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Home My WebLink About2000-12-20 Council Packet - Work SessionKenai City Council Work Session December 20, 2000 KENA;r CITY ¢OUN~L WORK SE$$]:ON 6:00 P.M. COUNCZL CHAMBERS DECEMBER ~0, ZOO0 Attached ore notes from the October 17, 2000 work session at which time council previously discussed the planned City Economic Development Forum scheduled for February 3, 2000. KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OCTOBER 17, 2000 7:00 P.M. KENAI COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAYOR JOHN J. WILLIAMS, PRESIDING Council Present: Staff Present: Others Present' Porter, Bannock, Frazer, Williams, Bookey, Moore and Swarner Freas, Graves, Semmens, Komelis, Ross and La Shot B. Arbelovsky, R. Daly, M. Chenault Mayor Williams opened the discussion noting the council had held an economic forum several years prior and the format used in that process, while it was successful in identifying several suggestions of procedure from businesses, council and individuals, it was not the process he wanted to follow in upcoming session. He explained he wanted to collect ideas from the council during this work session and from that, contact experts in the areas discussed, and have them give presentations at the forum. He added, council could ask questions, etc. and comments and questions could be taken from the public as well. Williams suggested contracting with Betsy Arbelovsky, Executive Director of the Economic Development District, as the facilitator. Topics Suggested by Council: The following topics were suggested by Williams: · Discuss health care as a general topic that would include assisted living facilities, expansion of hospital services within the new Public Health Facility; Veteran health care services; physical therapy; etc. He suggested the hospital administrator be invited to speak at the forum. · Because of the local Native associations' participation in development of the area, representatives from Kenai Natives Association, Inc., Salamatof Native Association, and the Kenaitze Indian Tribe should be invited. · Because of indications of interest to build hotel/convention center in .the area, representation should be included from interested developers, as well as businesses associated with these types of businesses. · Discuss the art/education center. · Investigate the possibility of a privately run prison built at Wildwood and the position council will support. Use the information garnered from the forum to decide whether the city's involvement in economic development necessitates the hiring of personnel to promote the city (allowing two years to decide whether it is worthwhile or not). Bookey explained, in making his list, he asked himself what the council could do to help businesses prosper in the city and following are those ideas: KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OCTOBER 17, 2000 PAGE 2 · Review building permit fees, city regulations for development, etc. and consider changing to encourage development in Kenai. · Promote new subdivision development and development in Inlet Woods. · Promote/encourage new and small business opportunities in Kenai in order to entice larger business development. * Because of the lack of reasonably priced business property, Bookey suggested consideration of rezoning the Spur Highway corridor. He added, he believed rezoning that area would be the biggest step for council to bring business into the community. Councilman Moore suggested the following items: · Because the commercial fishing plants are the largest tax base in Kenai, he would like to invite Vince Goddard, Bob Scott, Dan Foley, Paul Dale, etc. to participate in the forum. · Suggested "quality of life issues" be reviewed and investigate why people don't want to live in Kenai, why businesses choose to develop in Soldotna, etc. What is Kenai not doing? Councilwoman Porter suggested the following: · Agreed with Bookey that council should discuss a Spur Highway rezone, adding the city has to accommodate businesses to develop. Porter also stated her concerns with having a forum, hearing suggestions, and then following through. Councilman Bannock noted the following suggestions: · In updating the Comprehensive Plan, make it more than a history book of the area and a list of current assets. Instead, modify it as a development plan for the next 25 years and use it as a game plan/mission statement. · Investigate airport growth and redevelopment through expansion by usage, i.e. investigate the construction of a facility that could be rented out to an airline or support industry, etc. Discussion followed regarding the Foreign Trade Zone application and it was noted the city set aside a portion of property at the end of the airport for tl~e application process, however not all of that property may be used. Councilwoman Swarner noted, in making her list, she also used "what can they, as a council, do" and "why do people want to come to Kenai." She stated she believed part of that decision included quality of life and aesthetics (flowers, snow plowing, grass KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OCTOBER 17, 2000 PAGE 3 strips) and added, the first impression of the city is important. She suggested the following: · The City's greatest asset is the airport and leases for non-airport related activities on airport property should not be renewed. · The forum should be visionary and all ideas brought forward, no matter how extreme they sound, should be given attention. · People who started their businesses in Soldoma instead of Kenai be interviewed and asked why they made that choice, i.e. was it cost of property, development, etc. · Local realtors should be invited to participate. Councilman Frazer suggested the following: · Don't set the agenda for the forum as what the cOuncil feels the main ideas are, but conduct it like an informal council meeting, hearing first discussion of council and then others. · Solicit written comments for the forum. · Include bankers, developers, etc. who want to be involved in the process. · Noted his employer chose Soldotna for their office location because there is no commercial property fronting the highway in Kenai. · The airport be expanded from its current circumstances, i.e. entice businesses to locate that will not compete with the current local businesses in Kenai. Frazer added, he liked the ideas of rezoning, airport business development, convention center and hearing other ideas from the community. He added, somehow Kenai should create the need for small businesses. A general discussion followed and from it came the following suggestions: · Market city land in another way as many businesses and people looking for property for placement of a business are unaware the city has land to sell. · A Foreign Trade Zone could be a key for looking at development/expansion of the airport properties. · Is there a possibility the Coast Guard would consider stationing their planes in Kenai? Build a maintenance facility to rent to a commuter airline who will use it as their main office and use Anchorage as a turnaround for their flight schedules. · Encourage airport businesses that would compete with Anchorage businesses, not with local businesses. · Ask contractors/developers why they aren't developing large subdivisions in Kenai. · Subordinate lots to builder(s) to develop and include in the covenants the size of houses that need to be built. KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION OCTOBER 17, 2000 PAGE 4 · The health care issue should be expanded to include more than just hospital, i.e. physicians, optometric practices, dental, chiropractic, podiatry, etc. Comments of Betsy Arbelovsky: There would be no cost to the city for EDD to facilitate the city's forum as city tax dollars already support them. · A peninsula-wide forum would be held by EDD on December 8 and Mayor Williams will speak and council members will receive invitations. They plan to do separate forums for municipalities after December 8. · She would plan the city's forum format as council suggested, i.e. free- form/brainstorming and she would compile the comments, etc. after and submit to council. · Ideas already suggested for the area include DOT marine fire training because tanker traffic is increasing in Alaska; enticing technologic businesses due to redundancies in operations (different time zones); the Governor's upcoming trade mission to China in concert with a Foreign Trade Zone would offer potential for bringing in parts for construction here and shipped out to other areas; investigate the number of vacant buildings in Kenai. From the others present it was suggested representative(s) from the School District be considered as invitees as the impact of schools is an element of the formula when people are choosing where to live. It was also suggested city employees as well as others be polled to see where they live and why they there. Findings: · A forum should be held on a Saturday, no earlier than January 20 and no later than February 5. · Sponsorships should be requested as was done in the past. · Compare the list of ideas from this work session with those offered at the December 8 borough-wide forum and from that develop an invitation list. · Invitations/planning of the forum will be done by the facilitator. · Council will review the list of invitees and amend if necessary. The work session ended at approximately 9'05 p.m. Notes transcribed and prepared by: Carol L. Freas, City Clerk