City and Borough Assembly

ASSEMBLY CHAMBERS CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA 1332 Seward Ave. Room 229 Sitka, AK (907)747-1811 Minutes - Final City and Borough Assembly Mayor Mim McConnell Deputy Mayor Matt Hunter Vice-Deputy Mayor Benjamin Miyasato Aaron Swanson, Steven Eisenbeisz Tristan Guevin, and Bob Potrzuski Municipal Administrator: Mark Gorman Municipal Attorney: Robin L. Koutchak Municipal Clerk: Sara Peterson, CMC Tuesday, December 22, 2015 6:00 PM Assembly Chambers REGULAR MEETING I. CALL TO ORDER II. FLAG SALUTE III. ROLL CALL Present: 6 - McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski Absent: 1 - Eisenbeisz IV. CORRESPONDENCE/AGENDA CHANGES 15-244 Reminders, Calendars and General Correspondence V. CEREMONIAL MATTERS None. VI. SPECIAL REPORTS: Government to Government, Municipal Boards/Commissions/Committees, Sitka Community Hospital, Municipal Departments, School District, Students and Guests (time limits apply) Lawrence SpottedBird, General Manager of Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA), thanked Assembly Members Swanson and Potrzuski for serving as Liaisons to STA and wished the entire Assembly a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Library Director, Robb Farmer, noted the reduced Library hours for the remainder of December and stated the Library would be closed for the month of January. Farmer anticipated the new Library would be open February 1. VII. PERSONS TO BE HEARD CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final December 22, 2015 None. VIII. REPORTS a. Mayor, b. Administrator, c. Attorney, d. Liaison Representatives, e. Clerk, f. Other Acting Administrator - Sweeney noted the debris removal at the Kramer slide area was complete and the contractor was working on utility repairs. Sweeney provided an overview of the Governor's budget released December 9. Liaisons - Miyasato reminded there were multiple vacancies on the Parks and Recreation Committee, Hunter encouraged citizens to attend the January 13 Port and Harbors Commission meeting to participate in a discussion about harbor rates and fees. Guevin reported on the December 21 Citizens' Taskforce meeting and recent Tree and Landscape Committee meeting. Potrzuski attended the STA Council meeting, met with the Superintendent of Schools and noted he would be participating in budget building meetings, and reported on the recent Marijuana Advisory Committee meeting. Clerk - Peterson there were numerous vacancies on boards and commissions and encouraged those interested to apply. IX. CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made by Hunter that the Consent Agenda consisting of Items A, B, C & D be APPROVED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski Absent: 1- Eisenbeisz A 15-240 Approve the minutes of the December 8 Assembly meeting This item was APPROVED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. B RES 15-24 Adopting an alternative allocation method for the FY16 Shared Fisheries Business Tax Program and certifying that this allocation method fairly represents the distribution of significant effects of fisheries business activity in FMA 18: Central Southeast This item was APPROVED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. C 15-242 Approve Health Needs and Human Services Commission member, Lauren Hughey, to serve as an official City and Borough of Sitka liaison to the H.O.P.E. Coalition This item was APPROVED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. D 15-243 Award a Professional Services Contract to PND Engineers, Inc., for the Jeff Davis Street Utilities and Road Improvement Project Design on a time-and-materials basis for a not-to-exceed amount of $154,810 CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final December 22, 2015 This item was APPROVED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. X. BOARD, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS E 15-241 Reappoint Carin Adickes to a three-year term on the Animal Hearing Board A motion was made by Miyasato that this Item be APPROVED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski Absent: 1- Eisenbeisz XI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: F ORD 15-58 Adjusting the FY16 Budget A motion was made by Swanson that this Ordinance be APPROVED on second and final reading. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski Absent: 1- Eisenbeisz XII. NEW BUSINESS: G ORD 15-59 Amending Title 15 of the Sitka General Code to establish new solid waste disposal policies, clarify existing policies, and change rates and fees for solid waste disposal services at section 15.06.020 entitled "Solid Waste Disposal Policy and Rates", and section 15.06.035 entitled "Rates for Treatment and Collection"; to combine solid waste disposal policies previously set forth in section 15.06.025 into one comprehensive section 15.06.020; to establish definitions applicable to solid waste disposal policy in a new section 15.06.070, and to make clarifying edits Mayor McConnell offered clarifying edits to the Ordinance. A motion was made by McConnell to AMEND the Ordinance on first reading by making the following clarifying edits: 1. Delete "user fees" from line 27 2. Add "in collection contractor-provided receptacles" after "unacceptable and/or special waste" on line 56 3. Add "special waste shall be disposed of according to (C)(10) below or at bi-annual city sponsored collection events" to the end of the sentence on line 58 4. Add "or special" after "Household hazardous" on line 88 The motion to AMEND PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final December 22, 2015 Absent: 1- Eisenbeisz Acting Administrator, Jay Sweeney, provided an overview of the Ordinance and noted the restructured parts of chapter 15.06. Sweeney stated the approval of the solid waste contract in October had put a new cost structure in place that the existing fee structure was inadequate to meet. He noted the cost increases of the new contract were approximately $300,000 per year. Sweeney indicated the Solid Waste Fund had been losing approximately $100,000 per year. In order to break even, cost wise, user fees would need to be raised an additional amount of $400,000. He added it was important to have growth in working capital of the Fund to eventually provide for the replacement of key infrastructure, e.g. transfer station, biosolids landfill, and scrapyard equipment. Sweeney explained $50,000 per year would be accrued under the new fee structure in order to help build working capital to cover those costs. The new revenue generated by the fee structures being proposed would produce approximately $300,000 per year from residential and $150,000 per year from commercial to meet the $450,000 required in cash under the new cash flow structure. Sweeney further explained the increased costs were a result of the operational costs of the transfer station and transportation costs of solid waste to the lower 48. Sweeney shared over the course of a year, disposal costs had increased 17%. Sweeney reminded the Solid Waste Fund had no municipal employees. It was completely contracted out. The proposed increase was simply passing on contractor costs to the users of the utility. Sweeney stated it was a 22% rate increase. Hunter reminded there had not been a rate increase for over 10 years which equated to approximately 1.9% per year. In the future, he wished to see a 1 or 2% annual rate increase programmed into funds to avoid a one time large rate increase. Sweeney agreed and offered that each fund should have an annual rate increase at least equal to the rate of inflation. Sweeney clarified line 41 and the reference to "within one mile of the Sitka road system." He explained the intent was applicable to live aboard vessels. Potrzuski urged the community and Assembly to continue recycling efforts. Potrzuski also wished to explore the idea of using property tax to offset rate increases. A motion was made by Hunter that this Ordinance be APPROVED on first reading as AMENDED. The motion PASSED by the following vote. Yes: 6- McConnell, Hunter, Swanson, Miyasato, Guevin, and Potrzuski Absent: 1- Eisenbeisz XIII. PERSONS TO BE HEARD: None. XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION None. XV. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Miyasato to ADJOURN. Hearing no objections the meeting ADJOURNED at 6:44pm. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 4 City and Borough Assembly Minutes - Final December 22, 2015 ATTEST: ______________________________ Sara Peterson, CMC Municipal Clerk CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 5