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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-12-16 Council MinutesKENAI CITY COUNCIL — REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 16, 2020 — 6:00 P.M. KENAI CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 210 FIDALGO AVE., KENAI, AK 99611 MAYOR BRIAN GABRIEL, PRESIDING MINUTES A. CALL TO ORDER A Regular Meeting of the Kenai City Council was held on December 16, 2020, in City Hall Council Chambers, Kenai, AK. Mayor Gabriel called the meeting to order at approximately 6:00 p.m. 1. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Gabriel led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. Roll Call There were present: Brian Gabriel, Mayor Henry Knackstedt Jim Glendening Victoria Askin A quorum was present. Also in attendance were: Paul Ostrander, City Manager Scott Bloom, City Attorney Jamie Heinz, City Clerk 3. Agenda Approval Robert Molloy Teea Winger Glenese Pettey Mayor Gabriel noted the following revisions to the agenda and packet: Add to item D.2. Ordinance No. 3168-2020 • Amendment Memo Add to item D.6. Ordinance No. 3172-2020 • Expenditures to Date Memo • CARES Act Grant Programs Expenditures and Available Balances Add to item G.14. Discussion - Coordinating with Soldotna on a Community Led Campaign Against COVID-19 • Informational Memo City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 1 of 15 December 16, 2020 MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to approve the agenda with the requested additions and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 4. Consent Agenda MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to approve the consent agenda and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT; Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion. The items on the Consent Agenda were read into the record. Mayor Gabriel opened the floor for public comment; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public comment period was closed. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 'All items listed with an asterisk (`) are considered to be routine and non -controversial by the council and will be approved by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a council member so requests, in which case the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda as part of the General Orders. With no objections, Mayor Gabriel delivered a proclamation in honor of James Fisher, recognizing his life of service to his country, the State of Alaska, and the City of Kenai. B. SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENTS John Williams - Nomination to Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council Seat, Summer 2021 Events, and Visitor Center Anniversary. John Williams, former Mayor of the City of Kenai, thanked Mayor Gabriel and the City Council for nominating him for re -appointment to the Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council Board. He briefly reviewed the history of CIRCAC, including its creation, purpose and notable accomplishments. He shared his vision for increased participation in special events in the City of Kenai in the coming year, particularly Fourth of July events, which were cancelled or reduced during 2020 in response to COVID-19. Discussed the 30 -year anniversary of the Kenai Visitor Center, and suggested a large-scale anniversary celebration could be a welcome change for the community and mark a transition into the post-COVID-19 future. He also shared stories from the early days of CIRCAC and Kenai Peninsula College. C. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENTS — None. D. PUBLIC HEARINGS City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 2 of 15 December 16, 2020 1. Ordinance No. 3167-2020 - Increasing Estimated Revenues and Appropriations in the Cares Act Recovery Special Revenue Fund. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3167-2020 and Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened the floor for public comment; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public comment period was closed. VOTE: YEA: Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger, Glendening, Pettey, Askin NAY: MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. Ordinance No. 3168-2020 - Increasing Estimated Revenues and Appropriations in the Airport Operations Facility, Airport Snow Removal Equipment, Terminal Improvement, Airport Improvements, Personal Use Fishery, Animal Control Improvements, Public Safety Improvements, City Shop Improvements, Municipal Roadway Improvements, Water and Sewer Improvements, and Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Capital Project Funds to Transfer Residual Balances from Completed or Canceled Projects Back to their Original Funding Sources. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3168-2020 and Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. MOTION TO AMEND: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to amend Ordinance No. 3168-2020 by revising the amount in the first Whereas to $105,650.57. Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. Appreciation was expressed to Administration for providing a clear amendment memo which was easy to work with. It was also noted that it is great to see unspent project funds be returned to their original sources. VOTE ON MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED: YEA: Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger, Glendening, Pettey, Askin NAY: City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 3 of 15 December 16, 2020 MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Ordinance No. 3169-2020 - Increasing Estimated Revenues and Appropriations in the General Fund, Finance Department for the Payment of Fees in Connection with the Collection of Remote Seller Sales Tax by the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission on Behalf of the City of Kenai. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3169-2020 and Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. Clarification was provided that the fees were high only temporarily, partly due to an agreement with the software development company, and were set to go down in the future as certain milestones were hit. It was Administrations intention to renegotiate these contracts when it is time for them to renew. VOTE: YEA: Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger, Glendening, Pettey, Askin NAY: MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 4. Ordinance No. 3170-2020 - Accepting and Appropriating a Grant from the State of Alaska for the Purchase of Library Books. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3170-2020 and Council Member Askin SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. Appreciation was expressed for the Kenai Library for securing this grant, which would provide valuable new materials for the community. VOTE: YEA: Winger, Glendening, Pettey, Askin, Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy NAY: MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 4 of 15 December 16, 2020 5. Ordinance No. 3171-2020 - Accepting and Appropriating a State of Alaska Grant Passed through the Southern Region EMS Council, Inc. for Two Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Trainers and One Advanced Life Support (ALS) Skills Training Mannequin. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3171-2020 and Council Member Glendening SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. Clarification was provided that the amounts for Small Tools and Machinery and Equipment were allocated in accordance with the city's fixed asset policy. VOTE: YEA: Glendening, Pettey, Askin, Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger NAY: MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. 6. Ordinance No. 3172-2020 - Waiving the $5,000 Limitation in KMC 7.25.020 (A) for Allocating CARES Act Funds to Allow the City Manager to Allocate the Funds to the Proper Account as Needs Arise and Time to Utilize the Funds Expires, and Declaring an Emergency. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to enact Ordinance No. 3172-2020 and Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to amend Section 3 of Ordinance No. 3172-2020 by adding the following sentence: "This authorization will terminate upon final reporting of the city's currently appropriated CARES Act funds to the State of Alaska." Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. VOTE ON MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED: YEA: Pettey, Askin, Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger, Glendening NAY: MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 5 of 15 December 16, 2020 7. Resolution No. 2020-93 - Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement for 2021 Fire Systems Testing, Inspection & Monitoring Project. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2020-93 and Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. It was clarified that this contract would provide professional testing, inspection and monitoring services for all City of Kenai facilities that are in place, including all fire suppression systems. If need for repairs is found, it would be handled outside this contract through normal procurement processes. UNANIMOUS CONSENT was requested. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 8. Resolution No. 2020-94 - Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Amended Restaurant Concession Agreement at the Kenai Municipal Airport with Brothers Cafe. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2020-94. Council Member Winger SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. It was noted that airport traffic heavily affects the success of an airport restaurant, and the decreased air traffic from the last year has hurt the business. Council was encouraged to support this business. Clarification was provided that the business was eligible for CARES Act funding, although doing so would require FAA concurrence. UNANIMOUS CONSENT was requested. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 9. Resolution No. 2020-95 - Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Engineering Services Agreement for the Kenai Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) Sludge Press Replacement Project. MOTION: Council Member Glendening MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2020-95 and Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 6 of 15 December 16, 2020 It was noted that this was another success for the Kenai Waste Water Treatment Plant, and that there would be more to come. Clarification was provided that the wastewater treatment fund has been increasing every year for the last 7-8 years, however it is apparent that the current need at the plant is going to exceed the currently available funds. UNANIMOUS CONSENT was requested. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 10. Resolution No. 2020-96 -Further Extending the Disaster Emergency Declaration for the City of Kenai Made on March 18, 2020 in Response to the COVID-19 Health Emergency. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2020-96 and Council Member Askin SECONDED the motion. Mayor Gabriel opened for public hearing; there being no one wishing to be heard, the public hearing was closed. MOTION TO AMEND: Council Member Glendening MOVED to amend Resolution No. 2020-96 by revising the extension to end after 31 days, on January 31, 2021. Council Member Winger SECONDED the motion. Topics discussed included: • We are currently receiving CARES Act funding, but that expires December 31, 2020. We don't know what funding will be offered after that or what strings may be attached, therefore a recovery plan for the economy needs to be part of the conversation; • By the end of January we will have more knowledge about what federal financial aid will be available to us. By renewing the emergency order at that point, we will be able to have a fresh look at the situation in light of this information, and allow for a discussion on how this money should be applied within the community and how we will manage the return to normalcy; • Other upcoming changes include more information about the vaccine and its effectiveness becoming available, and a new President of the United States; • Our citizens are tired of living under an emergency order, and this would show them that the Council is looking at and discussing this new information, and reevaluating our response, on a month-to-month basis; • There is always the option to extend the emergency order each month; • The intention of this plan is not to throw up roadblocks, but to keep the Council as a body focused on planning for future economic recovery; • Extending the emergency declaration can be seen as a positive action, while having to repeal it before its expiration it is a negative action. • There must be an emergency declaration in place in order to receive CARES Act or FEMA funding; • The emergency declaration allows for temporary COVID-19 leave to employees to address illness, enables the closures of public facilities and transmission reduction, and City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 7 of 15 December 16, 2020 extends city moratorium on penalty and interest for nonpayment of water and sewer services; • It is very unlikely that the situation will evolve to a point that these benefits will not be needed by our citizens before March 31, 2021; • The Kenai Peninsula Borough extended their emergency order to March 31, 2021. We want to be aligned with the Borough, so the message we are sending by having a different expiration may not be one we want to send; • There is always the option to repeal the emergency declaration before its expiration; • It would be better to get to a point in the timeline where we can look at the situation in light of new information, and then decide to repeal the declaration and move on; • If people are tired of being under an emergency order, they might be given false hope each month as it comes up for expiration, only to have it extended again. VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT: YEA: Askin, Knackstedt, Molloy, Winger, Glendening, Pettey NAY: Gabriel MOTION PASSED. UNANIMOUS CONSENT was requested. VOTE ON MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED: E. MINUTES There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 1. *Special Meeting of November 23, 2020. Approved by the consent agenda. 2. *Work Session Summary of December 2, 2020. Approved by the consent agenda. 3. *Regular Meeting of December 2, 2020. Approved by the consent agenda. 4. *Work Session Summary of December 9, 2020. Approved by the consent agenda. F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS G. NEW BUSINESS 1. *Action/Approval - Bills to be Ratified. Approved by the consent agenda. 2. *Action/Approval - Purchase Orders Over $15,000. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 8 of 15 December 16, 2020 Approved by the consent agenda. 4. *Action/Approval - Non -Objection to Liquor License Renewals for Kenai Golf Course and 2 Go Mart. Approved by the consent agenda. 4. *Action/Approval - Special Use Permit to Schilling Alaska, Inc., d/b/a the Uptown Motel for Snow Storage. Approved by the consent agenda. 5. *Ordinance No. 3173-2020 - Accepting and Appropriating Asset Forfeiture Sharing Funds for the Police Department for the Purpose of Purchasing Law Enforcement Equipment. Introduced by the consent agenda and Public Hearing set for January 6, 2021. 6. *Ordinance No. 3174-2020 - Accepting And Appropriating a FM Global Fire Prevention Grant for the Purchase of Two Ipads and Accessories to be Used Toward Fire Prevention Efforts. Introduced by the consent agenda and Public Hearing set for January 6, 2021. 7. *Ordinance No. 3175-2020 - Increasing Estimated Revenues and Appropriations in the Airport Improvements Capital Fund and Authorizing an Increase to the Construction Purchase Order to Kirila Fire, Inc. Introduced by the consent agenda and Public Hearing set for January 6, 2021. 8. *Ordinance No. 3176-2020 - Increasing Estimated Revenues and Appropriations in the Airport Special Revenue and the Airport Snow Removal Equipment Capital Project Funds to Provide Supplemental Funding for the Project, and Authorizing a Purchase Agreement for the Purchase of a Replacement Wide -Area Tractor & Mower. Introduced by the consent agenda and Public Hearing set for January 6, 2021. 9. Action/Approval - Confirmation of Mayoral Nominations for Appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to confirm Mayoral Nominations for Appointment of Alex Douthit, Joe Halstead and Gary Greenberg to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Council Member Askin SECONDED the motion. UNANIMOUS CONSENT was requested. Clarification was provided that this motion included the new appointment of Alex Douthit, and the re -appointments of Joe Halstead and Gary Greenberg. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 9 of 15 December 16, 2020 VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 10. Action/Approval - Confirmation of Mayoral Nominations for Appointment to Various City Commissions. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to confirm Mayoral Nominations for Appointments of Roy Williams to the Council on Aging and Michael Bernard to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Council Member Knackstedt SECONDED the motion and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 11. Action/Approval — Confirmation of Mayoral Nomination for Appointment of City of Kenai Representative to the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council Board. MOTION: Council Member Knackstedt MOVED to confirm reappointment of John Williams as City of Kenai Representative to the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council Board. Council Member Pettey SECONDED the motion and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 12. Action/Approval - Mayoral Nomination of a Council Member to the Supervisory Sub - Committee. MOTION: Vice Mayor Molloy MOVED to confirm appointment of Council Member Henry Knackstedt to the Supervisory Sub -Committee and requested UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Council Member Glendening SECONDED the motion. VOTE: There being no objections, SO ORDERED. 13. Discussion - Update Regarding Remote Sellers Sales Tax. City Attorney Bloom updated the Council on the current status of Remote Sellers Sales Tax numbers, and clarified that the numbers shown in the laydown memo vary with those in the packet due to last-minute data being provided. It was noted that over $95,000 in sales tax had been collected since joining the Alaska Remote Sellers Sales Tax Commission, and the numbers continue to go up each month as more sellers register. The software fees for this project are high, because Alaska is the only state doing this that doesn't have a state sales tax, and it was challenging to develop this software for Alaska to be in compliance with the Supreme Court's decision. Some communities in Alaska have decided the fees are too high and will try to attempt to collect the tax on their own, but the City Attorney believes they may not be successful nor are they in compliance with the Supreme Court's decision. So far there have been no reports of people being improperly taxed. Some vendors do not need to collect sales tax, as there are thresholds for the number and amount of sales they need to meet before doing so. These numbers are based partly on self -reporting, and it is noted that marketplace facilitators (Amazon, etc.) are being taxed. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 10 of 15 December 16, 2020 14. Discussion - Coordinating with Soldotna on a Community Led Campaign Against COVID-19. The Council discussed the possibility of coordinating with the City of Soldotna on a messaging program to lead a campaign against COVID-19. The proposed campaign would involve testimonials from first responders who volunteered to share their experience receiving the COVID- 19 vaccine. Discussion topics included: • Coordinating with the City of Soldotna on a messaging campaign would be a good thing for our communities. We are sister cities who share a hospital, and there should be continuity with how we do business; • One of the responsibilities of city government is to promote the health and welfare of people in the community, and people are always free to accept or reject the information that's provided; • This initiative only provides information, and is not a mandate so no one is required to take the vaccine; • Information would be provided about possible adverse reactions, so it would include both pro and con; • All testimonials from first responders would be completely voluntary, and voluntary testimonials should not be seen as an endorsement of the city; • It would be good for citizens to know what the experiences of front-line workers are; • If the city is supportive of CDC recommendations to wear a face mask and socially distance, then it would follow that we should also support their recommendation to get a vaccine. • The city should not put out any messages encouraging people to take the vaccine in case they develop adverse reactions in the future, and we should instead encourage people to be personally responsible for doing the research themselves; • The city should not be endorsing a vaccine within the first 24 hours of the first shot being administered; • We don't want the information we provide to be one-sided, so information about adverse effects of the vaccine should be equally distributed; • One healthcare professional in Juneau had an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine, also there is also research to suggest that Bell's Palsy is associated with this vaccine; • If any city employees wanted to give testimony about their vaccine experience, it should be from their point of view and not the point of view of the city; • Memo states that testimonials will show firefighters explaining why they got vaccinated but not why they wouldn't get vaccine, so that does appear to be endorsement; • Using money from the CARES Act to use for this campaign appears to be an endorsement of the vaccine, and that money should instead be given to people in the community; • When it comes to a vaccination campaign, the State of Alaska should handle it and the City of Kenai should remain neutral; • We should not shift the responsibility of messaging to first responders, and ask them to push out this message; • We will have more information about the vaccine in January, the depth of understanding we have now is not good enough so we should revisit this issue then. MOTION: City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 11 of 15 December 16, 2020 Council Member Knackstedt MOVED that the City of Kenai coordinate with City of Soldotna in a campaign against COVID-19 that will provide information regarding the vaccine and other health protections. Vice Mayor Molloy SECONDED the motion. VOTE: YEA: Gabriel, Knackstedt, Molloy, Askin NAY: Winger, Gardening, dening, Pettey MOTION PASSED. 15. Discussion - COVID-19 Response. City Manager Ostrander suggested that reporting case numbers at every meeting will no longer be necessary, as this information is now widely available through sources such as the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. The City Manager's COVID-19 Response report from now on will look at how COVID-19 is affecting the city from an operational standpoint. Case rates and hospitalizations have decreased over the last week, although five more city employees have tested positive. Total city employees that have tested positive is now ten, although only one transmission occurred in the workplace. Fire Chief Prior provided information regarding the current status of the Pfizer vaccine delivery in the Kenai area, and how he has prepared for his staff of first responders to receive vaccine doses if they choose to take it. Due to the temperature -sensitive nature of the vaccine, the dual -shot process, and the potential for after-effects, the logistics of staff vaccinations was complex. For this reason, he began sharing as much information as possible to his staff in order to get an accurate number for those who want to receive the vaccine. This information included scientific explanations of the different vaccinations that will be on the market, and how these vaccines operate within the body. Information about potential adverse side effects was shared, along with a press release about the Juneau nurse who experienced an anaphylactic reaction. The purpose of sharing this information was to help Fire Department staff become as informed as possible about vaccination, so they could make their own decision about which vaccine, if any, they want to take. He explained that it was made clear that this is a personal decision which will not be mandated, and he estimates that about 80% of the staff have chosen to become vaccinated. Finance Director Eubank clarified that the current report of CARES Act funds includes projected expenditures, because Finance is receiving daily updates of spending from various CARES Act recipients. Noted that there is a good chance the city will utilize 100% of CARES Act funds available to us, and explained how certain amounts have been moved to fit within budgetary parameters. It was clarified that we have met the maximum threshold that the Borough established for funding small businesses. Funding for individuals ended on November 30th, and there is concern that Alaska Housing Finance Corporation received more applications than they will be able to process by the CARES act deadline. H. COMMISSION / COMMITTEE REPORTS 1. Council on Aging —Council Member Pettey reported on the Senior Center remodeling which has created more useable space, notably in the game room. The Kenai Senior Center is still providing meals to seniors on their meal plan, and is also utilizing City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 12 of 15 December 16, 2020 CARES Act funds for camera security. There will be a new check-in space near the entry, and will require reconfiguration of the front doors. The commission also discussed long-term planning, and upcoming March for Meals. Next meeting January 14, 2021. 2. Airport Commission — Council Member Knackstedt reported that the Airport commission discussed their airport goals and objectives for the next fiscal year, and also the terminal building conference room and how it might be rented out. Next meeting January 14, 2021. 3. Harbor Commission —No report; next meeting February 8, 2021. 4. Parks and Recreation Commission —Council Member Winger provided an update on plans for the proposed light display for the fountain at Leif Hansen Memorial Park. Also discussed the winter maintenance that's been done on the trails and at Daubenspeck Park. Next meeting January 7, 2021. 5. Planning and Zoning Commission — Council Member Glendening reported on the December 9, 2020 meeting which included the approval of a plat, and the passing of a resolution of a conditional use permit for Kenai Landing Lodges townhouses. Next meeting December 23, 2020. 6. Beautification Committee — No report; next meeting January 12, 2021. 7. Mini -Grant Steering Committee — No report. I. REPORT OF THE MAYOR Mayor Gabriel reported on the following: • Thanked Council Member Winger for the Christmas treats she provided for the Council Members; • Thanked John Williams for reapplying to represent them on the CIRCAC board; • Sorry to hear about the passing of James Fisher; • Wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hoped we would all enjoy the outdoors with our family. J. ADMINISTRATION REPORTS 1. City Manager - City Manager P. Ostrander reported on the following: • Attended monthly meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, and they are very thankful for additional money for fireworks that was provided by Council. Reported that the city's collaborative relationship with the Chamber is very strong and positive right now; • Administration restarted an internal working group that had been side-tracked when COVID-19 hit. This group is developing legislation for Council consideration that would provide incentives in the City of Kenai, initially focusing on vacant and dilapidated buildings; • Bridge Access bike path update: Administration is working with Department of Transportation on how best to manage this. Date that agreement needs to be City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 13 of 15 December 16, 2020 signed has been extended until June 2021, which gives them more time to work on it; • Issued drilling permit to Hilcorp; • Bluff project: RFP is about 50% completed, another meeting tomorrow. Very confident Administration can get this out by the 21 week of January. 2. City Attorney -- City Attorney S. Bloom reported that an item on the Governor's budget proposes to no longer have the District Attorney's office prosecute misdemeanors. If this passes, the City of Kenai would have to prosecute our own misdemeanors, shifting the cost from the State to the municipality. This would require the City Attorney to hire more employees, or pay the State for misdemeanor prosecutions. He will be working with other municipalities in Alaska as well as local legislators to resolve this and hopefully have it removed from the budget. 3. City Clerk — City Clerk J. Heinz reported on the following: • Applicants for committees and commissions are still being recruited. Sent an ad to Chamber of Commerce to place in weekly Chamber Chatter, as well as a follow-up email to people who applied for City Council; • Sent out letter to mobile food vendors to renew their annual permit. K. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT Citizens Comments (Public comment limited to five (5) minutes per speaker) - None. 2. Council Comments Council Member Knackstedt noted that the Airport Commission also discussed relocation of the mural that was in the old terminal building, noting that it had been donated to the City of Kenai and so it can be moved anywhere in the city where people can see it. Thanked Mayor for his proclamation for James Fisher. Vice Mayor Molloy thanked Mayor Gabriel for James Fisher's proclamation. Noted that 2020 has been the most challenging of any year he has served on City Council, and expressed amazement for how well the city has met the challenges they've faced with COVID-19. Credited the resilience of businesses and citizens in the community, as well as the leadership of city administration for skillfully handling all of the changes. Council Member Askin expressed appreciation for the staff that helped facilitate her induction to the City Council. Council Member Pettey echoed Vice Mayor Molloy's sentiments that the community and City Council has met many challenges and made many changes over the past year. Encouraged everyone to enjoy the time left in the year 2020, while looking forward to the New Year. Council Member Glendening voiced his appreciation for the productive dialogue that occurred during this meeting, and acknowledged that the city and its staff has had to deal with many complex situations which will be resolved in the coming year. Reminisced about his time as a student of John Williams. Expressed his outlook for the coming year, including how the community can come together post-COVID-19 and the potential for herd immunity. City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 14 of 15 December 16, 2020 Council Member Winger discussed the upcoming Chamber of Commerce raffle and encouraged participation. Thanked her constituents for voting for her during the past October's election, and restated her major platforms. Expressed disheartenment that funds that were originally allocated for small businesses were transferred, and would have preferred to see the city work harder to get those funds directly to small businesses. L. EXECUTIVE SESSION — None. M. PENDING ITEMS — None. N. ADJOURNMENT O. INFORMATION ITEMS 1. Purchase Orders Between $2,500 and $15,000. 2. Marathon Pipe Line Emergency Notification Letter 3. Thank You from Kenai Chamber of Commerce 4. Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council Report - December There being no further business before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 9:31 p.m. I certify the above represents accurate minutes of the Kenai City Council meeting of December 16, 2020. - ,p OF K4,, inn , `l �l i /n, t�a• f 9�I� e Heinz, CMC Clerk City of Kenai Council Meeting Page 15 of 15 December 16, 2020