HomeMy WebLinkAbout10282019 City Council Minutes City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 22
CALL TO ORDER
The October 28,2019 regular meeting of the Seward City Council was called to order at 7:00
p.m.by Mayor David Squires.
OPENING CEREMONY
Sergeant Karl Schaefermeyer led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
SWEAR IN NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS:
Christy Terry, Mayor,Term Expiring October, 2022
Tony Baclaan, Council Member, Term Expiring October, 2022
* Council Members Sue McClure and Dale Butts already have oaths on file from their previous
terms served on Seward City Council. Sue McClure's current term expires October, 2020. Dale
Butts'current term expires October, 2022.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
Christy Terry presiding and
Sue McClure Sharyl Seese
John Osenga Kelley Lane
-Dal Tony Baclaan
comprising a quorum of the Council; and
Scott Meszaros,City Manager
Brenda Ballou, City Clerk
Absent—Butts
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING
Heather Bardarson wished to speak about the childcare loss of Big Bay Beginnings Day
Care, which would close November 1, 2019. Bardarson thought Seward was in dire straits for day
care options.Bardarson said 90%of a child's brain developed by the age of 5,and that children who
attended pre-school had a 50%greater chance of graduating from college.
Brooke Andrews congratulated new council members. On August 25, 2019, her nephew
Preston Atwood was murdered in Seward.Today was 64 days since that happened.Andrews said the
police chief told Atwood's family that budget restrictions did not allow for additional officers to
work the case,but she knew that was not true;she knew that assistance could be requested from state
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28,2019 Volume 41,Page 23
agencies. Seward was slowly turning into a town where criminals could reside comfortably. The
problem was only increasing—stolen bikes, fuel siphoning, break-ins, and murder. Andrews said
there were murderers among us.
Rebekah Ivy thanked everyone who served the public.She wanted to speak about the Boys
&Girls Club and the Teen Youth Center(TYC);she thought the Boys&Girls Club should be fully
supported by the city and not compete against.Ivy said the Boys&Girls Club operating budget was
approximately$50,000 per year,and the TYC was$250,000,yet the attendance at the Boys&Girls
Club far exceeded that of the TYC.She supported the Atwood family and wondered why the police
chief and lieutenant were not present today. She had never felt more unsafe in Seward than she did
today.
Bruce Jaffa congratulated the new council members and the mayor, and thanked the
outgoing council members and mayor.He said what everyone was here to do was serve,asking what
we could do for the community.Jaffa had missed the meeting at which he was appointed chair of the
Seward Airport Committee;the committee had a meeting last Friday and started getting organized.
They planned to meet every two weeks. Regarding the Seward highway winter maintenance, he
thought the highway department would do their best.He encouraged everyone to keep up the efforts
toward alternative energy.Jaffa announced there was an opening on the Port&Commerce Advisory
Board(PACAB).
Rhonda Milton suggested possibly combining the nursing home with child care; she had
seen that model online and thought it was successful in other places. She had lived in Seward since
1976; she recalled a time when crime in Seward was unheard of. She was concerned that there was
only funding available for one officer to investigate Preston Atwood's murder;she wondered what
had to be done to get another officer. She wondered why the police chief did not step in if funding
was an issue. She recommended the police department pay attention to the south end of Waterfront
Park for drug activity.
Justin Sternberg was the manager of the Blue Pipeline Group in Seward,but was moving to
Anchorage. His position was posted for anyone wishing to apply, and he would support the new
manager from his location in Anchorage.Sternberg thanked the city and chamber for all the support
he had received.
Becky Dunn thanked the past and current council members, and all the volunteers
throughout the community.She was proud of the police department,but she was concerned about the
Preston Atwood case. She had watched a press conference on the news about a recent murder in
Anchorage,which started off by offering condolences to the family members of the victims;she was
very bothered that no information was being released for the Seward case.
Rissie Casagranda congratulated all the new council members, and also expressed
condolences to the Atwood family.After all her years on council,she understood a lot of things,but
she did not understand what was going on now with the Atwood case. Regarding the council
committee for personnel matters on tonight's agenda,Casagranda thought the committee should be
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 24
maintained;she thought there should also be a finance committee to help the public understand how
011. to read their bills,the budget, etc.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion(McClure/Seese) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
McClure removed Resolution 2019-092 from the consent agenda.
Seese removed Resolution 2019-090 from the consent agenda.
Terry removed"Discuss reporting and follow up to city council"from the agenda with no objection
from council.
Terry added a presentation on the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District by Tim Dillon to
the agenda. This presentation was postponed from August 26, 2019 to October 28, 2019, and it was
an oversight that it wasn't listed on the agenda.
Terry removed"Discuss the Fort Raymond property and engineering report,and give direction to the
city manager on how to proceed"from the agenda with no objection from council.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following approved consent agenda items:
Approval of the October 14,2019 Special Meeting Minutes.
Approval of the October 14,2019 Regular Meeting Minutes.
Resolution 2019-091, Urging The Alaska Legislature And Governor To Fully Fund The
Municipal Harhor Facility Grant Program In The FY 2021 State Capital Budget.
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Proclamations & Awards
Seward Community Bike Park
City Manager Report. City Manager Scott Meszaros reported the following purchase
orders over $5,000 had been approved by the City Manager since the last council meeting:
$25.857.41 to Alaska Garden and Pet Supply Inc for ice melt, calcium chloride, salt, and freight;
$5,236.87 to Wesco Distribution for CT-400:5CMF with bar and CT-200:5 CMF with bar;
$9,750.00 to Granicus LLC for website design; $5,120.00 to Potelcom Supply Inc for 4" PVC
conduit; $5,875.00 to Anixter Inc for#2 220 Mil Concentric Neutral Jacketed; $25,000 to Dryden
and LaRue Inc for open purchase order for field engineering services.
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October 28,2019 Volume 41,Page 25
Meszaros thanked Tim Dillon for his efforts with KPEDD.
In response to Lane's request for an update on the Request for Proposals(RFP)for the city's
annual financial audit, Meszaros said he was actively working on the RFP. In response to Seese,
Meszaros said the salt supplies purchased were for regular winter maintenance. In response to
Baclaan,Meszaros said the city would be hiring for the field engineer position;it was currently with
the union being reviewed.In response to Seese,Meszaros said the finance director position had been
broadly advertised.Meszaros added that the Alaska SeaLife Center(ASLC)and hospital were both
seeking finance people, as well.
Lane recalled her request to do a ride along with the electric department.Meszaros said there
had been interest from some people in participating; AML/JIA had reviewed the insurance
requirements, and would require a waiver. Council directed the city manager to ask the city's
AML/JIA representative for a waiver, and include a report on the results in the next city manager
report.
In response to Terry, Meszaros said he would research the expenses against the Dryden &
LaRue purchase order for field engineer services and provide a summary of what was spent.
In response to Tenry's inquiry about the active murder investigation,Meszaros stated he had
full confidence in the city's police department. Meszaros confirmed that, if the police department
required additional funding in order to properly investigate the case,he would bring that to council.
In response to Seese,Meszaros said the police department budget had overtime built in already,and
overtime was not designated for any particular case.
In response to Lane's inquiry about how the city manager prioritized his duties, Meszaros
said council set the priorities for the city,and for budget items. Meszaros thought it was critical for
council to provide direction on prioritization.In response to Baclaan,Meszaros said the police chief
and lieutenant were both out of state at a police convention.
Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations
Mayor Terry passed the gavel to Vice Mayor McClure and declared a potential conflict of
interest because she worked for the Alaska Railroad Corporation. McClure ruled that no
conflict of interest existed and there was no objection from council. McClure returned the
gavel to Terry.
Alaska Railroad Seward Passenger Terminal Development Update Report by Elizabeth
Greer, PE, ARRC Project Manager
Seward Community Bike Park Presentation by Amy Hankins
Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District Presentation by Tim Dillon
Council recessed at 8:30 p.m.
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October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 26
Council resumed at 8:35 p.m.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Ordinances for Public Hearing& Enactment
Ordinance 2019-016, Amending City Code Section 14.15 — Electricity, Article 415 —
Interconnection Requirements, Procedures, And Application Process For An Alternative
Power Source Less Than 25kW. This ordinance was introduced on October 14, 2019 and is
coming tonight for a public hearing and enactment.
Motion(McClure/Osenga) Enact Ordinance 2019-016
Meszaros said he was waiting for suggested amendments from the city attorney, and
requested the enactment of this ordinance be postponed to the next meeting.
Notice of the public hearing being posted and published as required by law was noted and the public
hearing was opened.
Philip Kaluza strongly encouraged council to support this ordinance.He said there was still
a long way to go to work on other areas of the code,and suggested council look to Homer,Alaska for
an example of how things could be done.
No one else appeared and the public hearing was closed.
In response to McClure,Meszaros said he was waiting for feedback from the city attorney on
some proposed amendments.
Terry said this item came before the Port&Commerce Advisory Board in May, 2019; she
said PACAB had provided it to administration for review at that time.
Motion Passed Unanimous
UNFINISHED BUSINESS — None
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution 2019-090, Approving Amendment No. 27 To The Contract With Kent Dawson
Company, Inc. For State Lobbying Services Through December 31, 2021, For A Total Of
$84,504 Annually,With An Additional$12,000 Annually From The Seward Association For
The Advancement Of Marine Science For Lobbying On Behalf Of Its Lease And Operation Of
The Alaska SeaLife Center, For A Total Of$96,504 Annually,And Appropriating Funds.
Motion(McClure/Seese) Approve Resolution 2019-090
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2019 Volume 41, Page 27
Meszaros said Dawson had served the city for a very long time and served the city well.
Seese pulled this from the consent agenda because she was confused about the language in
the sections.
Motion to Amend (Seese/) Amend Resolution 2019-090 in Section 1 by
striking "$8,042" and replacing it with
"$7,042."
Motion died for lack of second.
Motion to Amend (Terry/McClure) Amend Resolution 2019-090 by creating a
new Section 2 using the second sentence in
Section 1, so that the new Section 2 reads,
"The SAAMS lease and operation of the
Alaska SeaLife Center *Ise contributes
$12,000 annually for a total of$96,504.00
annually." and moving all other Sections
down.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Motion to Amend (Seese/McClure) Amend Resolution 2019-090 in Section 1 by
striking the words,"$8,042 per month"and
two
replacing it with, "84,504 annually."
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Motion to Amend (Terry/Osenga) Amend Resolution 2019-090 by adding a new
Section 3 that reads, "Compensation for
these services shall be distributed at$8,042
per month."And shifting all other Sections
down.
Motion to Amend Passed Unanimous
Main Motion Passed Unanimous
Resolution 2019-092,Supporting The Automatic Registration Of Vessels Active In The Alaska
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission's Database.
Motion (Seese/McClure) Approve Resolution 2019-092
In response to McClure's inquiry about why did this not apply to all boat owners but just
commercial, Terry said there was already another mechanism in place for other vessels to be mai
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 28
registered with the state.Currently,there was a gap in the state's registration process wherein some
of the commercial vessels slipped through the crack, and this would assist in identifying derelict
vessels.
Motion Passed Unanimous
Nominate,elect, and swear-in a council member as Vice Mayor.
Sue McClure was nominated. There were no other nominations from the floor.
By unanimous consent,council elected Sue McClure as Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor Sue McClure has
an oath on file from her previous term as Vice Mayor.
Appoint a City Council Liaison(s)or direct individual Boards& Commissions to give periodic
reports to the City Council.
Council appointed Tony Baclaan as council liaison to the Port & Commerce Advsiory Board
(PACAB).
Council directed the boards and commissions to maintain the same periodic reporting requirements
in 2020 as they had in 2019.
Appoint a City Council Representative to the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District
(KPEDD).
Lane and Osenga both expressed interest in serving as the KPEDD representative.
The clerk passed out Ballot#1 and instructed council to vote for no more than one name.
The results of the first vote were:
Lane 3 votes
Osenga 3 votes
The clerk passed out Ballot#2 and instructed council to vote for no more than one name.
The results of the second vote were:
Lane 3 votes
Osenga 3 votes
The clerk passed out Ballot#3 and instructed council to vote for no more than one name.
The results of the third vote were:
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28,2019 Volume 41,Page 29
Lane 3 votes
Osenga 3 votes
Terry directed the clerk to toss a coin and announced Osenga would be heads and Lane would be
tails. The coin was tails.
Council appointed Kelley Lane as the city representative to the Kenai Peninsula Economic
Development District(KPEDD).
Appoint a City Council Liaison to the Seward Community Health Center Coordinating
Committee.
Council appointed Sharyl Seese as the council liaison to the Seward Community Health Center
Coordinating Committee.
Review the current status of existing council committees and take action: 1) continue by
replacing outgoing council members, or sunset.
Ad Hoc Committee for City Personnel Matters
McClure did not wish to continue this committee. Lane thought the concept was valuable,
and was disappointed in an RFP had not been sent out;she wished to continue with this committee.
Baclaan thought the city was moving on in a better direction now. He suggested perhaps
reworking this committee into an"Idea Man"concept wherein identifying issues was handled in a
more positive way to make the work environment better. Baclaan would be willing to serve on a
positive-approach committee.
By unanimous consent, council decided to sunset this committee on December 31, 2019.
Ad Hoc Committee for City Audit with BDO
McClure said she had never met with this committee.Lane said the committee had met with
BDO and discussed best practices.
By unanimous consent,council decided to sunset this committee on December 31, 2019.
City Council Policy Work Group
Osenga was appointed to replace Towsley on this committee.
. This item was removed from the agenda.
Discuss who will attend the AML Conference in Anchorage in November.
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October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 30
McClure said the mayor needed to attend the Mayors Conference at least. Baclaan said he
was on federal grand jury duty, but would be interested in attending the Newly Elected Officials
training.
The attendees for the conference would be: Terry would attend the Conference of Mayors and the
AML Conference;Baclaan would attend the Newly Elected Officials Conference;and,Seese would
attend the AML Conference.
. This item was removed from the agenda.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
On-Going City Project and Goal List.
Extra Mile Day Proclamation.
Prince William Sound Regional Citizens'Advisory Council Report by City Representative Rob
Chadwell.
COUNCIL COMMENTS
O.senga congratulated Terry and Baclaan on joining the dais;he looked forward to working
together.
Baclaan thanked everyone for speaking up in support of Preston Atwood,and expressed his
deepest condolences.He congratulated Terry and McClure,and said he was proud to serve Seward.
Lane said it was hard to sit on the dais when she wasn't sure if everything that could be done
was being done in the municipality. She was concerned that some of the city's priorities were not
being addressed,as far as citizens'wishes were concerned. She admonished council to be clear with
their direction and priorities.
Seese welcomed Terry,Baclaan,and Butts to council,and congratulated McClure for being
elected as vice mayor again. Seese was so proud with the responsiveness of the ADA accessibility •
improvements the community was making,and was also proud of the work done for the bike park.
McClure appreciated everyone for speaking from the heart tonight;her heart went out to the
family and friends of Preston Atwood. Regarding ADA issues, the Seward Community Health
Center had sent an email about the improvements they'd already made. The Seward Community
Library Museum would have an open house on November 9, 2019, and the Halloween Carnival
would be at the cruise ship terminal on October 31,2019.McClure cautioned everyone to be careful
driving because it was dark and children are small and move quickly.
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October 28, 2019 Volume 41,Page 31
Terry was encouraged to hear that the RFP would be going out for an audit firm,as well as
for the city attorney firm. She thanked the electric department for including Power Factor
Adjustment information into the packet,but would like more information and explanation.For the
November 12,2019 meeting,Terry planned to bring forward an item to schedule a work session with
the electric department. Terry thanked everyone for speaking on behalf of the Atwood family.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Phil Kaluza thanked council for enacting the Interconnect ordinance tonight.He provided a
laydown about a zero interest loan program through the U.S.Department of Agriculture,saying that
the default rate was less than 1%.
Chris Lovell thought two months was too long to allow murderers to run around the city.He
thought drugs,burglaries, and murders were all tied together.
Lynda Paquette congratulated everyone on joining council. She had witnessed a lot of
whistle blowers and concerned citizens speak to council over the years, and was concerned that
council formed committees like the one for Personnel Matters,but then didn't meet.
Bruce Jaffa had great sympathy for the Atwood family,but his opinion was that the police
department worked very hard on citizens' behalf. Problems in Seward were not unique to Seward;
Jaffa worked all over the state and saw the same problems everywhere. SB91 gutted the police
department's ability to prosecute offenders;the police knew where the bad guys were,but they were
restricted by laws as to what actions they could take.Jaffa encouraged people to contact the state and
take them to task.
Suzi Towsley congratulated everyone at the dais. She supported the idea that the Boys &
Girls Club could replace the TYC. She was excited for heat pump systems to be in Seward.With all
respect for the police department, Towsley thought the police officers were just as hurt by the
Atwood loss as anyone.She said the entire community was grieving and was frightened,and needed
better communication.If the police department was suffering from budget issues,she wondered why
there were people attending a conference instead of being here working on things.
Becky Dunn wanted to speak about the Ring agreement with the police department; she
wondered if council knew that this agreement was being put in place. Dunn thought that City Hall
needed to have more cameras outside so that activities around City Hall could be monitored.
Rissie Casagranda looked forward to council having a utility work session;she hoped the
city's ARCTEC representative would provide more regular reports to council.Regarding the budget,
Casagranda wondered what the budget process was for council and how council would be
interjecting their priorities into the budget. Casagranda requested that the clerk provide training to
council on how to make motions or take action at council meetings.Casagranda also asked council to
support having a social media person.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28,2019 Volume 41,Page 32
Rebekah Ivy didn't think the city should be in the childcare business, and hoped the city
would find a way to support the Boys&Girls Club.Over the next two years,the TYC was asking for
$500,000 in their budget,and wondered how that funding could be justified. She looked forward to
having conversations about options for selling the utility;she said the electric department had its own
language, and it was complicated. She encouraged council to engage someone who could act as a
translator or facilitator between the utility department and the citizens to help people understand.
Darryl Schaefermeyer was a strong advocate for renewable energy. One year ago,he had
personally invested in two air heat pumps; his electric bill had been cut in half as a result. He
encouraged council to keep working on providing this technology. He welcomed new council
members, and said everyone was in this together.
COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS
Meszaros said it was difficult to take criticisms and not be able to provide defenses or
explanations;he believed in his staff, and looked forward to working with every council member.
Lane said she also had a new heat pump at home that cost about $2,500, and she looked
forward to seeing the impact on her utility bill.She was concerned that budget hadn't been delivered
to council until now,when they had requested it back in August. She appreciated the public coming
tonight and speaking out.
Seese wished to understand the impact of SB 91. She was bothered that council had not yet
received any materials for tomorrow night's budget work session.
Meszaros said some of the materials for tomorrow night's budget work session were included
in the previous budget packet,but there would also be additional information provided at the work
session for the changes that council had requested in the first two work sessions.Regarding the Ring
agreement,the city was not endorsing one company over another;the agreement did not cost the city
any money, and citizens would only participate voluntarily.
In response to Seese,Meszaros said there were two positions in finance that were open:the
finance director and another position that was currently filled by a term employee.
Terry encouraged the public to contact her about the budget; there would be at least one
additional work session. In response to Terry, Meszaros said there was no need for additional
funding to address the Atwood case. In response to Terry, the entire police department had been
engaged in this case, and outside agencies had been engaged.
Terry requested to see the police department policy about having the chief and lieutenant
gone at the same time,and asked the city manager to reach out to the Boys&Girls Club to see what
they would need to develop a partnership with the city. Terry also requested a follow up on
conducting ride alongs with the electric department in the next city manager report.
City of Seward,Alaska City Council Meeting Minutes
October 28, 2019 Volume 41, Page 33
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:26 p.m. /
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