Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09122016 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 111 CALL TO ORDER The September 12, 2016 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Jean Bardarson. OPENING CEREMONY Lt. Doreen Valadez led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Jean Bardarson presiding and Marianna Keil Ristine Casagranda Dave Squires Dale Butts Sue McClure Deborah Altermatt comprising a quorum of the Council; and Ron Long, Assistant City Manager ' Brenda Ballou, Acting City Clerk Will Earnhart, City Attorney Carol Kvasnikoff, Temporary Deputy City Clerk Absent—None CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Luther Freeman wanted to know what the status of the AVTEC gym was and how much longer it would be before a result was seen.He wanted to know when the public would be asked for input, and if the gym would be re-opened to the public or not. Tom Reimer also asked about the status of the AVTEC gym. He raised his kids in Seward and they used the gym as a family as the children grew up.There had been programs held there that his family had attended.He wanted to know if there would be a plan to re-open it for sure,and who was responsible for making it happen.He wanted to know when the answers would be made public. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Butts removed the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District (KPEDD) Report from the agenda. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 112 Bardarson added an item under Other New Business to schedule a Special Meeting. Motion Passed Unanimous The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items: Approval of the August 22,2016 Special Meeting and August 22,2016 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes. Appoint Mark Kansteiner, Patty Linville, Sue Faust, Gary Seese, and Jodi Nelson to the Election Board for the October 4,2016 Municipal Election. Appoint Dorothy Osenga, Susie Urbach, Jennifer Carr, and Kristi Larson to the Canvass Board for the October 4,2016 Municipal Election. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS Proclamations & Awards—None City Manager Report. Assistant City Manager Ron Long reported there had been no purchase orders between$10,000 and$50,000 since the last council meeting. Seward had received over 4 inches of rain,and the airport runway had been closed this morning for a few hours.Long said he had had further discussions with AVTEC about the gym and there would be room to find an111 agreement between Dan Repaskey at AVTEC and the city.Long said it was important to get as many programs as possible reinstated under one roof and within the current budget. Long extended an invitation for the public to attend the open house for the Comprehensive Plan on September 14, 2016. In response to McClure,Long confirmed that the Open House was set up to allow people to come and go, and they did not have to stay for the entire three hours to provide their input. Casagranda asked for clarification about the recent$12,000 contract with the bond attorney for the harbor bond refunding that had come before council at the last meeting;she didn't recall that it had been reported.Bardarson said administration had realized the oversight and had apologized to her for not including it in the August 22,2016 City Manager Report.Regarding the Seward Marine Industrial Center (SMIC) report, Long said weekly reporting may seem excessive, but it was a helpful tool for the group to keep the project on track. Casagranda asked that current 2016-2017 budget information to be added to the city website. McClure said Peninsula Paving would be in town to work on Old Exit Glacier Road, and suggested that potholes inside the city could be addressed by consulting with them.Long confirmed that potholes would be getting repaired with hot asphalt. Keil noticed that Lowell Point Road had been fixed up and Long said they had staged materials nearby to keep it fixed up. Altermatt appreciated the Parking Department for their report included in tonight's City Manager Report. Butts asked for an update on the City Hall asbestos abatement and carpet replacement project. Long said public and employee entrances to the building would shift according to the contractor's needs.Utilities would be handled temporarily from council chambers;the project was proceeding on City of Sewar4 Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 113 schedule. Casagranda recalled that November, 2015 had been the last update from the Friends of the Jesse Lee Home,and requested to have a new update. Long said council would have a report at the next meeting. Squires requested to have an update on the Air Force Recreation Camp by the October council meeting. Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations —None PUBLIC HEARINGS Ordinances for Public Hearing and Enactment Ordinance 2016-006, Amending Seward City Code 15.25. Floodplain Management By Adopting The October 20,2016 Revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps(FIRM)And The Flood Insurance Study(FIS)As Established By Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA). Motion (KeiUCasagranda) Enact Ordinance 2016-006 Long said this was necessary in order to remain compliant with federal regulations. 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 Motion Passed Unanimous UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Ordinances For Introduction Ordinance 2016-007,Approving The Removal Of The Word Small From The Phrases Seward Small Boat Harbor Or Small Boat Harbor Within The Seward City Code Title 7 Chapter 7.10. Harbor And Port Facilities. Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Introduce Ordinance 2016-007 Harbormaster Norm Regis said the harbor has expanded and can now easily accommodate larger vessels,so using the term"small"could be potentially misleading to boat owners.At a recent boat show out of state, Regis had heard from some people that they believed the harbor could not accommodate larger vessels. Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2016-055,Approving The Removal Of The Word Small From The Phrases Seward City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 114 Small Boat Harbor Or Small Boat Harbor Within The Seward Small Boat Harbor Plan. Motion (KeiVCasagranda) Approve Resolution 2016-055 Regis said this change would be consistent with the ordinance that was just introduced. The harbor wanted to entice larger vessels to come to Seward. Motion to Postpone (McClure/Casagranda) Postpone Resolution 2016-055 to the September 26, 2016 meeting. McClure said she had other questions related to this resolution that she wanted to research. Motion to Amend (McClure/Casagranda) Amend the postponement date for Resolution 2016-055 to the October 10, 2016 meeting. Motion to Postpone Approved Unanimous Resolution 2016-056, To Accept $1,479,060 From United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Through The Environmental Watershed Protection Program Grant And Allocate The Grant Funds And $690,228 From The Major Repair And Replacement Fund To Hamilton Construction In A Sole Source Contract To Construct The Engineered Revetment Plan To Deter The Imminent Deterioration Of The Bank Of Snow River That Is Jeopardizing The Transmission Line, And Appropriating Funds. Motion (KeiVCasagranda) Approve Resolution 2016-056 Long said this opportunity to obtain federal funds for this was very fortunate for the city,and he credited lobbying efforts for positioning Seward to receive these funds. Electric Utility Manager John Foutz said this was a critical project because if the transmission line was not repaired in a timely manner it would be lost to the shifting riverbed and the city would lose power for an extended period of time and would potentially not be able to recover from a cost standpoint.Foutz said he approached Hamilton for this project because they were already staged in the area working on the breakwater project, had experience in this type of work, and because the city needed an estimate to include in the grant application. Because the riverbed had already shifted since the initial estimate was performed, there was a 10% contingency included to cover any additional rock necessary. Long added that Hamilton was also currently working in the city's gravel pit and would be able to produce more rock as necessary. Foutz said as of last Friday there was not a signed grant yet, but the resolution was written such that the city was not financially committed to spend the money until the grant was received.In response to Bardarson, Foutz said the grant funds would not cover any costs that had already been spent.Foutz said the funds that had been spent to date had previously been appropriated through city council in other recent resolutions. City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 115 Squires asked for a clarification in Hamilton's contract as to what Alaska DOT Size 3 rip rap referred to. Long said that it was a standard reference to a rock size classification and did not mean that the Alaska Department of Transportation was supplying any rock for this project.2,169,288 is the total amount—the contingency is not included in the resolution.In the title of the Resolution... Primary Motion to Amend (Squires/Casagranda)Amend Resolution 2016-056 by adding the words, "and to assign a contract to [Hamilton Construction]" in the title. Earnhart concurred with the proposed amendment. Secondary Motion to Amend (Casagranda/Keil) Amend Resolution 2016-056 by adding the words, "Electric" before "Major Repair And Replacement Fund" in the title. Secondary Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous Primary Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous In response to Casagranda, Foutz confirmed the project would be completed by the end of this year so as not to allow the grant funds to expire. In response to Butts, Foutz said the construction would take approximately 2-4 weeks,and this would be considered Phase 1.This first phase was intended to hold up the ice dam for two years. There was an Alaska Department of Transportation(ADOT)road project scheduled in this area for 2018. In response to Butts, Foutz said future funding for potential Phase 2 work was currently undetermined at this time, and this particular grant was a one-time fund; other grants may be available in the future. Main Motion Passed Unanimous Resolution 2016-057, Authorizing Advertising Expenditures In An Amount Not To Exceed $750 To Provide Public Education Which Could Influence The Outcome Of An Election Concerning A Ballot Measure Addressing The Issuance Of$3 Million General Obligation Bonds To Plan,Design And Construct Road Improvements. Motion (Keil/Casagranda) Approve Resolution 2016-057 Long said the city code, as well as state statute, said this passing this resolution was a requirement in order to provide education about this ballot proposition. In response to Bardarson, Long said these funds would come out of the general fund. Motion Passed Unanimous Other New Business Items City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 116 Schedule a Special Meeting. Council scheduled a Special Meeting for the purpose of going into Executive Session to discuss matters pertaining to threatened or pending litigation,and to discuss the propriety of the public production of certain documents, and give direction to the city attorney in regards to the confidentiality of evaluations of officers and other documents on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS Invitation to Public Open House to provide input on Seward's Comprehensive Plan. COUNCIL COMMENTS Altermatt attended the Port And Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) meeting last week, and noted it was interesting to attend as a citizen and not a board member. There was a large crowd in attendance to address a letter written by a recreational boater towards the charter fishing businesses that operated from the harbor. She thought it brought out the need for the harbor to prepare better for multi-uses,with no preferential treatment given to one type of boater over another. There was a need to have better co-habitation in the harbor, and better signage about noise and no wake zones. She said October 5, 2016 would be the next PACAB meeting. Butts said since June there had been a loss of six hours of daylight. He thanked the election board and canvass board members for their service on the election and canvass boards. Casagranda thanked everyone for speaking out about the AVTEC gym. She was excited and hopeful that the gym would be reopened. She said when something came before council for consideration,that was the time for the public to speak out.In response to Casagranda,Long said the negotiations with the schools about using their gyms had been put on hold.Casagranda had concerns about public records requests,saying she felt more and more pushback on record requests.Bardarson concurred with Casagranda's request to have the city attorney provide a public records request overview for council and the public. She encouraged everyone to come to Meet the Candidates Night. McClure was pleased with the AVTEC gym negotiations progress. The outpouring of the public had had a real impact on the situation. The Iditarod Trailblazers would be having a Jujiro Wada statue unveiling and dedication ceremony on Friday, September 23,2016 at 1:00 p.m. There would be representatives from Japan in attendance, first and second graders would be making a presentation, and the event would conclude with a reception at Zudy's Café. Squires encouraged everyone to attend Meet the Candidates Night.He noted last week there had been a walk to recognize Suicide Prevention Week;he didn't want to lose any more friends to suicide. Squires said there had also been an appreciation picnic for First Responders which had been well attended. He stated he would be out of state for the September 26, 2016 council meeting. Keil thanked administration for working with AVTEC. She commended the great job that had been done in response to the transmission line issue. Keil and Bardarson had visited the senior center today; the seniors received them well and said they would come to the budget work sessions City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes September 12, 2016 Volume 40, Page 117 when council had them. Keil noted the Seward Music&Arts Festival was coming up at the end of the month. Bardarson thanked the city attorney for making himself available to attend the special meeting/on September 16, 2016. Bardarson and Long had attended a meeting with USDA Rural Development representatives. She encouraged people to attend the Comprehensive Plan Open House, and she supported AVTEC recreational use. Long said regarding the USDA visit,there were lots of programs available for businesses and housing opportunities that had been discussed. He reminded everyone that winter was coming so please clear the right of ways. CITIZEN COMMENTS Luther Freeman was glad to hear the AVTEC contract was being renegotiated.The winter was especially critical time,especially for special needs people and senior citizens.Also for young families to have a place to go for their children to blow off steam.Freeman wanted to emphasize the importance of having the services available for the community. COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS—None ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m. 976-edi/V1 414-e474/ 074 Brenda Ballou, CM Jan Bardarson Acting City Clerk _ Mayor Oc- (City Seal) k < �� RA u o S ® 4 fj f,/ • �0� ^ , Pf ,:it. �L •••••• ...