HomeMy WebLinkAbout04222019 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 691
CALL TO ORDER
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The April 22,2019 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00
p.m. by Mayor David Squires.
OPENING CEREMONY
Police Chief Tom Clemons led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
David Squires presiding and
Sue McClure Suzanne Towsley
Jeremy Horn Sharyl Seese
John Osenga Kelley Lane
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Norm Regis,Acting City Manager
Brenda Ballou,City Clerk
Holly Wells,City Attorney
Excused—None
Absent—None
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING
Carole Tallman was the President of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She
had been hearing concerns about the safety of the community; crime and drugs were affecting the
entire community and degrading the social fabric.Tallman implored council to call a meeting of all
public safety stakeholders, including city and state,to discuss the issue.
Tim McDonald said the city didn't respect itself because it allowed the former city manager
and assistant city manager to quit with no notice and take off like thieves in the night.He thought the
city was using loopholes for transferring equity.
Mick Seba said,regarding housing,he had developed two houses in the community and was
trying to work on a third. He partnered with Roger Swanson,and he was frustrated that his project
couldn't move forward. It was cost-prohibitive for a developer to install sewer and water lines.
Jonah Swiderski supported Resolution 2019-038.He was the owner of Seward City Tours,
the company that ran the free shuttle service in town. Last year he moved between 70,000-80,000
riders around town.The feedback he received from local businesses,as well as riders,was positive;
City of Seward, Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 692
he welcomed all feedback and wanted to continually improve his operation. His website,
sewardcitytours.com, had all the maps and information about the routes.
Christy Terry supported Resolution 2019-038. Last year Seward City Tours provided
outstanding service; lines were shorter and there were very few back-ups. Cruise ship passengers
reported that Seward was the only community to provide free shuttle services. Terry thought the
shuttle service was a huge benefit for all of Seward, but especially for cruise ship passengers and
cruise ship staff.
Elle Zernia wanted to thank the city for supporting the Mermaid Festival for the last two
years. The cooperative arrangement allowed for a safe environment in which to celebrate the harbor
opening and have a fun springtime event to look forward to. Some of the funds generated were
donated locally. She appreciated the support from local non-profit organizations, as well.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (McClure/Lane) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
Lane corrected the name of the presenter from Tad Hearns to Tad Stearns.
Seese removed Resolution 2019-041 from the consent agenda.
Motion Passed Unanimous
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The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Resolution 2019-040, Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Five Year Contract
With Granicus, LLC For Website Design, Implementation, Maintenance, Hosting, And
Licensing, And Appropriating Funds.
Resolution 2019-043, Amending The Agreement Covering Terms And Conditions Of
Employment Between The City Of Seward, Alaska And The Seward Public Employees
Association To Provide For The Inclusion Of The Position Of Electric Department
Executive Assistant Into The Bargaining Unit.
Approval of the March 26, 2019 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
Approval of the April 5, 2019 City Council Special Meeting Minutes.
Approval of the April 8, 2019 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes.
Non-objection to the renewal of Restaurant/Eating Place—Public Convenience Seasonal#5399
liquor license for The Sea Bean.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 693
•
Poppy Month
Correctional Officers
National Peace Officers
National Telecommunicators Week
Chamber of Commerce Report. Cindy Clock thanked Chamber President Carole
Tallman for speaking up tonight, as well as Geri Nipp for attending to represent the board. The
chamber membership was now up to 409 members. The Mount Marathon Race roster had been
posted; a wait list was now in effect.Three race spots for the men's and women's races would be
auctioned off starting tonight through April 25, 2019. Soon the chamber would be seeking 350
volunteers to help with the festival.
The chamber supported Seward City Tours as the city's free shuttle; they heard positive
comments from visitors,and no complaints.The June Halibut Tournament would feature 40 tagged
fish,as well as many other prizes.The chamber was collaborating on a video with Chugach National
Forest.
City Manager Report.Acting City Manager Norm Regis reported the following purchase
orders over$5,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting: $14,235
to Stellar Designs,Inc.for event materials and t-shirts for six annual Parks&Recreation Department
events;and,$10,956.42 to Spenard Builders Supply,Inc.for materials to complete the building at the
SMIC wash-down pad.
Regis recited the following scoring criteria for the Request for Proposals for a Water &
Wastewater Rate Study:
Project Understanding 15%
Approach&Resource Allocations 30%
Firm Capabilities 20%
Project Team 30%
Resources 5%
Total 100%
Tomorrow was Permitting Day at the Seward Community Library. Regis wished to have a
special meeting on Wednesday,April 24,2019 at 12:00 p.m. for the SMIC paving contract,as well
as the new city manager.
In memory of Monte Richardson,the chamber and many charter boats,community members,
and family,would be installing a wreath at Monte's favorite fishing hole on Sunday,June 2,2019 at
6:00 p.m.
In response to Lane,Assistant City Manager Brennan Hickok responded to concerns about
the event expenditures for Parks&Recreation by saying the event registrations far outweighed the
expenses. Squires clarified that once council approved the budget, it was up to the departments to
manage their expenses.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 694
Towsley thanked Regis for serving as acting city manager.
In response to Lane,Hickok said there was a conditional offer made to an applicant to fill the mg]
executive assistant in the Electric Utility Department. Electric Utility Manager John Foutz said
just today the applicant had received a better job offer,and so the position would have to be reposted.
City Attorney Report. City Attorney Holly Wells stated she hoped the written report she
submitted was responsive to council's request for a more detailed report.
McClure thanked Wells for drafting such a detailed report; it was a lot of information. In
response to Lane,Wells said the creation of the city attorney report took 2.6 hours,although she was
not charging the city for this particular report. Towsley echoed McClure's sentiments; perhaps a
slightly less detailed report would be better. Seese concurred.Squires appreciated the detailed report,
and thought it gave a comprehensive perspective.
In response to Osenga saying he liked seeing the bill broken down into tenths of hours,plus
the short summary, Wells said the hourly break down report was provided through the system and
would have no fee associated with it, except for any necessary redactions. Horn liked to see this
comprehensive report, but understood that it may be cost-prohibitive.
Council directed the city attorney to provide the same type of report for the May meeting as was
provided tonight, and then council could refine their needs at that time.
In response to Lane,Wells said she billed the city for council-initiated work; a response to a iiii
call from the press would not be billed to the city.
Towsley suggested it might be wise for council to review the policies that were currently in
place with the city. Squires concurred,and added that council should know what the city's policies
were.
Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations
Travel Report for Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District(KPEDD)Meeting
by Council Member Lane.
Seward Boys & Girls Club presentation by Maggie Wilkins.
Impact of Seward's Housing Crisis on Providence Seward Medical and Care Center
presentation by Tad Stearns.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Ordinances for Public Hearing and Enactment
Ordinance 2019-009, Repealing 1975 Ordinance No. 412 And 1985 Ordinance No. 540, And r.,,,i
Amending Seward City Code.
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April 22,2019 Volume 40,Page 695
This ordinance was introduced on April 8, 2019 and is coming tonight for a public hearing and
enactment.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Enact Ordinance 2019-009
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.
Towsley supported this ordinance wholeheartedly. She thought the current city council had
been very responsive, and she thanked the citizens who took the initiative to bring forward the
referendum which resulted in a special election.
Squires said since the special election, he had been approached by numerous people who
expressed their concerns about this ordinance; he would be voting tonight in reflection of those
citizen comments.
Motion Passed Yes:McClure,Towsley,Lane,Seese,Osenga,
Horn
No: Squires
Council recessed at 8:45 p.m.
Council resumed at 8:55 p.m.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None
NEW BUSINESS
Resolutions
Resolution 2019-038,Authorizing Amendment No. 1 To The Shuttle Contract With Seward
City Tours In An Additional Amount Not To Exceed$21,720 For The Operation Of The 2019
Seasonal Seward Shuttle Bus Service, Extending The Contract Term For Two Additional
Years In An Amount Not To Exceed $430,226, And Adding Two Optional One-Year
Extensions,And Appropriating Funds.
Motion (McClure/Seese) Approve Resolution 2019-038
Hickok said this resolution reflected two separate amendments to the existing contract:one to
increase funds for 2019 services,and one to provide for an additional two-year extension,with two
one-year optional extensions beyond that. The purpose of adding the extensions was to provide the
contractor with some stability so they could invest in their future growth.
Lane was concerned with extending this contract too far into the future.
Motion to Amend (Lane/Seese) Amend Resolution 2019-038 by striking the
words, "... and adding two optional one-
year extensions..."
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City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40, Page 696
Motion to Amend Withdrawn
Motion to Amend (Townley/Lane) Amend Resolution 2019-038 by adding the
words, "... pending council approval..."
after"... and adding two optional one-year
extensions..."
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Squires requested that time tables be posted at each shuttle bus stop.
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2019-039, Opposing Efforts By The Federal Communications Commission To
Circumvent Well Established Federal Law That Precludes The Commission From Regulating
Public Power Utility Poles.
Motion (McClure/Lane) Approve Resolution 2019-039
Foutz explained that this resolution did not relate to the local communications companies in
Seward, it related to a specific Federal Communications Commission(FCC)regulation. Foutz said
there were some safety concerns, as well as the potential for lost revenue for the city because the
FCC would allow communications companies to bypass the city and install their own infrastructure
on the city's poles.
In response to Squires, Foutz said in the near future there would be no expected financial
burden. However, in the future, the risks included electric poles failing due to having increased
additional loads installed. The FCC did not use the national electric safety code as a guideline, as
local utilities did.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Squires requested the city manager bring this resolution to Washington, D.C. next week in
the event there was an opportunity to discuss the city's concerns with the legislators.
Resolution 2019-041, Authorizing The City Manager To Support The Mermaid Festival By
Amending The Parking Enterprise Fund Budget To Offset The Value Of Occupied Spaces,
And Appropriating Funds.
Motion (McClure/Towsley) Approve Resolution 2019-041
Horn declared a potential conflict of interest because he was one of the main organizers for
this event.
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City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 697
In response to McClure, Horn stated he did not receive any monetary compensation. In
response to Squires,Horn stated he was one of five members of the newly-formed Mermaid Festival,
LLC. Lane thought a conflict existed.
Squires ruled that a conflict did not exist and Horn remained at the dais.
Hickok said this resolution supported the Mermaid Festival by offsetting lost parking revenue
from the promotional fund.
Towsley suggested the city develop a policy which would allow any non-profit to apply to the
city for a similar benefit. Lane concurred and also wanted to have a policy.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2019-042,Authorizing The Completion Of The Tax Foreclosure Process And The
Sale Of The Properties Described As Lots 29,30,31 And 32,Block 27,Original Townsite Of
Seward;With Tax Parcel ID Numbers Of 14805003 And 14805004,Located At 516 Through
522 First Avenue By Sealed Bid At A Minimum Bid Of$17,500 Per Lot.
Motion(McClure/Seese) Approve Resolution 2019-042
Hickok said this resolution was in response to council's direction to sell these lots as four
individual parcels.
In response to Seese, City Planner Jackie Wilde said these lots were zoned R1, had no
encroachments or easements,and would require setbacks.Wilde added that any one person could bid
on one or more lots,but would have to bid on each lot individually.
In response to Lane, Wilde said a clustered subdivision required a minimum of five lots.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Other New Business
Discuss the State budget.
Towsley asked council to consider having a work session regarding the governor's proposed
budget and its potential impact on Seward, including the schools and fish tax.
McClure thought this discussion should happen as soon as the state budget was passed,and
council concurred.
Schedule a work session to discuss housing issues in Seward.
Lane requested to postpone this item until May 28, 2019, and council concurred.
Schedule a work session with Providence on either May 13 or May 14,2019.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22, 2019 Volume 40,Page 698
Council scheduled a work session on May 13,2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Schedule a work session to discuss policy changes regarding utility expansion.
Council scheduled a work session on May 28,2019 at 5:30 p.m.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
On-Going City Projects and Goals.
Lane asked what the price was for the chairlift, related to#1 on the list. Squires said there
were problems with this concept because the accessible parking on Fifth Avenue was inadequate.
February, 2019 Providence& City Financials.
Clerk's memo verifying timely receipt of annual Financial Disclosure Forms.
COUNCIL COMMENTS
McClure attended the assembly meeting last week at the Seward High School; the school
budget issue drove a lot of people to attend. She had been receiving feedback from the public about
council meetings going so late at night; she had some ideas on how council could streamline their
business that she would be bringing forward.The Seward Community Band would be having a free
concert on Thursday this week at 6:30 p.m. at Seward High School auditorium.
Towsley thanked everyone for attending tonight. She had attended the assembly meeting last
week,and thought it was fun to watch how their meetings ran.Towsley reminded everyone that the
plastic bag ban ordinance would go into effect on October 1, 2019. She attended the Port &
Commerce Advisory Board(PACAB)work session last week;they were working on organizing an
energy fair for this fall,and looking at the city's interconnect policies.Regarding council's Ad Hoc
Committee for City Personnel Matters,Towsley said she had ideas to move it forward and would be
reaching out to the other committee members. She, too, had been hearing concerns from citizens
about how the council meetings could be run more efficiently.
Seese thanked everyone for attending and speaking. She enjoyed attending the assembly
meeting, and was impressed by all the citizens who spoke. She wanted to continue working on
solutions to ensure that the children in the community received a good education.
Osenga encouraged everyone to come to the concert; there would be a few Anchorage
musicians attending to help out at the concert,including a quartet and a duet. He thanked everyone
for coming to the meeting tonight.
Lane was excited that the new city manager would likely be here for the next council
meeting. Lane was looking forward to the upcoming delegation trip to Yeosu, South Korea.
Squires thanked council for being so diligent on the hiring process for the city manager.
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Apri122, 2019 'Volume 40,Page 699
Regis said there would be a special meeting next Wednesday. On Saturday,April 27,2019
there would be a memorial service for Ryan Lewis at Seward High School, and on Sunday there
would be a field dedication for Ryan Lewis.
Hickok said he had user names and passwords for council to access online training for
Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA)utility training; please contact Hickok for access.
Hickok thanked Jackie Wilde for preparing the First Avenue lots for sale.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Phil Zimmerman said he kept hearing about the housing problems;the problem couldn't be
solved without the support of city council.
Tim McDonald thought council needed to get together and unify the community by annexing
outside of the city. He thought the city needed to have a forensic audit.
Patrick Messmer thanked Regis for his service as acting city manager. Regarding housing
issues,he had spoken with a new city employee today who was desperately trying to find housing;
Messmer said we needed to find a solution as a community.
Lynda Paquette said on May 9,2019 voter boundaries would be discussed at Seward Civic
Engagement.On May 23,2019,the topic would be examining the borough assembly representative's
duties.
Jonah Swiderski said he had an interesting position on housing as he was an employer;he
saw private businesses trying to find solutions to address the problem.For his own business,he has
had to take on year-round leases on housing,even though he only needed it for five months for his
employees. He and his wife had also looked at purchasing a home in town for their employees,but
the way the location was zoned would have prohibited that use.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS
Osenga did not understand what Lynda Paquette meant by voter boundaries. In response,
Paquette explained that currently,the only people who could vote in a city election were residents of
the city;there were other places in the country that allowed citizens outside of city boundaries to vote
on certain topics,but in Alaska,that would require a change of state law.
Seese said,in response to Tim McDonald's comments,the former assistant city manager had
provided adequate notice that he was retiring, and the former city manager had left by mutual
agreement with council. To that, Towsley added that sometimes a person leaving had more value
than a person staying.
Lane thanked everyone for coming to speak tonight.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Minutes
April 22,2019 Volume 40,Page 700
Squires said he understood Tim McDonald's frustrations,but thought things were changing.
He encouraged people to attend Lynda Paquette's meeting on May 9,2019 if they had an interest in
reviewing voting options. In response to Jonah Swiderski, Squires said employers had some
responsibility to provide housing for their employees.However,he also believed that the city had a
duty to support development.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 p.m.
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