HOMER CITY COUNCIL

Session 02-14, a Special Meeting of the Homer City Council was called to order at 7:34 p.m. by Mayor Jack Cushing at the Homer City Hall Council Chambers located at 491 E Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: CUE, FENSKE, KRANICH, LADD, MARQUARDT.

STAFF: CITY MANAGER DRATHMAN

CITY CLERK CALHOUN

FIRE CHIEF PAINTER

ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBER: YOURKOWSKI

AGENDA APPROVAL

(Addition of items to or removing items from the agenda will be by unanimous consent of the Council. HCC 1.24.040.)

The agenda was approved by consensus of the Council.

PUBLIC COMMENTS UPON MATTERS ALREADY ON THE AGENDA

There were no public comments.

PUBLIC HEARING(S)

A. Ordinance 02-29, Of the City Council of Homer, Alaska, Accepting and Appropriating a State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Division of Public Health Grant for Tobacco Enforcement Program in the Amount of $3,900.00 and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Appropriate Documents. City Manager. Fiscal Note: Revenue and Expenditure Acct. 151.725. (First Reading 07/09/02, Public Hearing 07/22/02, and Second Reading directly after public testimony.)

There was no public testimony.

KRANICH/CUE - MOVED FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 02-29 BY READING OF TITLE FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING.

VOTE: YES: NON OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

B. Ordinance 02-30, Of the City Council of Homer, Alaska, Accepting and Appropriating a State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Facility Construction and Operation Grant for an Infiltration and Inflow Study in the Amount of $51,100.00, Authorizing a Transfer of $21,900.00 from the Water and Sewer Reserve Fund and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Appropriate Documents. City Manager. Fiscal Note: Revenue Accts. 215.857 - $51,100.00 and Water and Sewer Reserve Fund $21,900.00 and Expenditure Acct. 215.857. (First Reading 07/09/02, Public Hearing 07/22/02, and Second Reading directly after public testimony.)

There was no public testimony.

LADD/CUE - MOVED FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 02-30 BY READING OF TITLE FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING.

Councilmember Fenske inquired regarding the time line for project completion, and voiced a concern about the project extending into the “monsoon” season.

City Manager Drathman advised that this is a sixty to ninety day project and that the project is guaranteed.

VOTE: YES: NON OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

C. Ordinance 02-31, Of the City Council of Homer, Alaska, Amending Homer City Code, Street and House Numbering, Section 11.12.030, Duty of Property Owner. City Manager. (First Reading 07/09/02, Public Hearing 07/22/02, and Second Reading directly after public testimony.)

There was no public testimony.

MARQUARDT/CUE - MOVED FOR THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE 02-31 BY READING OF TITLE FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING.

Fire Chief Painter, in response to Council query, advised that the displaying of house numbers has always been a problem and has been in the City Code for quite some time. He reported that when the State adopted a new international code the City Code needed to be updated to reflect that change, basically from four inch numbers to three inch numbers and that the numbers need to contrast in color to the background wherein the numbers are displayed. The numbers may be displayed on a post or sign closer to the roadway for better visibility.

City Manager Drathman noted that this is timely since house renumbering has to be done on the newly annexed area residences from five digits to four digits and, according to the City Manager, is directed by the Borough Emergency Services. He reported that there will be a letter from the

Borough Emergency Services and a letter from the City to the property owners regarding the renumbering and the display requirements. He briefly commented about the City’s Street Numbering Plan and that revisions are needed.

VOTE: YES: NON OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

RESOLUTIONS

A. Resolution 02-46 of the City Council of Homer, Alaska Awarding Three Year Renewable

Contracts for the Public Works Gravel Supply to Campbell & Associates of Anchor Point, Alaska in

the Amount of $9.00 per Cubic Yard for 1,000 Cubic Yards Vehicle Measure of Winter Sand and in

the Amount of $7.85 per Cubic Yard for 400 Cubic Yards of Type II Gravel, to T & C Enterprises of

Homer, Alaska in the Amount of $8.93 per Cubic Yard for 1,000 Cubic Yards Vehicle Measure of

2” Minus Gravel and in the Amount of $10.10 per Cubic Yard for 200 Cubic Yards Vehicle Measure

of D-1 Base Course, and to Dibble Creek Rock of Anchor Point, Alaska in the Amount of $9.24 per

Cubic Yard for 100 Cubic Yards Vehicle Measure of Airport Maintenance Sand, and Authorizing

the City Manager to Execute the Appropriate Documents. City Manager. Fiscal Note: Acct. 100.173

budgeted. Recommend adoption.

Memorandum from Public Works as backup.

KRANICH/CUE - MOVED FOR THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 02-46 BY READING OF TITLE .

City Manager Drathman pointed out that these are renewable contracts for up to three years, with one year intervals.

Discussion included whether or not the 2” minus and D1 were crushed, the difference in the airport maintenance sand and winter sand, the three year renewable contracts, the contract prices for the ensuing years (2003 and 2004), and that the quantities do reflect the additional roads from the newly annexed area.

VOTE: YES: NON OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

B. Resolution 02-47, Of the City Council of Homer, Alaska Awarding the Contract for the Deep Water Dock Pedestal Crane Installation and Trestle Panel Repair to the firm of Pool Engineering of Ketchikan, Alaska in the Amount of $107,000.00 and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Appropriate Documents. City Manager. Fiscal Note: The cost of the trestle repair will be billed to those responsible for the damage, Acct. 415.910, the budget for the crane installation is $130,000.00 with $32,000.00 remaining for the installation, Acct. 415.5901.378, project number is 415.380.

Memorandum from Public Works as backup.

FENSKE/MARQUARDT - MOVED FOR THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 02-47.

City Manger Drathman advised the Council that the location of the crane, for the best utilization, is at the end of the “L”. He relayed his and the Public Works Director’s satisfaction that the bid was well below the engineer’s estimate.

Councilmember Fenske encouraged the news media to emphasize the installation of the crane, which has been needed and requested for a long time.

Councilmembers expressed concern regarding what type of crane would be installed with the notation that the crane and crane installation are listed at $29,000, as it is worded in the invitation to bid and regarding the piling at that location being able to withstand the weight.

City Manager Drathman assured the Council that the $29,000 is for crane installation and that the crane was previously purchased and that there was input from the Port/Harbor Commission and the engineering firm regarding the sufficiency of the location. He further assured the Council that if there is some kind of a problem regarding the crane and installation that he will bring this back to the Council and will provide the Council with a memorandum one way or the other.

VOTE: YES: NON OBJECTION. UNANIMOUS CONSENT.

Motion carried.

COMMENTS OF THE AUDIENCE

There were no audience comments.

COMMENTS OF THE CITY ATTORNEY

City Attorney Tans was not present.

COMMENTS OF THE CITY CLERK

City Clerk Calhoun had no comment.

COMMENTS OF THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Drathman reported that the helicopter that was flying around during the Pioneer Dock Dedication, July 2nd, took an aerial photo that resulted in a fairly good sized picture that will be placed, for a while, in the City Hall upstairs lobby area.

COMMENTS OF THE MAYOR

Mayor Cushing informed the Council that he will be in Anchorage tomorrow and Wednesday for the Coastal Policy Council and that they will be doing the final voting on the Regulations for Title 6 Chapter 50, Coastal Zone Consistency, interjecting that there was a little blurb about this on the radio tonight. He stated that he would have his cell phone with him. He reported hearing on the radio, tonight, that Kodiak has weighed in similar to the way the City of Homer did, nine months ago, in opposition to the rationalization of the Berring Sea Crab fishery. He voiced his opinion that a good point was made about the misconception in Washington and that when the Mayor spoke with Senator Stevens this misconception was confirmed, that all of Alaska is in favor of this rationalization. However, the individual communities are relaying a different message. Mayor Cushing advised that he told Senator Stevens that “this area” is scared to death of the rationalization, because of the displacement of the fisheries and the implications that this would have with the boats and availability of other boats to start competing with “our” boats, right on through and with the number of our “boats” that directly participate in that fishery. The Mayor stated that he would dust off the Council’s Resolution and get this to Washington, now that the time seems to be hot and Washington has had this surge of input, so that the Senator has the latest from Homer and has a reconfirmation of what he has told Senator Stevens. He voiced his opinion that neither of “our” house people that are running are really in favor of this.

COMMENTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Fenske commented on hearing the same news announcement and that they focused in the news release on the processor share rather than saying rationalization. He voiced his opinion that it is very hard to justify rationalization and thanked the Mayor for bringing this up, that it was very notable.

City Manager Drathman advised that Senate Bill 4 creates a $10,000 real property tax exemption for volunteer firemen, that an ordinance change will be submitted to the Council at their next meeting to implement this and that it is hoped that the Borough will do the same thing. This is another nice way to provide something for these guys.

Councilmember Fenske relayed kudos from an Eagle View neighborhood resident for Public Works, that the neighborhood is very pleased with the road work that has been done for them by Public Works.

City Manager Drathman interjected that of all the annexation issues this was one thing that the City was the most sure about that the City could easily provide an improved level of road service, because the City has a real good crew.

Councilmember Kranich reported that the daughter, Yuka, interpreter at the welcoming banquet in Teshio, and youngest son of the family that hosted him when he was in Teshio on the Sister City trip had come to Alaska to attend Bobby Moore’s wedding reception this past weekend in Anchorage. He advised that they traveled to Homer to visit with his family, and will be leaving for Japan tomorrow. He relayed that this same host family was the host family for Bobby Moore when she was an exchange student in Teshio some years ago and that Yuka came to Homer as an exchange student. He relayed that today he had the pleasure of taking them to the Rookery for an excellent lunch and a

site seeing trip on the Bay. He reported that in the harbor at Teshio there are no pleasure boats and that in that part of Japan there are virtually no pleasure boats. He stated that they were thrilled to death and got to see sea otters, seals, sea lions and birds, but no whales.

Mayor Cushing stated that he was supposed to go to that wedding reception and be in Anchorage with a bunch of soccer boys, but had to work. He reported that the Homer Rotary Club’s Sister City in Kyoto is in town and Rotary International is giving the City of Homer $6,000.00 toward a Skateboard Park and there will be a tree planting ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday. He advised that the Chamber of Commerce is working on a master landscaping plan and these trees will be a part of that plan.

Councilmember Kranich stated that the Sister City exchange programs are neat and that Kasuki, the Teshio host family son referred to in his previous comments, is looking forward to the time when he is old enough to possibly participate in this program as an exchange student to Homer.

Mayor Cushing voiced his belief that Teshio has a student coming to Homer this fall. He advised that well in the works is a local processor getting the King Salmon to Teshio that had been discussed.

Councilmember Ladd reiterated that he would like to have the materials from the Town Square Committee prior to the Committee of the Whole meeting on August 12th, if this is still going to happen.

Mayor Cushing agreed that this would be a good idea and that Councilmember Yourkowski and City Manager Drathman were going to get together and figure out exactly that worksession. He commented that several questions need to be answered.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Council the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 12, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. in the Homer City Hall Council Chambers located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska. The Council's Committee of the Whole is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 2002, in the Homer City Hall Council Chambers.

_____________________________________