City and Borough Assembly

ASSEMBLY CHAMBERS CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA 330 Harbor Drive Sitka, AK (907)747-1811 Minutes - Final City and Borough Assembly Mayor Mim McConnell Deputy Mayor Matt Hunter Vice-Deputy Mayor Phyllis Hackett, Pete Esquiro, Mike Reif, Benjamin Miyasato and Aaron Swanson Municipal Administrator: Mark Gorman Municipal Attorney: Robin L. Koutchak Municipal Clerk: Colleen Ingman, MMC Tuesday, July 22, 2014 6:00 PM Assembly Chambers REGULAR MEETING I. CALL TO ORDER II. FLAG SALUTE III. ROLL CALL Reif arrived at 6:25 PM. Present: 7 - McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Esquiro, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato Absent: 1 - Esquiro Telephonic: 1 - McConnell IV. CORRESPONDENCE/AGENDA CHANGES None. 1. 14-160 Reminders and Calendars V. CEREMONIAL MATTERS 2. 14-159 Citation - Certificates Deputy Mayor Hunter read and presented a citation to U.S.C.G Commanding Officers Vishley and Feherrah. He presented a Service Award to CBS retiree Sarah Bell and read a Service Award for CBS retiree Gary McCarty. VI. SPECIAL REPORTS: Government to Government, Municipal Boards/Commissions/Committees, Municipal Departments, School District, Students and Guests (time limits apply) Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) General Manager, Lawrence Spotted Bird, mentioned CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final July 22, 2014 STA had a successful picnic and thanked Chief Schmitt and the Sitka Police Department for facilitating traffic control. He noted STA continued to be involved in Harrigan Centennial Hall planning, particularly the canoe placement. Spotted Bird also reported the STA Naming Committee urged the use of Tlingit names for some of the rooms in the new Harrigan Centennial Hall facility and was also working on a bilingual signage project for streets. Harrigan Centennial Hall Renewal Update - Municipal Engineer, Dan Tadic, and Garrett Burtner, with McCool Carlson Green, gave a short presentation on the status of the project. VII. PERSONS TO BE HEARD Gary Paxton Industrial Park Director, Garry White, mentioned that they had received a couple land purchase proposals: one from Silver Bay Seafoods working with Halibut Point Marine (HPM) and another from Pacific Fisheries. Both would like to take over a good portion of the Park. White noted there was a Marine Haul Out option in the Silver Bay Seafoods proposal. Police Chief, Sheldon Schmitt, reported he had applied for a grant last Friday that was time sensitive and didn't allow time for pre-approval from the Assembly. Schmitt further explained it was a Homeland Security Grant, requiring no match and totaled $292,000. VIII. REPORTS a. Mayor, b. Administrator, c. Attorney, d. Liaison Representatives, e. Clerk, f. Other Administrator - Reported he had heard from the Rasmuson Foundation that they would not provide any funding for the Kettleson Memorial Library project. Attended a meeting on cruise ship passenger distribution in which concern was expressed that once Harrigan Centennial Hall was remodeled that all passengers would disembark there. Gorman noted merchants on both ends of Lincoln Street needed to be recognized and a public trolley might need to be considered in the future. Met with Senator Stedman on Legislative Priorities. Reported the site visit with Municipal Solutions went positively and a draft report would be available within 30 days. Gorman announced Senator Murkowski would be in Sitka August 6 and planned to tour the Blue Lake Dam Expansion project. Liaison Representatives - Miyasato attended the Library Commission meeting and reported the Library was in the process of moving to Stratton Library until the expansion of Kettleson was complete. Miyasato added volunteers for the move were needed. Clerk - Announced that candidate filing opened July 21st for Mayor, Assembly and School Board and would close August 8th at 5:00 PM. There were three openings on the Assembly (one for mayor) and two School Board seats. Ingman reported the process of a legal review of Sitka General Code would begin soon and noted a review had not been done for twenty five years. Most of the work would be done in house but some contractual assistance would be required to complete the project. IX. CONSENT AGENDA A 14-158 Approve the minutes of the July 8, 2014 Assembly meeting CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final July 22, 2014 This item was APPROVED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. B ORD 14-22 Modifying SGC Section 13.04 entitled "Definitions" to include Float Homes to definition of Float Houses and modifying Section 13.15 entitled "Reserved-Float House" to be entitled "Float Homes" and adding regulations for Floating Homes within the jurisdictional limits of the Harbor System as set forth in SGC 13.02.040 Reif just wanted to say that he liked the lastest amendment. A motion was made by Hackett to approve as amended on fourth and final reading. The motion PASSED on the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato Absent: 1- Esquiro X. NEW BUSINESS: New Business First Reading C RES 14-10 Authorizing the Application for loans to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation under the Alaska Drinking Water Fund for Degroff Street Water Improvements and under the Alaska Clean Water Fund for Degroff Street Sewer Improvements and Cathodic Protection for Six Major Lift Stations A motion was made by Hackett that this Resolution be APPROVED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato Absent: 1- Esquiro D RES 14-11 Approving a submittal and execution of a Municipal Harbor Facility Grant Application to the State of Alaska, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) in the amount of $5,000,000 for the Project entitled Crescent Harbor Float Replacement - Phase I A motion was made by Reif that this Resolution be APPROVED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato Absent: 1- Esquiro E ORD 14-26 Authorizing sublease of spaces by United Parcel Service at the Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport Terminal Building A motion was made by Swanson that this Ordinance be APPROVED on first reading. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato Absent: 1- Esquiro CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final July 22, 2014 F ORD 14-27 Amending SGC at Section 4.12.020 entitled "Property Subject to Tax" to increase the biennial Motor Vehicle Registration Tax to be used for Municipal Roads and Municipal Roads Infrastructures such as Sidewalks, Gutters, Bike Lanes, Sub Grade and Drainage Systems Reif spoke in support of the ordinance stating it was fair and progressive. Swanson did not support the ordinance. He would like to raise the sales cap or a percentage of the sales tax. Hackett, speaking in support of the ordinance, noted this was a longstanding issue and felt the proposed ordinance was a good place to begin and reminded the ordinance would not go into effect until January 2016. Hackett maintained that in years past there was a lot of State aid coming in and that was no longer the case. Miyasato stated he was not against the ordinance but rather the timing and would reluctantly support the ordinance. Mayor McConnell spoke in support of the ordinance stating roads was one City infrastructure that hadn't seen an increase. Deputy Mayor Hunter voiced that no one wanted to burden the citizens unnecessarily. A motion was made by Hackett that this Ordinance be APPROVED on first reading. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 5- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, and Miyasato No: 1- Swanson Absent: 1- Esquiro Miyasato spoke in support of postponing the ordinance and suggested more people needed to be informed. Hackett didn't support postponing. She explained she was part of a committee in 2012 that looked at alternatives and she didn't recall any great solutions. A motion was made by Miyasato that this Ordinance be POSTPONED. The motion FAILED by the following vote. Yes: 2- Swanson, and Miyasato No: 4- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, and Reif Absent: 1- Esquiro G ORD 14-28 Adjusting the FY14 and FY15 Budgets Deputy Finance Director, Mike Middleton, offered that everything in the ordinance had been reviewed and approved by the Administrator. The additional increase was for the Fox Lawson Study which was not part of last year's budget. A motion was made by Miyasato that this Ordinance be APPROVED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Hackett, Reif, Swanson, and Miyasato CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 4 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final July 22, 2014 Absent: 1- Esquiro XI. PERSONS TO BE HEARD: None. XII. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Swanson that this meeting be ADJOURNED. Hearing no objection the meeting ADJOURNED at 7:17 PM. ATTEST: ____________________________ Colleen Ingman, MMC Municipal Clerk CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 5