready"in Seward went
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to Retired Fire Chief Squires and the community should be aware of this.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Sue McClure stated that she was disappointed that Seward's involvement in the Tsunami
Warning Exercise had been scaled back. She would like to make a correction from the last meeting:
it was incorrectly stated that the Historic Preservation Commission was having a conference in
Seward when it was actually the State of Alaska Historical Society and Historical Museum.McClure
encouraged the community to attend the 1964 Earthquake 50`1' Anniversary Presentation at the
Seward Museum on March 27, 2014.
Sharon Montagnino,Executive Interim Director of the Seward Community Health Center
(SCHC), thanked council for their support prior to and while she was the director. She said the
SCHC launch was successful and a growing numbers of patients were visiting the clinic.The SCHC
was not operating with a full staff but were working very hard to find a permanent doctor and add
more medical workers. Montagnino would be working with the new director prior to her upcoming
departure.
Joanna Robinson stated she came to Seward due to infestation problems at her Anchorage
residence. Since she came to Seward,she had been assaulted and had been mistreated by hospital and
police staff. Robinson felt these issues were not being acknowledged.
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March 24, 2014 Volume 39, Page 305
By unanimous consent, council suspended the rules to allow Robinson two more minutes to
speak.
Robinson continued with her comments.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS
Terry announced the new Director for the Seward Community Health Center was Patrick
Linton.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:46 p.m.
4/7
J6hanna Kinney, CMC J an Bardarson
City Clerk Mayor
(City Seal)
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