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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 3534-2026Sponsored by: Council Member Grieme and Vice Mayor Askin KPNAI CITY OF KENAI ORDINANCE NO. 3534-2026 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING KENAI MUNICIPAL CODE 7.25.030 - UNBUDGETED APPROPRIATIONS, TO ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROPRIATE DONATIONS AND GRANTS UNDER TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. WHEREAS, Kenai Municipal Code 7.25.030 currently requires the Council to appropriate by ordinance all expenditures not authorized in the budget; and, WHEREAS, each of the last three years, Council has appropriated between 10-17 donations or grants under $10,000; and, WHEREAS, amending KMC 7.25.030 to allow the City Manager to appropriate grants and donations under $10,000 will reduce administrative effort in legislative preparation, streamline council meetings, and allow for greater efficiency in appropriating grants and donations by eliminating the typical two meeting ordinance process; and, WHEREAS, the proposed changes safeguard council's authority by requiring the City Manager to report to Council all intended appropriations prior to the appropriation occurring and allowing any council member to require the appropriation be decided legislatively. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Amendment of Section 7.25.030 of Kenai Municipal Code: That Kenai Municipal Code, Section Unbudgeted Appropriations. 7.25.030 is hereby amended as follows: 7.25.030 Unbudgeted Appropriations. For any expenditures not provided an authorization in the budget for the fiscal year, except as provided below, the Council shall authorize such expenditures by ordinance, making the required appropriation. For donations and grants to the City or any of its departments under ten thousand dollars, the Council conditionally delegates its appropriation authority to the City Manager, who will report all such intended appropriations to the Council at a Council Meeting, prior to the appropriation being made, at which time any Council Member may object to the intended appropriation by the City Manager, and the appropriation will be brought to the Council at a future meeting by Ordinance. If no objection is received when presented to the Council, the City Manager may make the appropriation. Section 2. Severability: That if any part or provision of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part, provision, or application directly involved in all controversy in which this judgment shall have been rendered, and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this title or application thereof to other persons or circumstances. The City Council hereby declares that it would have enacted the remainder of this ordinance even without such part, provision, or application. Section 3. Effective Date: That pursuant to KMC 1.15.070(f), this ordinance shall take effect 30 days after enactment. New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 3534-2026 Page 2 of 2 ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ATTEST: ichell er, MC, City Clerk Introduced: July 8, 2026 Enacted: August 5, 2026 Effective: September 4, 2026 New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] KENAI City of Kenai 1 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, AK 99611-7794 1907.283.75351 www Lenai.city MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Knackstedt and Council Members FROM: Council Member Bridget Grieme and Vice Mayor Victoria Askin DATE: July 2, 2026 SUBJECT: Ordinance 3534-2026 - Amending Kenai Municipal Code 7.25.030 - Unbudgeted Appropriations, to Allow the City Manager to Appropriate Donations and Grants Under Ten Thousand Dollars. This Ordinance is intended to reduce administrative time in legislative preparation, streamline council meetings and increase efficiency in appropriating grants and donations by conditionally delegating the Council's authority to the City Manager to appropriate grants and donations under $10,000. In 2023,17 ordinances were brought to Council for appropriations less than $10,000. In 2024, 15 ordinances, and in 2025, 10 ordinances were introduced for the same purpose. The current typical process, takes two meetings, one for introduction and another for a public hearing. This Ordinance proposes to conditionally delegate Council's authority to appropriate expenditures not in the budget, for grants and donations less than $10,000 to the City Manager, so these appropriations can be made without the need for legislation requiring two meetings. The Ordinance would require the City Manager to report all intended appropriations to the City Council at a City Council Meeting, where recognition to those making donations and staff for pursuing grants could be made as appropriate, and also allows any Council Member to object to the Manager making the appropriation which would result in an ordinance being brought to the whole council at a later meeting for consideration of the appropriation. While state statute requires legislative bodies to make appropriations for many types of municipalities, it does not require the same for home rule cities such as Kenai. Your consideration is appreciated. K I City of Kenai 1 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, AK 99611-7794 1907.283.7535 1 www.kenai.city MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Knackstedt and Council Members FROM: Terry Eubank, City Manager Scott Bloom, City Attorney Shellie Saner, City Clerk DATE: July 29, 2026 SUBJECT: Procedures for Implementation of Ordinance No. 3534-2026. To address the procedures that would be required if Ordinance No. 3534-2026 is enacted, the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk met to develop a process for presenting applicable donations and grants to the City Council. Unless otherwise directed by the Council, the following procedures will be implemented upon passage of Ordinance 3534-2026. When a donation or grant is received that falls within the scope of KMC 7.25.030 the following Action/Approval item will be placed on the agenda as a consent item under New Business: *Action/Approval - Non -Objection to the Acceptance and Appropriation of Donations or Grants Under $10,000 in Accordance with KMC 7.25.030. (Administration) Each agenda packet will include a financial report prepared by the Finance Department identifying the applicable donations and grants, along with a memorandum from the receiving department providing the amount, appropriating accounts, necessary background information and the purpose for each item included on the report. This process is similar to the current procedure for Purchase Orders and Purchase Order Amendments requiring Council approval. Including these items on the consent agenda provides opportunity for public comment on the donation or grant; and as with all consent agenda items, any Council Member may request that an item be removed from the consent agenda for consideration and discussion at its regular place on the agenda. KI r *V 11 City o� Kenai 1 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, AK 99611-7794 1907.283.75351 www.kenai.city MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Knackstedt and Council Members FROM: Phil Daniel, Council Member DATE: July 30, 2026 SUBJECT: Ordinance 3534-2026 - Amending KMC 7.26.030 This memo requests an amendment to Ordinance 3534-2026 to amend the City Manager's authority to appropriate donations and grants pursuant to the proposed ordinance to $10,000 or less, from the current amount of less than $10,000 because many grants and donations land directly at the $10,000 mark. Amend Ordinance 3534-2026 to change the authorized amount from less than $10,000 to $10,000 or less, Title to read: An Ordinance Amending Kenai Municipal Code 7.25.030 - Unbudgeted Appropriations, to Allow the City Manager to Appropriate Donations and Grants of Ten Thousand Dollars or Less. The 3rd WHEREAS, to read: WHEREAS, amending KMC 7.25.030 to allow the City Manager to appropriate grants and donations of $10,000 or less will reduce administrative effort in legislative preparation, streamline council meetings, and allow for greater efficiency in appropriating grants and donations by eliminating the typical two meeting ordinance process; and, Section 1., to read: 7.25.030 Unbudgeted Appropriations. For any expenditures not provided an authorization in the budget for the fiscal year, except as provided below, the Council shall authorize such expenditures by ordinance, making the required appropriation. For donations and grants to the City or any of its departments of ten thousand dollars or less the Council conditionally delegates its appropriation authority to the City Manager, who will report all such intended appropriations to the Council at a Council Meeting, prior to the appropriation being made, at which time any Council Member may obiect to the intended appropriation by the City Manager, and the appropriation will be brought to the Council at a future meeting by Ordinance. If no obiection is received when presented to the Council, the City Manager may make the appropriation.