City Council - Regular Meeting

Hello everybody. Um, I would like to call the March 4th, 2026 city council meeting to order. If you are able, please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance. I alian to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Clerk, please call the role. Council member Cassenna, here. Council member Sonart here. Mayor Naxstead here. Council member Daniel present. Council member Grimmie here. Vice Mayor Askin here. Council member Petty here.

Student Representative Bowling here. You have a quorum. Okay. Thank you. That brings us to approval of the agenda and consent agenda. We have no layowns. Pleasure counsel. Um, Vice Mayor Askin. Thank you. Um, I move that we approve the agenda and consent agenda as presented. I'll second. Are there any additions uh revisions to the agenda or consent agenda from the council? Seeing none, would the clerk please read the consent agenda items into the record?

Thank you, Mayor Max. Approval of the regular meeting minutes of February 18th, 2026. Brought to you by the city clerk. New business action approval bills to be ratified. Brought to you by the administration. Action approval special use permit to Rainbow River Lodge Aviation LLC for aviation related activities at Kenai Municipal Airport. Brought to you by the administration. Action approval approving the grant of a temporary easement to the state of Alaska for the bridge access road pavement preservation project. Brought to you by the administration. Action approval. Confirmation of of mayoral nomination for a partial term appointment of Caroline Carpick as student repres representative to the council on aging commission. Brought to you by Mayor Naxstead. Action approval. Non-objection to the transfer of ownership of a retail marijuana store from transfer Cookin Cannabis Company LLC to Transfer Straight Street Investments LLC doing business as ERIP. License number 13382. Brought to you by the city clerk. Ordinance. Introduction of ordinance number 3508-2026. Accepting and appropriating donations to the Kenai Community Library for library materials, equipment, and programming. Brought to you by the administration public hearing scheduled for March 18th, 2026. And that is your consent agenda.

Thank you very much. Um, are there any public comments on any of the consent agenda items just read by the clerk? Seeing no one um was request unanimous consent. Thank you very much. Uh is there any objections to unanimous consent? Seeing none, the consent agenda and agenda are approved. So that brings us to section B scheduled administrative reports and we do have one. We have uh the street condition assessment um brought to us by Tyler Roso and Daniel Doms. And I believe they're both on on Zoom. Okay. Go ahead, gentlemen.

Hi, this is Daniel Doms uh with TR Consulting. Uh can you see my screen? All right. And hear me? Yes.

Excellent. So, uh we were hired by the uh city of Kenai to do a 2025 street condition assessment. a brief scope of work. Um we first established a pavement database. Uh and then conducted a visual pavement uh condition assessment. Uh then we made post inspection edits and did a quality control review. We developed condition reports, uh developed prediction models and from those things um we utilized the PA software which is a software used uh throughout the United States to come up with a PCI score for every single uh roadway in the network. And a PCI score is basically a score from 0 to 100. You can see the scale there on the uh bottom right. Uh and it basically puts each road into a category of good, satisfactory, fair, poor, or failing. And the uh main advantage of doing it this way is because when you're out in the field, uh it's a way to consistently um and quantitatively score a pavement by quantifying the uh each particular distress uh on an inspected sample. So, we go out and we count uh each linear foot of cracking, each pothole, uh whether there's raveling or or different kinds of depressions or alligator cracking and that all gets put into the paper software which calculates the 0 to 100 score. Once we uh put that into the software um we developed M&R uh strategies, specifications

uh and unit costs and then we generated 5-year M&R plans uh formulated a 5-year prior prioritized list of projects and developed a maintenance plan report and then lastly uh giving this results presentation. This presentation will be relatively brief, but uh the report goes into far more detail about every single step of the process. In order to uh start the uh inspection process, first we combine the line work from the city's roadway uh GIS centerline shape file and we combine that with the asset information from the 2009 roadway condition survey to give us a starting point. Then we verified those extents with the public works department uh and updated the geometry. Uh we updated the work history based on comments from the public works department as well as aerial imagery. Uh and we updated the roadway classification rank. After that uh we had a finished center line of all of the roadways and then those needed to be split up into sections at intersections and at pavement brakes. And then those sections were subdivided into 100 foot sample units for the inspection. Uh with those steps being done, we were able to create a PA database. And all of this uh is according to ASDM D6433, which is a standard practice for roads and parking lot pavement condition index surveys. Uh there at the bottom you can see an overview of uh the uh the Kenai roadway

network. We inspected around 67.7 miles of network uh and it all averaged out to an average PCI of around 78. And again that's from a 0 to 100 scale. This slide uh breaks down the scores a little bit more between the asphalt and the gravel. Uh the asphalt uh had around 31% in the good category, 38% in the satisfactory, uh 24% in the poor or in the fair, 6% in the poor and and 1% in the failing. And then for the gravel conditions, uh 84% of that was in the good and 16% in the satisfactory. Overall, that averages out for the gravel to have an average BCI of 88 and the asphalt to have an average BCI of 76. Uh these next two slides give a sort of a spatial view of the inspection process. Each of those points on the map is where we inspected a sample and then uh those samples the distresses that we uh inspected on them are extrapolated out over the section. So you can see uh some of them might have one sample that was in uh failing condition uh but then another sample that was in a satisfactory or fair condition and then uh the resulting PCI of the section um is a area weighted average of all the

inspected samples on a section. So this is showing the west side and then this is showing uh the east side of town. Uh once we do the pavement inspection, uh we're able to upload all that information into the PA software. And this is where having um uh such a robust software uh really starts to show its advantages. Uh these uh two screenshots you can see there are prediction models that we made uh for the Kai network. We split off the Kenai network into collector and minor collector roadways and local roadways. Uh because the collector and minor collectors were wearing at a faster rate than the local roadways. uh these prediction models they show uh over time on the uh x- axis um how each particular section of roadway has worn uh with the condition on the y- ais. So overall uh the local roadways are wearing at an average rate of around one PCI points a year and the collector and minor collector roadways are wearing at an average deterioration rate of about 2.01 uh PCI points a year. Typically asphalt falls within uh 1 and 1/2 to 2 1/2 PCI a year. So, uh, the local roadways are a little bit under that. Um, which makes sense given there's typically less traffic load on them and less vehicles per day. And then the

collector and minor collector roads are right in the middle of that average. uh PA is also able to make a section trend reports uh for each uh particular section on a road. So this example shows a section trend report for airport way 04. Um, and really the goal of uh doing pavement inspections uh and and using a software like PA is to continue to inspect the roads uh about every 3 to 5 years. And then your models and your section trend reports uh are able to show just more and more uh on both a network level basis and an individual road basis. um how fast they are wearing. Um when the recent work was done, uh you're able to see if you have a roadway that um maybe your maintenance is seeing this has worn out faster than expected. You can quickly go and you can see uh okay, how fast has it worn since our last cold mill and overlay? What kind of work have we done since then? um what condition was it when it was inspected last. So this airport way 04 you can see uh it was constructed initially around uh 1985 and then around 2017 it had a coal mill and overlay um and then it deteriorated and uh until it reaches that 81 uh PCI which is what we inspected it at. This next slide shows uh an example of a

section that's had a lot more inspections on it. And you can see uh a lot more information in there. Um you can see uh you know it's new construction and then a multitude of inspections showing uh initially a slower deterioration rate and then um after it reached a certain threshold it started deteriorating faster until u multiple surface treatments or overlays. Uh so again uh we really have a a baseline here, but the goal would be to continue to do inspections and uh build up this database that we created uh and be able to even more accurately uh depict trends of the various roadways in the network in the future. And uh the reason for that is really in uh this next slide. So the Kenai PCI on average is around 78 now and the critical PCI uh range for roadways uh starts right at about 60 PCI. Uh you can see with time on the x- axis and condition on the y- ais uh typically pavements deteriorate rather quickly in the first few years of their life and then they have a a long period where they're deteriorating slowly. They just have maybe some cracking uh but no fatigue cracking and no uh none of the more serious distresses. then they reach um at around 60 PCI uh what's called the critical PCI range and start deteriorating much more quickly and the cost for construction uh and reconstruction

uh goes up significantly at the beginning of the PCI critical PCI range it costs about a dollar to rehabilitate um you can probably do something like a coal mill and overlay um and not have to replace much of the structural section. But if that pavement is allowed to wear uh more, it'll cost around $4 to $5 per square foot to rehabilitate after it has reached a very poor or failed condition. Once we uh developed the condition models, uh the next step was to develop some M&R strategies uh specifications and unit costs uh in order to eventually come up with a prioritized project list of where the city's dollars would be uh best spent. Um the projects were prioritized based on roadway classification uh PCI relative to that critical PCI point. um the delay penalty, which would be okay if we wait on this particular section of roadway to do a project. Um how much more money is going to need to be spent at a later date uh versus now and um additional factors all to maximize uh city funding. In the first years of the project lists, we really prioritized uh crack sealing, mastic ceiling, and infrared projects uh on roads that in the field we noticed had poor crack seal condition and were also in in good condition overall. And

that is uh because of that uh critical PCI point, we're trying to uh use relatively inexpensive uh construction measures to fix the roads uh that are above the critical point to prolong their life before they reach a state where they're deteriorating much faster. uh then because you can't uh completely ignore um the sections that have uh deteriorated um to a low PCI and are essential to the city's network. We recommended a few reconstruction projects on low PCI sections uh and some um cold mill and overlay projects on sections that had just crossed that critical PCI threshold. Um but the construction work would be uh relatively inexpensive versus if you waited longer. And once we' done that, we group projects in similar locations into the same fiscal year to try to save on mobilization costs. Uh then we developed clear and concise construction specifications that are ready to use on city projects. And we developed construction unit costs based on uh city of Kenai recent project bids. And we compared those costs to nearby projects completed by other agencies to truth them. and then verified those costs with local contractors. With all that plugged into PAR, we ran four different budget scenarios. Um the PCI uh will be around 76 when this

uh plan starts. And we ran four scenarios. one uh to eliminate uh the backlog which is basically all of the work that is below the critical PCI point uh in 5 years. Maintain the current PCI of the city of Kai network. Uh maintain the current budget and uh do a basically safety uh improvements only. uh just fixing things like uh high severity potholes um or high severity ruting, those kinds of things that would really cause a driver to uh lose control on the road. And you can see the resulting PCIs of those different plans uh over a 5-year cycle. So, the eliminate backlog is basically a if you spent all of the money uh upfront to try to catch up on uh all the work that needed to be done, that would result in a PCI of 80 for about 1.5 million. If you wanted to maintain the current condition of the roadways, uh that would stay at a PCI of 76 for about 910,000 a year. um maintaining a budget of around 900 and or 691,000 uh will over five years drop the PCI to 75 from 76 and then um if you do safety improvement safety fixes only uh that'll result in a PCI of 72 for around 36,000 a We developed a five-year list of

projects. um trying to split uh projects out over the 5 years. And again, we prioritized uh patching and crack sealing projects in the first years uh because that gives uh more life to those sections that are still at good PCI. And then uh we tried to spread the major work projects out uh over the 5 years um prioritizing roads of a higher uh classification in the earlier years. And then we also gave a bucket list of alternate projects uh should additional funding become available. Um those would be our recommendations for uh this is still money very well spent um but maybe not as a priority as uh the other projects that were recommended. These are summarized in these next two uh slides of project maps. Uh the red would be complete reconstructions um with the slightly darker red being cold melon overlays. And then the green, yellow, and orange are all crack mastic and infrared projects with the pink and deep purple being patching projects. This is the west side. And then this is the east side of town. Uh again uh this is a relatively brief uh presentation but uh if you want to

know more about the process or about the specific projects uh recommended um the final report goes into that in much more detail. Um, and you can feel free to ask questions now or contact us uh via email or phone. Thank you, Mr. Dom. Uh, I appreciate the thorough report and I certainly learned a lot about asphalt that I didn't know. Um, council, do you uh have any questions of Mr. Dom? Council member Cassenna.

No questions. I just wanted to say thank you Tyler for your presentation and uh thanks for the city for uh doing this. I know that uh the strategic road database road condition database not might not be the most glamorous or uh fancy thing to do but I think uh good data helps support uh good planning. So having this, I think, is probably the most cost effective way to spend our money on maintaining our services. So it's good to see uh the efforts we're spending on this, I think. But thanks again, Tyler. Vice Mayor Askin, you're next.

Thank you, Mayor. Um Maxstead, um thank you for your presentation this evening. Have you done this for any other cities about our size? And if so, how do we compare? Can you give us some information? Um yeah, so uh this is Dylan Ross. So um Daniel gave the presentation, but um we're we're out of Colorado. We do it for about 10 municipalities here in Colorado, a few in Wyoming. Um we actually do all the airports in Alaska as well. So that's kind of how we're moving up into Alaska. Daniel's um our local presence there. He's out of Wazilla. Um has a lot of Alaska experience, but um yeah, we do a lot about the size of Kenai. Um a little different in Colorado. Oh, they're kind of growing um outside of you know their seams and they're not being built very well. Whereas up in Kenai, we really saw that your subbase was good and um you know you have a good good condition um for the age. Um so overall we thought that you know Kenai was in good shape. Um the gravel was maintained well. Um yeah but the biggest thing is uh just track over time and you know continual inspections. You can always break it up into cycles. Maybe do half, you know, one year and half the other year. That's what we try to do with municipalities down here is always get them on a cycle where we're doing like a third of the network a year or, you know, a fourth maybe. I don't know. Um, but yeah. Um, in terms of uh dollar amounts, yeah, it's very typical um for the PCI you're at. Uh, I think you're I think you're at a pretty good um place right now with your payments. um with a few exceptions, you know, um I think uh like Daniel highlighted in some of those project formulation areas, um you have some wide cracks in the center line of your main road going there and Willow um you know,

and a few other places where um you need you need to address them there. So, great. Thank you very much. Yeah, Council Member Daniel.

Uh thank you, Mack. But uh first of all, thank you both for this presentation and getting this information for us. It's very helpful. Uh question on the different um paths you projected based on funding over the course of 5 years. Hypothetically, if we were, you know, say, "Hey, we're going to shoot the moon and do the eliminate the backlog." Do you see if we if we went down one of these paths maintenance costs beyond that is there a savings there or a drop or what does that look like beyond the five years or do we not know?

Yeah, we're able to run 10ear plans. So this is 5 years and then what we what we could do is project you know what's the 5 years after you know in a 10-year plan and what we find a lot of times is that if you eliminate all the backlog yeah you you have a higher PCI but also you have a less burden u moving forward. Um, but you know, with that being said, I mean, some of the backlog is not necessary to obviously fix. Um, you know, if it's not a priority, um, or if it's in an area town that doesn't really get much use, maybe, you know, backlog is identified as just below the critical PCI, uh, maybe it could be left, you know, because the sections that are in bad shape really aren't going to cost more at a later date, you know, other than inflation, you know, they're already at that point where they need, you know, some subbase repairs and stuff. So

yeah, thank you. Combination of both. I think um I think definitely uh realizing where you're at with your budget and seeing how it affects Daniel, go back to that PCI um map. Uh just so you could Yes, that one there. Um no, sorry to back that graph. Um yeah, so if you know your current budget um you're you're decreasing one PCI point over five years. um you know, if you want to hold the PCI, that might be a better a better goal, a more realistic goal to try to prolong that um 76. Um that might be a good goal for you. Thank you.

Yeah. Any further questions?

I I have I have two, I suppose. Um one is I was wondering if the report or if there's any suggestions um or your observations of our of our paving methods here. I think we've been paving um with 2 in typically and the type of butt joints and whatnot that pretty much the same. Is there any suggestions to how we could pave better? Um based on how the pavement was wearing and the distresses we saw, most of the distresses we saw were uh like thermal uh cracking like uh cracking going uh horizontally across the road uh which is is really typical and pretty hard to avoid. That kind of just uh comes up. But that being said, there wasn't an extreme amount of it, which means that uh you really have pretty good soils there and a pretty good subbase built. Um so, uh yeah, I think that um the type of asphalt that you're using, uh we actually recommended in our specifications to to keep using that type of asphalt. Um and the the 2 in that you're doing, we weren't really seeing um widespread fatigue kind of cracking that would come uh from the traffic load being heavier than the pavement could support, which is really what would warrant going to a thicker structural section or a thicker pavement. So all in all, I think that um the construction practices uh that you're doing appear to be working pretty well for the for the city.

Okay, thank you for for that uh that answer. Um council, do you have any further questions? Thank you very much, Mr. Dom and Roso for your presentation and uh very thorough report. Thank you very much. Okay. So, that uh brings us back to our agenda. Um we have no scheduled public comments and uh we for now we're down to scheduled unscheduled public comments. Is there anybody from the general public who would like to speak to an any item not appearing on the agenda? Please come forward, ma'am, and and state your your name and the general area you live in.

Hi, good evening, Mayor Net and members of the city council. My name is Kate Bay and I live in Satna. I am here tonight to ask you to consider a policy that cities like Providence, Rhode Island have recently adopted. It's right here. It's a policy that simply states our city property should be used for our community and not for federal immigration enforcement. And why is this necessary? Uh because after the arrest of four peaceful Satna city residents two weeks ago by ICE, fear is creeping into our neighborhoods. When federal immigration activities happen in our public spaces like parking lots, libraries, or parks, it doesn't just affect one group of people. It affects us all. When parents are afraid to to drive to a park because it might be used as a staging area for an arrest, they stop using those city services. They stop going to the park. They might even stop calling 911 when they see a crime because they're terrified of who they might run into. When people are afraid to interact with city officials, crime goes unreported. Public trust breaks down. that makes everyone feel less safe. Providence, Rhode Island looked at this problem and found a simple solution. Mayor Brett Smiley signed an order saying that no city owned land, no parking lots, no public buildings, no parks can be used as a base for civil civil immigration enforcement. They aren't interfering with criminal warrants or stopping police from doing their jobs. They're simply saying that our public property is for the public good, not for operations that terrorize

our community. We have the same opportunity here in Kenai to send a clear message to our neighbors. We see them, we value them, and we want everyone to be safe. The badge on our police officers represents safety to our community. But if that badge is associated with ICE, safety turns into fear. It takes years to build a relationship with a community and only a second to break it down. We cannot afford to confuse our residents. We need them to wave at our officers and not worry about them. I am not asking this council to solve fe federal immigration. That's above our pay grade. I'm asking you to control what we can control. Our own city lots, our own buildings, and our own peace of mind. Let's keep the our public property focused on public safety. Let's make sure that in Kenai everyone feels safe going to the park, going to the city hall, and going about their day. And thank you for your time. And I'm going to give this to your secretary.

Go ahead and finish up. Your your mic is off. The second page has a bit of an error on it. I got caught in the printer.

If you wouldn't mind waiting for a moment, if would you take a few questions if we have any? Council, you have any questions? Miss Vay. Thank you much for your presentation. And if you give that to our clerk, I'll certainly take a look at that. Thank you. Is there uh anybody else from the general public that would like to speak to any item not appearing on the agenda? Okay, seeing none, that brings us to public hearings. The first public hearing before us tonight is ordinance number 35052026 increasing estimated revenues and appropriations in the general fund buildings department computer software for the purchase of permitting software brought to us by administration. Pleasure of councel coun vice mayor asking

I move that um we enact ordinance number 3505-2026. I'll second moved and seconded. Is there anybody from the general public that would like to speak to ordinance 3505 2026? Seeing no one bring it back to council for discussion. Council is uh all right.

Council thank you. Uh Mayor Knack said uh no just a quick question um perhaps for city manager or maybe for Mr. Fry. What um this this electronic software let's enable the public to submit their uh their requests on there. Is it just for tracking? What what are we getting here? Maybe an overview. City manager Eup. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Daniels, I will defer to Mr. Fry. He's been spending quite a bit of time reviewing different softwares and can give you a better rundown.

Thank you. Uh so the purpose of this software is to be for internal tracking is also for a public portal. Um we're looking this to uh end up as uh permitting software that we can use for buildings um for the utility department for planning and zoning for site reviews uh reviews code enforcement. Um we've been looking at it for the clerk's department for licensing needs um and for finance as well as taking payments for all that. So the the end goal is that we're going to have a product that um people can go online, apply for these types of permits. We're going to see them in our system. Everybody will be able to see them all at one time. So we're creating a better digital footprint for everybody at the city to be able to see what's going on, see when we're processing payments. Um the public will be able to log in, see where their permit is at in process. Um and and have everything create a record there so that we're not dealing with a lot of paper like we are right now. Thank you. Um, city manager Eubank, I guess I have a question just uh about the efficiency. It's a that will this make the the whole system a whole lot more efficient or just easy to go back and and find old permits.

Yeah. Thank you, Mayor Next, council members. I I believe it's going to make us I think it's going to I think we're going to step into kind of the modern era. Um like I think like Mr. Fry uh indicated uh you know right now when a permit comes into the city um you know say a building permit those initially start with our planning and zoning department for review for um zoning compliance as well as setbacks for proposed location. uh once approved there it um generally moves over um to the utility department to look at utility hookups and things. Right now all of these and and then from utilities it goes over to the building department for the the plan review which could in also entail uh our fire marshall getting involved in taking a look uh would also require public works to look at it from for uh roads for driveway permits things like that. So it has to change hands many times and right now um because we're all paperbased you have to physically find that piece of paper to know where it is in that process which I think is can be frustrating for staff but can be even more frustrating for the public. So I I do think that this will create um a significant amount of efficiency once we get it set up uh the workflows set up so that things can be routed. Um I think it will um also benefit us in better collaboration between all of those groups as we work on things. So um I this is a process that we've been working for for a number of years. I think some turnover in some of these departments has kind of slowed that process down, but we do have some existing funding. I believe that this is going to supplement and and um what council likely will see uh at the next meeting is a request to award the

contract because it will be over their $35,000 threshold. I just I know they're still going through their final evaluations so we can make that uh recommendation. That will be the next step. But I do think to the basis of your question is yes. I think we're going to be more efficient. I think you will see public satisfaction probably be um quite a bit higher as a result too. I hope Thank you, Council Member Grimmie.

I I agree with everything you just said and I want to add to that. I think it's also going to increase accessibility by the public to this process. I think that the time and space that we live in now, people go on online to do these things. They don't have a printer. They don't want to print off a form. They don't want to come get a form. They don't want to mess with things in triplicate or quadruplicator or however it is that we're we're doing it. I think this is going to increase accessibility and like like you said, it's it's going to um improve efficiency and I think continuity and recordkeeping. going to allow ourselves to continue to hold ourselves more accountable. It's it's going to increase project management efficiency across the board, I think.

Very good. Council member Petty. Yes. I I agree with everything that Miss Grimy just said. Um one of my questions is the project initially was um proposed for $15,000 and it went up 130%. Um, was that because the first proposal was so long ago and inflation made it kick up that amount or how did that increase occur to that substantial amount? City manager Eubank.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Petty, I think that's a great question. I what I would speculate is um that the initial 15,000 was um probably educated probably less educated best guess on what we think we could get software to do. And at this point, what what you're seeing here is after review of multiple softwares and our needs, um what the actual cost of of software to meet those needs is coming in at. I I don't think the software has necessarily gone up by 130% in the last couple of years. I think um what was envisioned we'd like to pay and what we're really going to have to pay, I think, are two totally different things here. And I think this is what it's going to take to get a piece of software to do everything we just described to you.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate that u greater understanding. Just wanted to add um a lot of this cost is the the purchase and implementation cost. There's a lot of uh setup. It's you know we're looking at probably anywhere from six month process to actually install the software, go through all the training, build all the templates and everything so that we can actually do this. So, a lot of this is working with the software provider to set up the software and do all that. Um, once we move forward, we're looking at a much smaller annual cost for the actual annual licensing cost of the software. Council member Cassenna,

thanks for that, Lee. Uh, my other budget related question is where would we see this in the budget going forward? It looks like it's going to be spread out along multiple departments. will be allocated out across that or in just one big bucket for the budget. City manager Eubank. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, council me, I don't know that we've got there yet. I I I think realistically it'll probably be focused in one area just for simplicity. Um, and it'll probably be focused in the area that has, you know, primary use, which I'm I'm guessing will probably remain with buildings, but All right. Thank you.

Any further comments, questions? Clerk, please call the role. Council member Sonard, yes. Mayor Naxstead, yes. Council member Daniel, yes. Council member Grimmie, yes. Vice Mayor Asen, yes. Council member Petty, yes. Council member Cassenna, yes. Student Representative Bowling, yes. You have seven yes votes. Ordinance number 3505-2026 is enacted.

Okay. Thank you. Now we are on item E2. Ordinance 3506206 accepting and appropriating a grant from the American Library Association for the Kina Community Libraries participation in the digital pathways online health literacy program for adults initiative brought to us by administration. And uh this is being going through a particular code K9 municipal code 1.15070 paragraph D. And uh that section allows us to uh uh hear an ordinance introduce it and uh go all the way through u you know enacting it um in the end. So u because of a time constraint in this particular case. So, I would be looking for uh a motion to introduce Vice Mayor Askin.

I move to introduce ordinance number 3506-2026. I would second that motion. Is there unanimous consent? I'll request unanimous consent. Unanimous consent consent was requested. Are there are there any objections? Seeing none, that brings us to uh a motion for the second reading. I'll entertain a motion for the second reading. I move that um we hold a second reading of ordinance number 3506-2026. I'll second and ask for unanimous.

Unanimous consent was requested. Are there any objections? Seeing none, u I'll read the uh ordinance again. Ordinance number 3562026 accepting and appropriating a grant from the American Library Association for the Kenai Libraries Unity Libraries participation in the digital pathways online health literacy program cramming for adults initiative brought to us by administration per kosal code 1.15070 pep paragraph D. So that brings us to uh a motion to enact council uh vice mayor Asen.

I move to enact ordinance number 3506-2026. I'll second that. Okay. Moved and seconded. Is there anybody from the general public that would like to speak to ordinance 3506206? Seeing no one, I'll bring us back to council. Um perhaps uh city manager Eubank, since we are going through uh this this alternate process, you might want to uh to provide any background on it.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council. I'm going to touch on kind of the procedural side, but if we want to get into the specific specifics of the grant, um our library director is here tonight. She could um address that part. Uh so at the last council meeting as part of my city manager report I did uh inform council that um the uh library staff was successful in applying for and being awarded this grant. Uh this grant requires acceptance I believe by tomorrow. Um and uh since this is the only meeting in between those two things, this is uh our purpose in requesting us a double reading uh at this meeting. And then Katchcha, would you mind just giving an overview on the grant itself?

I sure can. I will not repeat the title because it's really long. Um I am really really excited about this project. Um it combines uh digital literacy services and health literacy services. Um both of which we already do, but um we'll be able to um offer programming that is specifically for uh online health um resources. Um the grant, it's a pilot project. There were only 12 libraries nationwide who uh received this grant. It is a total of $8,000. Um the grant was written as city manager uh Eubank already said by one of my staff members Hannah uh Meyer uh with support from other library uh staff. Um she'll also be the project director on this uh grant and we'll be doing a combination of programming. We'll be adding some of uh some resources to our um online resources. We'll also be adding uh to our collection and we'll be adding equipment. Um, again, really excited. 12 libraries were one of them. It's a pretty cool project. Thank you.

Any further questions? Council member Cassenna. I just wanted to congratulate you and the library staff. I just am always impressed by how many grant funds you guys are able to uh apply for and get. I know that's not easy. So, um, well done again, Council Member Grimmy. I I agree and I appreciate your ability to find a way to provide more services without more expense by the city, but you're still providing more for our residents. So, I I I appreciate that. I know that request that applying for grants takes a lot of work. So, I I appreciate the work that you guys are doing to continue to provide more for our residents.

Council member Petty,

thank you. Mayor Naxstead, thank you so very much for presenting and putting forth the effort for this grant to come forward. Uh, one of my questions is with the health literacy program. Um, um, will the library be collecting any information on the individuals who will be utilizing that and is there a possibility of a HIPPA violation in regard? That is a very good question. No, we will not be collecting any information beyond just, you know, check out. Like, we'll be purchasing some equipment and that equipment will get checked out. We'll keep that information until the items get returned and then it'll be gone. So, there'll be no um no collection of any information.

Thank you for that clarity. Any further comments? I I too want to thank the library for its work and being one out of 12 grants I think in the country. That's that's amazing. And we got it right here and $8,000 and I understand you know you kind of talked about what it was going to go to but I think generally it's for for seniors. Um it was in the memo there. So anyway, thank you very much for you what you do and your staff. Any further questions, comments? Council member uh Sonar.

Thank you, Mayor Nstead. I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for securing this grant and providing more services. It's simple. Thank you, Council Member Daniel. I mean, you might as well, right? No, I'm No, it is very exciting. I echoing everybody else. This is exciting and it's always fun to see what what we got going on at the Kai Library. It's it's great. So, keep it up. You and your staff. Keep up the good work. We really appreciate it. Okay. Any further comments? Clerk, please call the role. Mayor Naged, yes. Council member Daniel, yes. Council member Grimmie, yes. Vice Mayor Askin, yes. Council member Petty, yes. Council member Cassenna,

yes. Council member Sonart, yes. Student Representative Bowling, yes. You have seven yes votes. Ordinance number 3506-2026 is enacted.

Okay. Thank you. Next we have item E3, ordinance number 3507206, increasing estimated revenues and appropriations for consulting services to evaluate natural gas storage opportunities on the Kenai Municipal Airport Lands brought to us by administration. And this also is uh per KMC 1.15.070 paragraph D. And uh so uh we'll uh we'll start this with pleasure for uh council for a motion to introduce. Vice Mayor Asen. I move we introduce ordinance number 3507-2026. I'll second that.

Unanimous consent was requested. Are there any objections? Hearing and seeing none. Uh that brings us to uh entertain the uh uh the motion for a second reading. Vice Mayor Asen ordinance number 3507-2026 and ask for unanimous consent. I'll second that.

Okay. Moved and seconded. So I'll be reading the uh the ordinance again. Ordinance number 3507206 increasing estimated revenues and appropriation uh for consulting services to evaluate natural gas opportunities on Kenai Municipal Airport lands brought to us by administration per KMC 1.15.070 sub paragraph D. Now I'll entertain a motion to enact. Vice Mayor Asen. I move to enact ordinance number 3507-2026. I'll second.

Is there anybody from the general public that would like to speak to ordinance 35072026? Seeing no one, we'll bring it back to council for discussion. Uh, city manager Eubank, do you want to explain why uh we should we needed to do this uh all in one meeting and any other background?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council. Uh so as reported uh at the last meeting um uh the city has received at this point we received two applications um to um develop gas storage on some city uh city property. Um those two applications have uh two things in common. There is one um parcel of land that is in common between both applications. Uh and probably more importantly uh both applications are for the same pore space which is the actual uh storage area down in the earth where the natural gas storage will take place. Um the surface estate or the the parcels that are subject to this are over in the city's uh industrial park off Marathon Road which is is airport property and the pore space um in under for these applications is uh under land that was deed to the city uh by the FAA for um operations of the airport. Uh that's the justification for utilizing airport funds um for this appropriation. Uh timing wise uh those the the first application uh for lease was uh began advertising I believe last Friday. So we're within our 30-day required advertising period. And uh we're starting to have uh numerous discussions. Um uh I will say poor space is a relatively new concept and topic for the city. So seeking some professional help in that area was I I we believe uh extremely important to our

success. So um we fig we felt the the sooner we could get those consultants on board um and um we're having various different meetings with different groups to talk about this. uh we thought was critical to have them on board. So, um again, I will say it it's I think it is rare for us to do double readings and we're doing two here tonight, but I think that that was the purpose for this and and the reason for the appropriation. Okay. Any questions of the city manager? Council member Daniel.

Thank you, Maxstead. Uh, do we have a firm or outfit in mind to help us with this or are we just allocating funds right now to find the firm? City manager Eubank.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Daniel. Yeah, we we have identified um a firm um two gentlemen, I think probably more in particular, but um that that we feel are are very well qualified. Um the contract amount right now that's being proposed is only at 30,000 which uh is under the threshold for council approval. Um you know so we'll see where that goes. Um I I I will just put council on those. I think there's a fair chance that it could it we could be seeking additional funding at some point but this I think is a great starting point for us and we'll see where we go from here. Any further questions of the city manager? Um I I I do in general I guess we we've got an RFP out currently for the pore space and and and we're hiring a consultant kind of on the tail of of of that. I was wondering how they maybe explained it already, but how do they mesh together? They're going to be advising us, but we've already uh put an RFP out. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I I don't know that we've put an RFP out. I think what is required by code when we receive a lease application for city land, it requires a 30-day notice period in which we seek competing offers on that property. That is the stage that we're at right now. Um, like I said, um, we're trying to get a better understanding of how to deal with poor space and and the leasing of that. I can tell you, you know, Kenai Municipal Code, I don't think was drafted with that intent. It may require uh non-code non-code type work. uh we don't really know and that's why I think we're trying to get the best um consultants and

gather the most information that we can right now to to to know how we can move forward in a you know in a reasonable manner um as these projects both have I think um some timelines they'd like to achieve as well. Thank you for clarifying that. I I did see the advertisement um the notice and it looked like an RP but pretty good. Uh, any further questions? Council member Daniel.

Thank you, Mayor Nid. A follow up on the consultants. Is their role to help advise just like these plans, what we're looking at? What what is I guess going to sound kind of silly? I mean, they're consultants, but how do we what is their role in advising us or what are they what are we trying to get from them, if that makes sense? City Manager Eubank.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Daniels. Um the individuals we're talking with um uh they have uh there's two gentlemen um one is a petroleum engineer by profession has pretty extensive knowledge over the technical aspects of gas storage and and oil and gas development. Uh the other the complement to that team is an individual who has decades of experience negotiating oil and gas leases and pore space and subsurface leases um from the industry's perspective and um so we're looking to bring that you know expertise and how to negotiate these contracts and what are the key factors and and has experience in that to our team as well as uh the technical side. So that I think that's what these consultants will bring to us and and assist us with.

Thank you. Sounds like a winning combination. Council member Petty. Thank you, Mayor Nextad. Uh for the city manager, uh I think it's very wise that uh we're uh reaching out for these consultants on this project that we've never uh worked with before. Um, is there a timeline that you think estimated um that we would need the services of these consultants? Sir, the manager Eubank.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, Council Member Petty. I I don't have one. Uh, the only timelines that's fixed in certain in code is the 30-day advertising period for competition. Um once we get through that, we're you know there is no established timeline for how long um we have to bring those applications say to council for approval or um and then um there certainly is no prescribed timeline for what it might take to negotiate those contracts and and put those agreements in place. So I don't really know. Um, I I think it's our goal to to move at a um fair pace, but I think we also want to be very cautious and make sure we're very thorough because these these could be significant agreements and could have significant financial impacts for the city and for the airport.

Could I have a follow-up question? Absolutely. Thank you. Um I know that um the request for the 30,000 is the purpose for that. Um, so does the does the city manager have uh an estimate of what the cost might be going forward with our consultants? And might it go over the amount that would be necessary? Um, might it go over the $35,000 on that?

Eubank.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council member Petty. I think this 30,000 is our our uh first best guess on where we think we might go. I think if we got in a situation with um prolonged contract negotiations or required um more extensive u you know project comparisons or something like that we could exceed that 30,000 and I and I don't know how to speculate um how far we could exceed you know I think all along the way we will be evaluating you know um the invest I I feel like the expenditure of funds for these consultants is an investment and at some point you have to evaluate whether that investment is is ever going to get paid back and so that we're very conscious of that. We think it's very prudent to spend up to this amount at this point from what we do know. Um I think and and we will take and evaluate it from there. I I I don't know if I could give you a ballpark on where I think it might go because I I have no idea at this point.

Thank you for that answer. I appreciate it, sir. Okay. Any further questions, comments? I uh I do believe that it's it's money well spent. It's uh like hiring an attorney or an accountant or whatever. Um they they help you get through that whatever that process is. And it's been my experience that that's what you do when you when it's not your expertise. So, we'll be voting in in favor of this. Any any further comments? City clerk, would you please call the role? Council member Daniel, yes. Council member Grimmie, yes. Vice Mayor Askin, yes. Council member Petty, yes. Council member Cassenna, yes. Council member Sonart,

yes. Mayor Naxad, yes. Student Representative Bowling, yes. You have seven yes votes. Ordinance number 3507-2026 is enacted. Okay. Thank you. That brings us to item E4, resolution 2026-14, amending the city's schedule of rates, charges, and fees to allow for reduced or eliminated plan review fees for successive uh identical structures brought to us by administration. Pleasure of councel, vice mayor Asen. I move that we adopt uh resolution number 2026-14.

I'll second. Is there anybody from the general public that would like to speak to resolution 2026-14? Okay, seeing no one, um, comments of vice mayor asking, I request unanimous consent. Okay, we have unanimous consent. Um, is there any any further questions, comments? Let's see. Uh, back on. Council member Grammy, I saw you looking intently, but Sorry. Go ahead.

I I just want to say I think that this is a this is a small thing, but it that could have big ramifications in increasing building within our community, especially when we're talking about multi- family units. um and might help move towards move us towards addressing the the housing issue that we've been experiencing in our community and that our residents articulated in our survey results recently. Council member Cassenna.

Yeah, sorry about that. Um yeah, I just wanted to echo those same comments. I think this along with some of the other things that our planning and zoning commission are doing or our um public works department are doing for building standardization and road standardization is all all ties into some exciting stuff for development in the city of Kenai. So um thanks for the work on this.

Any further comments? I I I think I have one question. I think for the probably the city attorney, the uh the verbiage in the new code says that the the public works director who I have a lot of confidence in um has sole sole uh discretion. And I was wondering um in just reviewing that if uh to take that position off the hot seat if it if it should be um sole discretion or or if the city manager perhaps should uh should agree as well or or do you think that it's sufficient the way it is?

Mr. Bloom. Thank you. Mayor Knack said, um, I was just trying to find the specific language in the ordinance. Um, it's in the under. Yeah. Right. I think uh given that this is a building plan uh review and that it specifically outlines what would fees would be waved and why that this is sufficient for now. I guess if we have problems or have unhappy uh developers, we can look at adjusting it then. Okay,

thank you for that. Any uh any further questions? Unanimous consent was requested. Um resolution 2026-14 is adopted. So, we have no unfinished business. Brings us down to new business. We are down to item H7. Um, action approval item number seven, work plan 2026, airport commission. Um, pleasure of councel. Vice Mayor Asen.

Um, I move that we accept the work plan from the for 2026 from the airport commission and request unanimous consent. I'll second that. Okay.

Moved and seconded. Um, is there anybody from the public that would like to uh to uh comment on the work plan 2026 from the airport commission? Okay. Seeing nobody, bring it back to council. Council comments, questions. Unanimous consent was requested. Are there any objections? Seeing none, um the uh airport commission 2026 work plan is is adopted. Now finally we are we have item H8 uh discussion action item Alaska Children's Institute up for the performing arts doing business as triumphant the theater parking and landscaping matching grant request brought to us by admin administration. Um, I think that there's a general motion in there so we can discuss it. It's open discussion. Did I have a motion? I need a motion to It's an open discussion, but we need a motion in a second.

I move that um we open the subject of the uh matching grant request for discussion. I'll second. Can we pause because the the motion to open discussion is not necessary if we want to actually put the motion to approve this on the floor. The motion that's on in the memo on page 79 would be the motion in order. Okay. So I can just discuss. Yeah, that's so we don't need we want to do it after the discussion. Correct. So to open the discussion, you do not need the motion to open the discussion. Okay. So let let's let's just back up. Okay.

So we we're we're in open discussion, but I see we have Mr. Rizzo here this evening and I'm I'm sure that uh Mr. Mr. Rizzo, would you like to speak to uh what we're talking about this evening?

Well, of course, Mr. Mayor, thank you. Uh, council members, good evening. Um, my name is Joe Rzone. I'm the executive director for Triumph Theater or the Alaska Children's Institute for the Performing Arts. Um, I really just want to outline just a few things uh about this and take any questions if you have them. Um, the Block Foundation in Anchorage has offered us a $40,000 grant for paving the parking lot as per the requirements by the city. um if we can uh come up with the matching funds uh from another entity uh for the landscaping which has been estimated to be $10,300. Um the city grants nonprofits funds on occasion and uh some some nonprofits get money every year. Uh this is not what we're asking for. We're asking for one-time funding so that we can meet the requirements of this match. Um we are uh I would say as a nonprofit um in there with the rest of them we bring a lot of people to Kenai. Um but more importantly we leverage uh support that we get and we've demonstrated that with uh the grant of property that the city has given us. Uh we turned that piece of property into a $3.5 million building uh that now thousands of people come to every year. Uh this is we've only been in business for 10 months here in the city and already we've done uh going on six uh productions and we bring hundreds and hundreds of people into into town to see those productions. um to make that

happen, to be able to take that property and relay it into uh this performing arts center, we had to take on some debt to do that. It was the the way that we uh the only way that we could have completed that project. So, as such, uh, I'm not getting any younger, and I really, uh, want to make sure that this organization stays sustainable and is here for the future of kids here in the community. Um, I don't really want to take on another $50,000 worth of debt in order uh to do the paving and the landscaping, especially not when the block foundation is going to give me, you know, 40 $40,000 to do that with. Um, I really uh my main point is that you as a council and as a city, we want this organization to be here 20 years from now, 25 years from now. And I didn't bring like a bajillion people with me tonight because I think everybody widely knows that we have a great deal of support. But I did ask a few of uh few students to come up tonight and speak if they could do that. U absolutely

that'd be great. Uh this is Oshi Brousard. Uh she has been in our triumph program for well since she's about six or seven years old and uh she is a really good um she's a really good example of why you want this program to be here. Uh she started before she was even Briar's age. Brier is uh kind of the other end of it. She's just started with Tri Theater, a star of Juni B. Jones. Um and uh she's going to speak a little bit too about why she would like this program to remain here even after Joe Rizzo kills over of a heart attack because of too much ice cream.

We hope we certainly hope not. Miss Brousard. Yeah. Go ahead.

Hi. Um, I'm Oshi and I've been with Triumph, as Joe said, since I was about six years old. And I'm now 18 and a senior in high school. And I've done like probably over like I don't know 50 productions for Triumph Theater over the years. And he puts them on every fall, every winter, and so forth. But, uh, I'm graduating in May and heading to college in the fall for music education. And I think that the thing that inspired me most to pursue that as a career is what Joe Rizzo has brought for our community. When I started when I was 6 years old, I liked music at first and I started doing the productions and I was like this is actually pretty cool. And I saw like how Joe is like directing them and I was like that looks so much like that looks like so much fun. And like for I knew that I wanted to do that when I was a young like kid and growing forth I like realized that I wanted to do it for music. And I got to be in the Juni B. Jones production as an adult character. And I got to watch all the kids that I was once their age like flourish in like the stage and have so much fun and meet so many people and have so many experiences. And I was like, "Yeah, like that needs to continue." And if it's gone for so long and like I feel like you know like it can go on for so much longer and even after Joe passes away from too much ice cream like somebody can like be there to take care of the theater for all the kids in the future like even past Briar's age like 20 25 years down the road there'll be kids in the same situation because the kids have been in the same situation for so long and they find a safe space in it and for like situations where they don't feel safe at home or they don't feel safe anywhere else. like they go to that theater and they feel like they have a family there

and they have people who care about them and love them and that inspires them to do things like go to college and pursue music or pursue theater or be a teacher and I feel like it just inspires like the next generation and it's important to do that because it's it just is if you have any like anybody has any empathy like come on now like it's important but yeah that's kind of all I have to Thank you, Mr. Brasard. Would you be willing to stand for any questions that council might have? Go ahead. Thanks, Isosi. Right. Yeah.

I love that name, by the way. Thank you for being here. Um, and thank you for uh just speaking to this. I think um the part of what this brings to the community other than the money is exactly the story you just told. And so I think that's why it's exciting to have Joe here to ask for this and have your support here as well. So um yeah, my hope is that you come back after you graduate with music teaching and then you can uh continue to help in this community. So any further questions? Council member Sonart.

Thank you. Mayor Nex said no questions, just a comment. Um, good luck to yourself as you head off to college next fall. And I'm glad you've had such a wonderful experience. And I'm excited to hear a young person going into music education. So, yay. But, and I echo um, Council Member um, Cassenna's remarks. Please come back to our community afterwards. Thank you, Council Member Petty.

Yes. Thank you, Mayor Nstead. Thank you for your comments. They were very rich and informative. Um and um I look forward to having the opportunity to uh vote yes on this opportunity uh to invest in our community, in our youth to create safe spaces so that um all of our community members can grow and flourish. Thank you so very much. And yes, I would love to see you back. Thank you very much. Oh, student student rep. Bowling, go ahead.

Thank you so much for coming. It's awesome to see the performing arts being so successful and keen on. Um, you know, repeating what everybody else said, it's so nice to see you here, but I think it'd be awesome to see you replace Mr. Rizzo someday. Maybe sooner rather than later.

We're already talking about replacing him. I don't know. Yeah, it might not be the ice cream by the end of it. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Now, there's a there's a button to push and the light will turn red like this one and you're There you go.

Hello, my name is Byron and I'm currently participating in my fourth production at Triumph Theater. The f the first production I did here were two drama camps over the summer. I love them both so much that I couldn't wait to audition for Junip Jones in the fall. I learned so much that I was able to get the lead. Triumphant is teaching me and many other kids valuable life skills. We learned self-confidence, public speaking, personal responsibility, and teamwork. Pi practicing these skills at the theater made me more successful in school. For example, I won my classroom forensics competition. Triumphant brings together a wide age range of kids from all over the central peninsula. The older kids are great role models for us. When I grow up, I look forward forward to helping the younger kids like the older kids are doing for us. I'm so lucky to have this a theaterlike triumphant in my town. Thank you and have a good night. Yeah, I have to.

Well, would you be willing prior to in case council has any questions of you? Council, thank you so much for your presentation. I just want to say thank you, Brier. That was uh braver than I think most of us could have been. So, well done.

I could not have done that at your age. No way. And that's and that actually is a testament to what Mr. Rizzo has done for you you children. You know that that you can do that and you can do it at an earlier age and and one day who knows you'll be president or something, right? Thank you. Joe, do you have any anybody else or you want to question? Any questions of Joe? Uh, Council Member Daniel.

Thank you, Mayor Knack. Uh, really appreciate you coming out tonight, Mr. Rizzo. Uh, and I always appreciate your, uh, creative methods for funding requests and like the sand from the airport. That was great. Genius. So, I really It was really really appreciate that you shaking every tree and trying to make it all work and uh, getting this across the finish line. It's been a tremendous asset to the community. Uh, thank you again. And I my only question uh is um and I do fully support this. Do you this dollar amount here um are we pretty sure about that that that amount or do you think is that was there wiggle room in there or what what are your thoughts on on the um

that's the estimate that uh we have from uh BMBB uh landscaping. Council member Penny. Thank you. Mayor Maxstead. Um, if this all comes to fruition with all the resources, uh, when do you project that the project would start? We we're going to start it this spring. Okay. Thank you. Hi.

Um, have you explored any other funding options or sources for this remaining 10ish,000? It it's kind of funny that uh usually a funer doesn't like suggest people to go to, but in this case they did. The the block foundation said, "Well, you should ask the city to like I was like, "Okay, well, I'll ask the city." And we'll see where it goes from there. So any further question vice mayor asken um just out of curiosity are you planning on making the parking lot larger than what it is now

if Mr. Machiki has it his way? Yes. It will be a little just a little bit longer so that a truck can get in there and back out. Thank you. Anyone else Joe? Thank you for everything you do. And I I know the city I've been involved here since you started and it was an idea, you know, just woods and then a hole in the ground and we filled it with sand, you know, just across the way from airport and and all of that and and everything else we've been able to help you out with and, you know, I I will certainly support support this moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

And and I hope you're not planning on eating too much ice cream. Well, they they gave me and when we got done with White Christmas, they gave me I think uh probably 15 16 pints of Hogenas ice cream because that's really the only word ice cream worth eating. And I finished them before the 30th of January. So, and you know why that is? It's cuz I don't drink bourbon. I run a children's theater. So, absolutely. Thank you, Joe. Okay. Byebye.

Okay, council. Well, it was discussion first and then we make a motion. I guess I had a premonition of where this was going to go, so I I jumped jumped the gun. Do I have a Do I have a motion to uh to direct the the administration? Um I'm I move that we um put forth $10,000 for the landscaping at the Triumph Theater. I'll second that. It's been moved and seconded. Um,

sorry. I think that the dollar amount is more than that and we'd need the motion to be accurate. The on page 79 of your packet is the motion that the administration is requesting. I apologize. So, withdraw your motion and agree. I'll withdraw my original motion and um move to award a $10,000 300 $10,380 grant to the Trium Theater for their landscaping project. I will second that specific amount.

Moved and seconded. Any any discussion? Um um city manager Eubank though where where will these funds come come from that that's going to be in the uh the proposed ordinance? Yeah, thank you Mr. Mayor. Um I have to consult with the finance director, but I believe it'd be an appropriation of fund balance from the general fund. Um and there's sufficient funds there obviously. Abs. Yes.

I'd like to request unanimous consent. Okay. Kent was requested. Uh city uh council member Petty, did you have a question? Scott was requested. Is there any objection? Seeing none or we'll be looking for this ordinance. Thank you. Thank you all for coming tonight, too. That brings us down to item H9, discussion inviting council participation and external auditor evaluation committee brought to us by administration. Open discussion um city manager Eubank you want to explain um this for us.

Yeah, thank you Mr. Mayor. I'm going to defer to the finance director. He one who brought this forward to me. Um, thank you, uh, city manager through the mayor. Um, what we're looking to do here is off offer council to participate in the selection of our a external audit for our financials. Um, that at the end of the day, they really work for you to review the work that we do and so we wanted to give you the opportunity to participate in that process. Andrew, you back.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, what we have right now is an RFP on the street. Um, so our audit contract, we reached the end of of that contract and the allowable extensions. So, we have a new RFP on the street to select um auditors for the next three years with two one-year possible extensions. And um if council would the the administration's happy to do the evaluation and recommend uh the contract, but I think as um finance director indicated, you know, this is one of the very few contracts that is between council and the audit firm. Uh they work for you to oversee us. So we want to give you the opportunity to be a part of that evaluation if you chose. Um it could be um one uh it could be as many as you want. We'd recommend no more than two just to you know keep those committees so we can get the work done. But um uh if council would like to do that there is a possible motion on page uh 81 of the packet. uh you could um have a discussion and drop a name or two in there and um we'd happy be happy to include you in that process as they do their evaluation and recommendation for audit services.

City manager Eubank, it looks like it's a pretty short coupled um evaluation time. Um and uh how how uh complicated is the RFP and the proposals? So, I mean, I'm looking for kind of a feeling of time commitment on something like this.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I I think honestly for somebody who's never looked at an audit RFP before, it could it's it's going to take a fair amount of reading. Some of these could be, you know, um 50 to 100page documents. A lot of that is resumeumés and and things like that. But um so I I would estimate probably uh three depending on how many RFPs we do receive. Um it could be you know two to four hours to actually review and rank the RFPs and then typically those meetings where um you get with the rest of the committee talk about your scorings um those are uh probably an hour to two hours and so I I would estimate probably four to six hours total um for somebody's time. Okay. Anybody interested?

Council member Daniel. I'm just This is a curiosity. I thought you were raising your hand. Well, I I am kind of curious about it. Yes. I'm not going to lie. Uh but I had another question before I got to that part. Did we um did we do this last time or is this a new thing where like with council involvement for this doing this RFP process? I just don't recall like maybe it's before my time. Manager Eubank.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, yes, council member Daniel. This was prior to your election to council. So, the our last contract was was similar in structure, three-year cont, three-year initial contract with two one-year allowable extensions. So, it's been 5 years since we've walked through this process. Um, and it is something we offer every time. And again, I think, you know, the I guess to drive the point home, the primary reason for that is that these auditors work for council. So, this is your contract and you should have the opportunity to be a part of that evaluation and selection. You will make the final award no matter what. Um, but um, we do this a lot with all of our evaluations and we're happy to do that here, but if council would like to participate, we want to give you the opportunity. Nobody. No.

I guess I will I'm I think I'd like to ride this train. I'm curious. So, take me along. I may regret it, but I I I do appreciate the city manager bringing this to our attention and making sure council is involved. And I do believe at least one of us should take a seat on that to make sure. And if somebody else is really strongly feeling it, please jump on with me. But if not, I do think we should at least uh be a part of it. One of us should be I do agree that one other person other than Phil should probably be on. One other person in addition to Phil

and and and we all know Council Member Cassenna has lots of experience in in reviewing these things, but never done one. this time. So, so we we have one one for sure. Um, if if if I can't talk Council Member Cassenna into it, I could or we could flip a quarter over it.

Vice Mayor Askin. Um, I move that we appoint Mr. Daniel um to participate in the city's request for proposal for the external financial audit services evaluation committee. Would you like to add anybody else on there? I'll I'll do it. Mayor Nex and Mayor Nexton, Mr. Daniel and Mr. Nexton. Okay, that's the motion. Question unanimous consent. We have a second. I'll second that.

Okay, second. Okay. Uh, unanimous consent was requested. Are there any objections? Seeing none, u, myself and, uh, council member Daniel are are anointed into that. So, now it gets us down to item H10, discussion, action item, uh, for rescheduling the April 15, 2026 Kai Kenai city council meeting. Uh, that's next month. Um this is uh in here um from a discussion I had with the city clerk. We were just talking about scheduling and uh it came to light that April 15th is the day after the uh the uh the special election we're having and all of that that happens. And that the following week um the canvasing board will be uh uh completing its uh its work. So, it's it's it's kind of more for uh um council the clerk if we want to do that. It's really not a not a public um um asking, but um since um this does involve the clerk, I thought perhaps Shelley uh is there something that you'd like to um provide to us do this?

Thank you. through the mayor the if the the meeting were moved to the 22nd which I talked to the planning director and there's an extra week in the month of April so that gives us an extra Wednesday he said it wouldn't be a conflict to move his planning commission meeting to the 29th but that would this would allow you the council to certify the special election a week after it's been done basically versus waiting 3 weeks till May 6 when the next opportunity is to certify it Vice Mayor Askin

um just in my opinion based on um the fact that it would expedite our certifying the election results on the 22nd. I would like to move that we reschedu that meeting to the 22nd of April. I'd second that. And can I request unanimous consent on this one and request unanimous consent? Moved and second. Is there any further discussion? Any questions? Council member Daniel, just one quick question for the clerk. Um, this this is going to be helpful for you. Yes. It's not going to be make more work. Is this a this is better? This is what I'm asking, I guess.

Yeah. The code already requires me to canvas do the canvasing the Tuesday following the election. So, we're going to be doing it that day anyways and it'll be wrapped by the end of the day on the 21st. and uh clerk s there's not going to be any confusion that I meant by the public or anything that we can't handle. Um there's nothing coming up that we would expect people to be here for on that day if they're not paying attention to our revised schedule.

Yeah, we'll get it updated on the website as soon as possible. will publish extra noticing that it's been rescheduled so that the public's aware that it's not the second third, sorry, third, it'll be the fourth Wednesday of that month.

Any further discussion? Now, as consent was requested, is there any objections? Seeing none, we have moved our wechuled our April 15th meeting. So, that brings us to another open discussion item. Um, uh, scheduling, uh, city council employee evaluations. Um, all of us, but Council Member Freemy's been through this, but, uh, today in your emails, you should have got a copy, uh, from the the the HR director, the evaluations for our three employees, the city manager, the attorney, and the clerk. And uh those are writable PDFs. You can download them, fill them and uh and those are requested to be sent to the uh HR director and she'll compile that and all the any comments you have in the scoring. And uh so the first thing we would need to do as a council would be to have a meeting in executive session to go over the uh the uh the evaluations just amongst us. And uh that is proposed to um first off for you to have the uh the applications in by the uh completed into the to HR by the 16th. Um which you know that works. I just want to make sure that those dates work because it'll it'll affect everything on the way down the road. And then uh on our March 19 and 18th meeting, I'm proposing if it's with what you guys want to agree to is we would have an executive session after the meeting to go over those. And uh so March 18th is is is one date and then um the uh we review that and then we're going to need to have another

special or executive session meetings to to go over the the and meet actually with with the attorney and the city manager and the clerk. And uh that's usually too much to do on one evening. Matter of fact, I don't know that we've ever done it that way. So we split it up where we've done two on one night and one on the other. Um what HR has suggested here um is uh um to have uh to meet on one night with the with the city manager and the city attorney and then the other night with the clerk. Normally we I don't know if you had any input on dates, madam clerk. Normally we at least my memory is is we we normally uh meet with the the city attorney and the clerk one evening and then uh then the city manager um another one. So um that'll be something we can discuss, but who we're going to meet with when. But um she has on here a couple of dates suggested. City manager Eubank.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I I just before we get too far into this, one thing that I I think typically as part of that process, I think staff have provided council with an evaluation of our prior year goals and our goals and and our accomplishments and goals for the next year. And you said council's evaluations are due by the 16th. Did you have a deadline when you'd like to have those those from us for for your consideration when you're doing our evaluations? Um it is cuz I haven't prepared mine. I don't know about city attorney and city clerk and by the if you guys are going to try to act by the 16th, it's going to get pressed for time here.

Okay. Well, maybe we need to back up. I just want to want to make sure that uh it's going to fit everybody's schedule. Council member Cassenna. Yeah. And I think to that point, is there um a significant impact to the the review schedule to have the questionnaires due a week or two later than they are now to allow you three to have time to complete that? Um I I think that the only timeline really is Terry can correct me if I'm wrong, is the budget. if they're, you know, if you're going to quadruple Terry's salary, that might have an impact on the budget. So, we'd want it to be taken care of before them.

So, uh, city manager Eubank and I guess all three of you sounds like the 16th is a little bit, uh, um, maybe premature, you think, to to have that done with all your workloads? too soon. Okay. Um

I I certainly could have it to you by the 16th. I was concerned with having it to you for council to have time to do their work by the 16th, I guess, is where I was at. Um the 16th wouldn't be a problem for for me to provide that. I just I don't want to give it to you and then you guys have two hours to complete your work. I don't think that would be fair. So,

okay. So, I guess uh what we need to do then is is is a look at a different date uh perhaps in March where we can push things back uh for for it to have that that executive session. And it um what that does is if we do it in March, it wouldn't be during a normal meeting night. And uh Madam Clerk, is that something we could do in the office in the back here if if this is occupied? Yeah, we would still have to schedule a special meeting with an executive session on the agenda.

Would we want to do that the 25th? We would have to meet alternatively, but we'd be in executive session. So, it wouldn't be alternative location. I'm talking about because that'll be a planning and zoning meeting that night probably correct 25th. And they meet at seven. So, if you came in earlier, you could call your meeting to order and go into executive session. that if you went past 7, chambers wouldn't be available to adjourn it. So, we could do it at 5:00 instead of 6. I don't know if there's a meeting for planning and zoning on that 25th, but it doesn't it doesn't start till 7. So, that'd give us 2 hours if we started it at 5. Either way, I don't think would that work.

They have one scheduled that night. So, Director Butner is online with us. Do you know what your March 25th meeting is looking like? Yes. Uh, currently there's just a business meeting. There is no staff meeting or business or sorry, work session prior to that. So, the only meeting would be 7 p.m. on the 25th.

Council member um Deb. Yeah, I was just thinking I mean before we schedule an executive session to discuss the um the summations that we've all written um I think we need to nail down the the two dates the dates for the three employees to have their synopsis written up and given to council and then and then a final date for council to submit to HR and then we can do our executive meeting.

I'd propose uh March 16th for the the turnaround for the three of you to have that report on. Yeah, I I think I think uh it's a little bit of cart before the horse like you say, but I think we kind of need to get before it on what day we can we meet and then we can we can establish that day behind us because um um is that week long enough that if they are turned in on the 16th, if we have it back by the end of the day, the 20th, is that too short of a time? I was thinking the 23rd. That gives you a week. I don't know. Um,

I mean that then we could still try to make the 25th work. Um, I will say with the caveat that I am supposed to be in Anchorage the 23rd, 24th, and 25th for the Alaska Juvenile Justice Advisory Council. Um, but I could if we're if you're landing on the meeting on the evening of the 25th, I can try to adjust my travel to be back in time to be here for that. I we haven't scheduled travel yet. How much time do we need to give our HR director to consolidate everything?

Uh that'll work because it would have worked before um I met with her in just a couple of days. She'll take what she's going to do is take all of our comments and scorings and put those on the same form essentially. So we'll have all that together and that's what we're going to Can she could she get that done in essentially one workday? I mean, if we're saying get it back to her by the end of the day, the 23rd, that would give her the 24th to compile it if we're meeting the 25th. Is that enough time? I don't know what kind of a project this is for her.

I I I think she can, but then I'm going to have to uh ask the city manager since she is his employee and I'm directing her work. But um what the way it was going to work before is we were going to have everything in by the 16th and then we were going to have a meeting on the 18th and that was going to work for her then. So I would say yes. Okay. And I don't know what her schedule is otherwise. You see dayto-day city manager Eubank. I think it's in my best interest that she get that done on your timeline. No, I I don't think it'd be a problem for Stephanie. She's she's pretty efficient.

Okay. So, we have uh every what we have has to be turned in by the 23rd. And that doesn't mean that you can't turn it. Oh, Miss Petty. Go ahead. Like to make a comment. Thank you. Go ahead. Uh when can our uh city manager, our attorney, and city clerk have their information to the council? because we already have the evaluation form. We're just waiting on their information to get to us. When can we expect that, please? The 16th. The 16th. It's not going to come to us before the 16th. We're pushing out.

The proposal is to have their reviews in by the six or their information in by the 16th, push our review out the following week so we could still meet and have time. I uh I think when you review the the review forms that a lot of that really um what I would recommend doing is what you've got it is I would go ahead and and work on it and and frankly complete it because a lot of it is just your personal experiences with them and it's really not necessarily uh what they're going to be providing us but I wouldn't turn it in until I got that and I probably I might modify what I had. So basically the work is done and then you can go back and and tweak it a little bit because there's probably some Oh yeah, that's right. And I wanted to comment on this if that works for you guys' kind of schedule.

Can we just go over all those dates real quick in a sequential order here? Do what? Can we just run through and summarize those dates real quick? Yeah, we're not done yet. get the reports. We get the information from this and then we have to have our our comments back by the 23rd. By the 23rd. Yeah. You're not on you're not on on you're not being recorded, but uh yeah, there you go. You go ahead and say what you were saying. And then the executive session on the 25th at 5:00. Does that work for everybody? Could all of that be put in writing so that I don't miss anything, please?

Pardon me? Can all of that be put in writing so that I don't get my dates mixed up and miss something important, please? Yeah. Yeah. Well, that that's a good idea. Council member Grammy, can you can you clarify for me then? So, I've got the dates. Understand those. executive session 25th and then we need to also schedule dates two dates for um meetings with the city clerk, the city attorney and the city manager. Correct. And we have not proposed those dates yet. We we have not. Okay.

And yeah, and what we're going to do is we'll we're going to uh kind of agree on on the the review for each one of them. And it just it's just a qualifying quant you know ideas and on how they're performing. And then the next one would be um when we meet with them then we're going to have what we agreed on together. We'll provide that to them and and discuss their review with them. Okay.

Okay. And uh um that takes you know 45 minutesish depends you know per person could be an hour could be more you know but it's it all depends on you know so anyway we have not established what those dates are going to be and I suggest we we split it into two different days and those are dates that we're going to figure out today next that's our next okay

so we're we're We're up to the the 25th of March. So, um the uh the next uh dates we might consider are the following following week. We have a a council meeting on April on April Fool's April 1st. And uh um we could also meet on the 31st of March. What is I have in my calendar a work session in my calendar I have a work session for the first what was that do we have one on the first I have that too and I don't remember what it was about

I did that's all I had on there too I was going to say anything is it the auditor no the financial that's at that's at five or something four I have it written out four four.

Um, but that's that's before our regular meeting and I'm suggesting we have the executive session after. So that would not be in conflict. It would just make the evening a little longer. So, and and I'd suggest during our our uh meeting night that we just have have the one employee. So, it'll be even shorter. But, um if that works, if if we were to uh meet on the 31st Yeah. for for two the other two. Meet two on the 31st and one um on the 1st. Okay.

Mr. Mayor, I'm scheduled to be in Sitka the week of March 30th for Northwest Managers Conference. So, I won't be here on either the 31st or the 1st. Yeah. I could do it telephonically if council desired, but I I won't be here in person. Then what I would propose is on April 1st we meet with the clerk and the attorney after our regular scheduled meeting. Can we keep that to one that day since we have a we already have a

No, we're going to we're gonna daylight and we're going to have lots of daylight by then. I just want to give the best performance evaluation I can possibly give our three employees and so I don't want to do that after several hours of meetings already. We might be a little excited to get out of here. Wow.

Well, and I and I would also point out that that that will give us something every Wednesday um in March except the 11th. Um and there is an extra Wednesday in April. We did move our meeting already. Um it's certainly not my evaluation um Mr. City Manager, but um it would seem more uh I don't know. I I want you to have the opportunity to be here and be in person if that's something that is of value to you.

I I think he needs to be here also. And uh what I was suggesting is is uh on on the first if if we had the uh the energy that we would do the clerk and the city attorney and then uh the city manager later after he's back. I I that's a lot on on that day. We we need to either do one or break it up like the next day or next week. That's a long day for us. I think because we already have that audit work session in there at 4. I think maybe

that would be 4 to roughly 10 or 9 p.m. that day. Uh I I would also if it's not super timesensitive, we have another regular meeting on the 15th that we've re That's right. But Um, and then we also have then the 22nd and the 29th if there's no urgency to to have these done before May. So would you like to have the um use the 15th for executive session or for meeting with them? Badger Eubank.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council. I if if if council is going to schedule a special meeting, I would recommend the week of the 6th just because I know this the finance director is trying to get that budget drafted and distributed. What's your distri distribution date, Dave? I don't have that in front of me. Midappril I believe it is. So, um, if we could knock them out by the I guess the week of the 6th, it would be ideal for for the finance director. Do we want to schedule a 5:00 on the 8th then before planning and zoning?

Well, I guess that's I wanted to clarify if we're scheduling a completely separate meeting on the ETH, would we do all three in a row? I mean, I wouldn't be I guess let me rephrase that. I would not be adverse to us just doing them all on the 8th if we're scheduling a special meeting already on the 8th to do them all at the same time. I think that's a great idea.

Well, I would be game for that. We we've always broke it up just because it, you know, it was kind of a wild card how long it was going to take. Remember remember though that the uh council chambers will be used at 7:00. So we'd have to decide if a better day that week perhaps or is there another day that week? There's a meeting. What we can do is start in here, but we could go into the clerk's um meeting room over there and that we've done that in there before many times. Pardon? We have done those meetings in the conference room. Absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, if we wanted to start here and uh and then move, we can. Or just do them all in there. Maybe that's not not important. If we can if we want to do it all one night, we can do that. Hold on a second. Might, while they're discussing this, might I recommend we ask them to come up with a schedule next year? as part of the performance evaluation. I had a schedule this year, but you guys blew it all up. So, it won't that wouldn't work. Do we should we take a short break or they got it?

Okay. Have we come to some consensus here? Scott,

thank you. Uh, Mayor Net, so this has sort of always been a little bit of a fumbling process and I maybe next year this is can we can be on our radar to have this ironed out. So for council members that haven't been here, so the first thing that happens is you fill out these evaluations. Then when you meet with the your three employees generally you go over the valuations with them and negotiate uh contract changes and in order to some of those changes require action. So I just want to make sure that if we're going into executive session you have to be able to come out of executive session and take action potentially. So, if this room was full, I just want to make sure Shelley understands that where we take action. Um, I will not that we can't do it or we could have the meeting somewhere else at the library. I don't know. But we you you I think you want to be able to take action because the finance director has to know what you're doing and he can't know that until you publicly uh describe it or it's public or that information is transferred to the finance director.

Does the action that we take have to be from this specific location right here? this it it doesn't but this specific location right here is the location that is open to our YouTube channel and our recording equipment and we don't have that capability in another location thank you council member Daniel so would the sixth or the 7th be a better date this room be no no it would not be a better date okay just asking the question I was just looking at the calendar to see what there

and there'll be other space for this that would not be available.

The 9th is airport commission uh director bututner that you're online. How does your meeting for April 8th look? Currently we do not have any any business on the 8th. We actually can move at the pleasure of council. Depends on what they decide. you know, council, if if if we're going to bite off a chunk like this and that's what you want to do, we could start much earlier in the day, too. You know, it doesn't have to be evening and and we can get it done before the coun the commission meetings and and and uh and go from there. That's a great idea.

We couldn't I don't like that idea. the Wednesday before that, we're already starting early. And those of us that have other outside employment responsibilities during the workday, that might create a complication for us two weeks in a row. How does everybody feel about Thursday the 9th? Airport Commission, sorry. Tuesday the 7th. No. the eighth. No, I mean maybe we can start a little earlier like at 5. Go ahead. Yes. Sorry.

I do believe that Director Butner said that he could modify his schedule if you guys wanted the chambers for the ETH. Am I correct, Kevin? Yes, ma'am. You are correct. Thank you, Mr. Butner. We'll do that. So 6:00 on the 5:00 on the or we could Yeah, I was going to say or we could do more like five since there's certainly don't want anyone to feel rushed or short changed. Okay, I can do that. Five o'clock on the 8th here. Okay. What time was session on the

What time was executive session on the 25th again? five o'clock. Um the clerk will provide us an email, right, telling us what or or invite or whatever, however you want to do that.

So, okay. So, we've set the dates. So, we've got the uh the ETH. We're going to do that. and the order. Um, uh, we're going to do this. Uh, I I don't know that it, uh, does it, does it matter that you're going to, Madame Clerk, you're going to have to be here for the whole thing anyway? Correct. So, I'd suggest, uh, we do the the city attorney first, and he can go home to his family and then the um, city manager and then the clerk. Is that agreeable to you three? I'm not going to ask any more questions over here. I have another question. Go ahead.

Um, is our student representative, should he be able to participate in that for his information? That was a question we just had it as a sidebar a moment ago. I don't think I understood the question. Can he be here for it? Yeah. Oh, no. You don't have to be here. Sorry. I think the question is, can he be here? Not does he have to be here. Well, um, Madame Clerk, I don't know what the rules are for an executive session and and a student rep since we've never done it before, so I can't answer the question.

Thank you for the question. You are discussing the reputation and character of three city employees, so it should only be council in that room. Okay, there you go. Council member Daniel, thank you. Um, Mayor Nex, just one quick clarification since we have uh Mr. Butner online here. I just want to make sure what we're proposing. Uh, the 25th of March is an executive session and the 8th, both of those are P&Z days. You will be have a meeting at some point, right, Kevin? I I just want to make sure we That's a the 25th. We start at 5 and they don't have their meeting until 7.

So, we think we'll be done. They'll Okay. I just wanted to make sure we weren't totally hogging this chamber. Okay. Should be fine. Yes. Also, the meeting on the 25th, you guys won't be making any taking any action after. So, if you go longer and the chambers aren't available, it will be okay not to adjourn on the record. Okay. Perfect. Oh, that's a good out. Thank you. Thank you. So, we'll be all practiced up for next year when we want to organize this again, won't we? It it uh it's clunky and it happens every year just like pretty much like this, I think.

So, u the dates are uh set. Um any further discussion on them? We're good. And then we'll get a I would like to read them back to make sure that we have them all correct. So staff reports are due on March 16th. The council evaluations are due to HR on March 23rd. The council will meet at 5:00 PM on March 25th to review all of the evaluations. And here I think we changed a couple things, but there's not going to be another meeting until on the evaluations until April 8th. And you're going to do all three of them at 5:00 p.m. So I had the 31st, but that dropped somewhere in there. So thank you. I

I'm not sure where the confusion came in. Sh. The Did we not move the 16th to the 23rd? The 23rd is when the council evaluations are due. Ours are due to you on the 16th. Gotcha. Staff reports are due on the 16th. It's complicated. Clear as mud. Okay, thank you very much. I think I think we've got it. We'll look forward to uh um your your sending that out to us. So, uh that gets us down to uh commission reports. U council on agent ask.

We there was no meeting. The next meeting is March 12th. Next we have airport commission council member Sonard. Next meeting is Thursday, March 12th. Okay. Next we have parks and recreation GME. The March 5th meeting has been cancelled. So the next meeting is in April. Now we have planning and zoning council member Daniel.

Waiting for an introduction from council member Cassenna but nope guess not. Uh let's see here. So PNZ had a meeting and a work session. Uh the work session um led by Mr. Butner basically they went through and looked at all the different zones and condition and what's permitted and not permitted and what's conditional use uh with the intent of uh reviewing each zone and looking for ways to clean it up um maybe reduce some of the CUP processes, change what's available that makes sense for the actual um the actual zone uh with the hope of just improving the process. Um and then uh that was the big work session took up the whole hour. We'll be probably hearing more from that as time goes on as they review each individual section and make changes and proposals. So looking forward to to making that process a little more streamlined. Um then a couple big notes in the meeting. Um recommended the approval of Oilers being able to host uh events at their besides baseball games which is exciting. So, um, and then, uh, the the other thing that was a real big, um, uh, I shouldn't say issue, but a topic of agenda was there's this 81 acre parcel of land that, uh, is currently zoned, um, conservation. It's by Walmart and like the the creek right there, and it butts up like Princess or the neighborhood on that side. Anyways, uh came up to reszone to uh a residential. Um originally it was be suburban, I believe, but then a motion was added to change to residential one RR1 to match the existing neighborhood. The intent there is to make that land available uh potentially if a developer wants to come in and uh put some housing on it. uh there's only maybe like 10 to 15 acres that are actually developable, but this

reszone kind of gets that first step in that right direction to uh get um to get that ball rolling. So hopefully we can see some more housing development in the future. And those were the the real big hot topics that night. So always fun at PNZ. Thanks for having me do that. Thanks for coming. Thank you for that. Uh beautifification comm uh commission council member Petty. Thank you, Mayor Nexstead. Uh there was no meeting and our next opportunity will be on April the 14th. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh that brings us down to the mayor's report. Um be somewhat brief. I've been been gone for a while like I'll go to Alaskans in the middle of winter. You try to get out for the cold part of winter and then come back and um well it was kind of cold and now it's even colder. So anyway, um uh had a good time and um I do do appreciate uh Vice Mayor Asen uh handling the the meetings for me while I I zoomed in from an undisclosed location and uh in in in 15 to 30 foot seas for the most part, but it was big boat so it was okay. Thank you very much for that. It was much appreciated. Um today um I uh I went to the chamber lunchon and uh um uh Mayor Bachiki was there giving a update on the on the burrow and status. He had lots of graphs and data and whatnot and it was u quite uh um educational. One of the speaking of educational one of the main things he was talking about uh had to do with school funding and what it really means to to uh to funded the cap and whatnot. These are not city uh issues here, but they're burrow, but we all had or have kids in in the school district here. And um I think uh if you're interested in that because it'll be discussion that's coming up again, you might want to go back and look at the chambers's uh um you know, recording of that anyway. And and he had other other important things to talk about. Um so I won't go on to that. The the last thing that I that I missed and I would have liked to have attended or or seen was the the chambers job shadow day that they had here this last week and um Terry's probably going to speak on that and and uh I did see the the lineup on who talked and we had the police department their fire department and planning and and perhaps

some other department so the city was well well represented and uh so kudos to our city for doing that and so that uh completes my report for today. So, next we have uh administration reports. City manager Eubank. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council. A few things to report on from uh staffing and the recruitment um portion. Uh we are this week um complete or working on second interviews for the airport manager position. Uh Mr. Dr. Wade Davis here is in the audience tonight. Sir Davis was the first of three. Uh second interviews we're giving. We'll do one more uh I believe on Friday and then we have the final one scheduled for next week. So um that process is moving along nicely. Uh sad to say we uh have one resignation. Um dispatcher Stephanie Syrup has resigned. Uh she had over 5 years of service with the city in our dispatch center. Uh we definitely want to thank um Stephanie for her contributions. Wish her the best of luck. Uh and recruitment is underway to fill that position. Um I do I am expecting a uh request to hire from the fire department. Um I I like they'll see that tomorrow to fill their one vacant firefighter position. They're excited about the um group of applicants that they have and they feel they have a very good qualified applicant um to fill one of their pos that one position. So looking forward to that. Um I did attend uh the Kenai Chamber um uh put on a small business symposium um and I want to thank them for that. U

Mr. Bner did was a presenter in that and there was a lot of good information and I want to thank the chamber again for that. Um I think online too and we may even put we copy of this in the in your packet the 2026 uh Kai Peninsula economic development through this district's housing assessment um sections one and section two. I think there's some some pretty good uh reading there. Uh talk about housing here on the peninsula and it and it does highlight um specifics to each of the communities. Uh remind uh council and the public. Uh we have um a land sealed bit land auction going on right now. It will close 2 p.m. on Friday. These are for four um parcels located off of Beaver Loop um to be used for gravel extraction. So hoping uh we get bids on all those, but those bids will uh close on um Friday at 2 p.m. Um also in your packet, you saw um a letter of interest uh I received from the Kai Peninsula Bureau regarding Challenger Learning Center. Um, I uh I did respond to Mr. Hughes at the burrow, let him know that the city is in the process right now of evaluating that facility for um some municipal uses and depending on the outcome of those analysis, I would be reaching back out to him and let him know the status of that. So, I told him I thought that would be likely in the next 30 to 60 days. Um, last Sunday, um, I did brief council a little bit on this by email, but we did have a, um, situation where we, uh, had some low water pressure in town for a brief period of time. Um, um, we definitely heard about it. We

definitely got notice. Um, I will commend staff for for their efforts and they got right on that, got u pressure restored. So, I thought that was great work. And um we had a piece of equipment that um went down and um left a valve open that diverted about a 100 or I think about 1,000 gallons a minute of our water production got diverted to our water reservoir rather than into the into the grid. So that was the result of the drop in pressure and once that valve was able to get closed it um pressured back up pretty quickly. So uh great work by the crews there. Uh re I'll remind council uh Friday night um is the employee appreciation event. Um I'm pretty proud to say we have over 150 RSVPs for that event which is um I think way more than the committee was expecting. So that's pretty exciting and so looking forward to that event and hope um council members can make that. Uh last night I did uh took some time. The police department um held uh all department training uh last night. They also invited all the the um dispatchers and um gave me the opportunity to to meet with um public safety folks or at least police and dispatch over there. Um just talk about how things are going. Like I like I tried to tell staff, I I really don't feel I get over I I know I need to get out more with staff and I don't get to do that enough. I certainly don't get to do it with a department like police where everybody's in the same place at one time. So that was really much appreciated that chief invited me to that. Uh I think we had a a really good conversation. Um, I think there's some really good morale over there right now and um, the departments doing both those departments are doing really well and um, thank the leadership over there for that and the staff over

there for that cuz they're the ones making that happen. Um, last thing, I'll give a little bit of an update on Wildwood Drive repaving. Uh, we received a couple of requests last week from um, DOT. uh one to make some pretty I think simple modifications to the plan sheets. Um we have our um design engineer um is working on making those changes. They were actually very minor in nature. Uh the other thing that I did receive that staff are evaluating right now is a uh is an agreement um that DOT has asked for the city to sign that will give them authorization to work in the rightway. It also outlines um our requirements for maintenance of that roadway because um the intent is to use federal highway funds on that which comes with as you can appreciate a lot of strings. So staff are reviewing. I don't think any of those are outside of our normal um maintenance procedures. So, but we want to make sure we um know what we're committing to and plan to have uh that agreement before council to authorize me to sign at the u March 18th meeting. So, things are still progressing forward with Wildwood Drive. Excited about that. And uh with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Okay. Any questions for the city manager? Council member Petty.

Yes. Um, I know that we ask you I'm not sure about what I'm fixing to ask you, but I want you to consider. Um, I know that we asked you to take action for the triumphant theater and um, Mayor Nestead asked where the resources were going to come from and it said the general fund, but I would like you also to perhaps look into the Dobins spec resources that we have because those are earmarked for youth, I believe. And so I just offer that for your consideration and I thought this I just thought of it and I thought it to give you that insight while all the council were here for your consideration sir. Thank you.

Any further questions? Um to matter you bank I think in our presentation we heard 1% of our our paved roads are failed and and uh and then it would appear that if we do while we drive that maybe there won't be any failed because that's just about 1%. Is that about correctly? I see a big nod over there. I was doing the math while he was talking and guessing and so um I look forward to that so we don't have a failed road. City Manager Eubank.

Yeah, I did, Mr. Mayor, I did notice on the map there that there was one red line and I that was clear to me that that was Wildwood Drive. I didn't I didn't know if there were a couple of small others, but that was the predominant one. So, I don't know. Okay, if there aren't any further questions, uh, we'll go to city manager Bloom or city attorney Bloom. Oh, I thought I got We're going to promote it. No, no, deotion. I'm not sure. Yeah, you don't want that. Anyway, I still don't have any comments, but I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you. No questions for the city attorney. Uh, city clerk.

Thank you, man. Aid, I have a few things for you tonight. Just wanted to let you guys know that the final touches on the special election flyer are just about wrapped. Those will go out 3 weeks prior to the election to every address with a registered voter at it, not to every registered voter. That reduced the mailing from 7,000 to about 4,000. Um, and it will be addressed to household voters. The election board recruitment is almost completed. We'll have their approval before you at the March 18th meeting. And Tuesday, March 10th, that's next week, 9:00 a.m., the logic and accuracy testing on our ballots and our election equipment will happen right here in chambers. And that is a process that's open to the public to view. And a reminder that you're all going to love financial disclosures are due on April 15th. And I'm available for questions.

Any questions for the clerk? Council members Cassenna. Thank you. Um, Shel, I know we've got a partial appointment for one of our student representative seats. Um, but how are we doing on other commissions? Um, both for regular commissioners and student reps. We have a lot of vacancies. We have we we boost it on our online. The website stays open and we're running the radio advertisements. It's I can't go make people sign up.

All right. Thank you. Yeah. And we're getting closer to the end of the school year, too. So, turn to believe. So, uh any questions for the clerk? That gets us to additional public comments. Is there anybody from the audience that would like to speak? Please come forward. Mr. Davis, is that correct? Heard that right? Yes, sir. Thank you, uh, Mr. Mayor. U, thank you, city councilors, and, uh, thank you to, uh, the city, the city manager as well. Uh, my name is Wade Davis. I specialize in growing airports, and I want to say thank you very much for the opportunity. It's been very exciting. Just as you've been interviewing me for the last couple of days, I've been interviewing the community as well. And I'm pleased to say that what I found here is a direct reflection of your leadership, Mr. mayor and also uh city council. I've seen a lot of uh different things. I found the best doughnut in town, the best pieces of pizza in town. Uh I've yet to find anyone who is uh uh even slightly negative about the community. And that's really encouraging because in my 20 plus years of uh airport and multimodal port authority leadership, that's unusual. You've got something really special here in Kennai. And I want to say from the bottom of my heart to yours, thank you to you and your staff for the wonderful opportunity and I look forward uh to future conversations, but I did want to get up and say thank you very much for the opportunity. It's a great community and it's been a pleasure to experience what you have to offer here in Kai. Thank you.

You Mr. Davis, would you be willing to council, you have any questions? What Vice Mayor asking? Did you? No. Okay. Thank Thank you for that. I think we have a great community, too. Quick, quick. I was waiting for a light. Slow on the on the on the trigger there. Um, first of all, thank you for coming out tonight and uh getting to meet us and uh you know, be part of the process. Um, you mentioned you you've been in multi- what' you call it? Multimold lead. There you go. Leadership of airports, growing airports. Um,

do I Oh, should I cut my question off? Is that what you're saying? Well, I was just ask they're they're they're being interviewed for position. So, it's I was just going to ask you where you're from and just a little bit about you. That's all. So, just where you're from.

Certainly. I'll keep it brief because I want to be respectful of the overall process. Um I grew up in a community much like uh Kenai on the Canadian border in New York State. Um I had 50 55 inches of snow annually. So I understand uh snow. Um I come from a background of u I started off as a senior financial analyst for Fortune 500 company. Went to executive director of a bridge and port authority that dealt with railroads, airports, industrial parks. Um after that um I was in uh the southern environment uh for two years and then most recently in Montgomery, Alabama um after that and it's just been a real whirlwind and it's been very educational to see the positivity and the depth of uh welcomeness that's been displayed in this community. Whether it's uh when I talk with some of the church leaders or whether I've talked with a realtor for example or whether I've talked with the gentleman at the coffee shop, you get a really positive experience that you don't necessarily see in the uh web or on the public information side of things. There's a lot of good folks in the community here. You already know that it's a direct reflection of what it is you do day in day out. So, as an outsider, thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you. And thank you for interviewing our community, too. I think that's that's a that's a good point. And and also a high point is we only get about 18 inches on average of snowfall here. So, you know, hardly anything. Absolutely. And it usually goes. So, again, thanks for coming. Go ahead. Uh I just wanted to say thank you again for the opportunity uh to partic uh to uh participate in the process and uh again Terry thank you very much for the opportunity to uh meet and discuss with staff. So thank you for your hospitality. Actually it's 18 inches of liquid water. So so it's still aid but it's even more snow than that. Absolutely.

All right. Thank you. Is there uh anybody else from the uh public that would like to uh to speak at the council at this time? Mr. Dvar, you walked in just at the right time. Speak state your name and city you live in.

No, there it is. Uh thank you, Tim Navar. Uh uh 719 Sycamore K9. Um, I I needed to come down today because I have a a problem. But I first want to just say um that I work with the homeless and I work with uh those less fortunate. I try to help them out a number of different ways and that and uh I had an unfortunate situation at my house where someone overdosed and it was nice that the Kenai fire department and police responded and acted accordingly. And I can tell you it wasn't a I was there having to do the CPR myself for over 12 minutes before somebody else showed up and could help. if you don't. And but fortunately, he survived and um and that's good. And so, and I've kind of just tried to deal with things and that, but I I have a homeless person that the same person that had actually almost overdosed. He's homeless. I did get his car working. the police uh he was behind uh the Kenai Mall, the old cars the by job service and uh they they stopped him and didn't ask him for his ID or anything. They just they and then they wanted to search his car and he didn't want him to search his car which I believe he has a right. Uh but my real problem is even if it was me and they took my car and let me go and say here just we're taking your car you go. They should have to tell you something or do something. You know he

left his cell phone in there, his wallet. I've been trying to help him to get back to where he is. I actually got him a CDL. Got all his certification. He worked the fires last summer. unfortunately had a relapse. But now it's been Saturday morning till today and still I had to call I I stopped by the dispatch myself and said, "Hey, he left his so if you need to get a hold of him, call me when he can pick up his car." That kind of thing. Nothing. I called back on Monday and uh they uh told me the officer was working. He'd call me back. Didn't Wednesday I called again said, "What's the deal?" The dispatch or whoever answered the phone, I just called the local number. But they uh they said, "Let me see if somebody else can help you." And then they it was probably 10 12 minutes. Finally, they came back on and said, "Are you still there?" And they said, "Nobody else is here that can help you with this. It has to be that officer." So, they said, "You want to leave him another message for him?" I said, "Sure." So, they did that and uh and then no call dayto day. I didn't call them to to ask him again. Uh, I just I I just want to make sure it's not harassment because somebody chose to stand up for their rights. Uh, I'm about ready to hire him an attorney tomorrow so I can find out what his rights are and what the thing. But I can tell you if it was me and they let me go and didn't tell me anything or charge me with anything and they get to keep my car for five days already, I'd be saying, "When do I get to get it back?" Or, "How much rights do they have that they get to keep it?" and and because me

or somebody else said, "Hey, I don't want to you don't you can't have a right unless you you have some right to do it." And so that's where I'm concerned cuz they didn't even bother to call me back after I've asked them, dispatched directly right in the building, left them my number and everything and still nothing. And uh you know I uh I'll give credit where credit's due, but at the same time as you a lot of you know I've had a lot of runins at different issues and they don't treat you 100%. And in this case I feel it's very uh uh telling that this is happening this way. So I'm just standing up for the less fortunate that can't. And like I said, if he has to file his own uh complaint or whatever, I'll I'll deal with that tomorrow. But I can't get anybody to call me back. Normally, I'd go see Scott, but it's an active thing, so I didn't want to create a an issue. But, uh, you guys were meeting today, and I just wanted to say I'm I'm not very happy, uh, with this outcome.

If you want to hold for a second, uh, Mr. Devar. No problem, Mr. Bloom. Yeah. And and you know the rules where we don't normally go back and forth. I'll just tell you, Tim, I'll make I'll look into it. Make sure somebody gets back to you tomorrow. Okay.

No problem. I appreciate it. And like I say, I just I just wanted you guys to understand that, you know, we all have issues and that, but I like to bring to attention if if somebody's being treated unfairly or wrong. And you just ask yourself, would you let them take your car for 5 days and not even when you call and say, "What what's going on? What can nothing uh that's not how the city of Kenai should operate or treat it citizens." And so that's why I wanted to make sure I brought it to your attention and and see what the outcome is. But thanks for your time. Thank you, Mr. Dvar. Is there anybody from council that has any any questions?

Tim, thank thank you very much and and and I know you to be a very generous person with your time and and and uh resources, our community. Thank you. So, that brings us down to council comments. Senior uh student rep bowling. Good evening, Mayor Knackstead and council members. I'll try to keep it short, but we have a bit tonight. Um the Kina Suns High School Nordic ski team has placed first place in state championship competitions. Over the course of the two-day event, Kenai had many athletes placing among the top 50. The top athletes among them include Chase Laker with a total time of 34 minutes and 21 seconds and a ranking of third overall. Fletcher Dar with a total time of 37 minutes and 12 seconds and a ranking of 18th. Isla Krauss with a total time of 45 minutes and 18 seconds and a ranking of 23rd. And Ruby Davis with a total time of 48 minutes and 2 seconds and a ranking of 37th. The KCHS theater department had multiple successful showings of the Adams family this past month and we look forward to their next production. I'd like to thank the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and our local businesses for their help and involvement in our annual job shadow event. Our class of 2027 is all the more prepared because of it. Congratulations to Caroline Carpick for her appointment to the Council on Aging Commission. It's nice to see more student involvement in our community. And as student representative Carpick said in her application, "Our community would be a better place if we focused on elder care and support, which is something we'll all inevitably inevitably benefit from sooner or later." Today, KCHS hosted a talent show during our spring assembly. Among my favorites were the Napoleon Dynamite themed impersonation and dance, as well as a mini rock concert hosted by some of our band students. Thank you. And as a side note, after this, I have some school obligations and I have to go. Okay.

Yeah. Thanks. Uh, I just wanted to congratulate uh Carolyn Carpick to their new role as a student rep to the Council on Aging. Uh, I think it's pretty cool to see more people volunteering for things, especially students, future junior mayors, you know, and celebrities. So, uh, and then I also got uh had the opportunity to spend four days last week with Stephanie Randall and Eric Jean at the APA public entity risk management seminar. And so that was a a great opportunity for I think us collectively to, you know, hear good techniques for just general risk management for organizations, but also a cool opportunity to get to know two of our employees who I think do pretty phenomenal work overall. So, um, yeah, that's all I got for tonight.

Very good. Council member Penny. Thank you, Mayor Gabriel. um that it's not the mayor that I thought that I should have stopped quite okay. It's just uh I've been I've been called worse.

That was a compliment. I want you to know that was a compliment. Um Mayor Knackstead, uh I beg your pardon. Excuse me. Um like the investments that we have for um the that we appropriated uh tonight for that uh gas storage opportunity and our consultants. Um I'm very thankful that the uh council saw fit to invest in our future by the matching grant for the triumphant theater which um our whole community and um our youth will uh be greatly benefited from. So um that ends my comments and thank you for all the great work that we did tonight. Thank you.

Thank you for that council member Daniel. Thank you Mayor Naxstead. I almost did too. Um, couple things. First off, I I want to thank the finance department and mayor or mayor and uh Mr. Eubank for the uh doing the popular annual financial report. I really appreciate that document. Um, it makes it a little easier in my opinion for the public to consume it. At least it's easier for me to consume it. And I guess you know the mayor does have a little letter in here too, so I'll thank him as well. Uh, but no, I really appreciate you guys putting that together. that that's a lot of work and um I think it's of good benefit to the public. Also, uh thank you to the public works department with that uh water outage getting that sorted. That was uh quick. By the time the phone started ringing on my end, it was already resolved. So, good work to you guys. I really appreciate the quick response and and the communication on that. That was very appreciated. And that's all I have for tonight.

Thank you, Council Member Sonar. Thank you, Mayor Next. I'm looking forward to the employee appreciation dinner Friday night and happy spring break everybody. Okay, Vice Mayor Asen. Thank you, Mayor Nstead. Um, congratulations to our ski team and um, thank you to our staff for everything you guys do and um, I don't have anything else exciting. So, happy spring break.

It's that time of year. Council member Grammy I had the opportunity to participate in love of reading day at Mountain View Elementary um last Thursday. Got to read one of my favorite books from when I was a kid and when my children were little um Cloudy with Chance Meatballs and um survey says books better than the movie. Kids all agreed. Um it was it was it was it was fun to spend a little bit of time in elementary school classroom. Um, I am looking forward to attending a crafter afternoon event at the library tomorrow with my daughter. And I am also looking forward to the employee appreciation um event on Friday. And I want to congratulate Kenai Middle School wrestlers. They really performed phenomenally at the tournament in Tanana. And lastly, I'm looking forward to basketball at KCHS this weekend. They are hosting the 3A South Central Conference. um girls and boys basketball regionals and cheer regionals this weekend and our teams are work ranked first and second in the region so it's going to be some good games.

Okay, thank you for your your comments. Uh we have no executive session.