General Meeting Minutes 3-8-2007

Approved with Changes 4/12/2007

Minutes of the March 8, 2007

City Council General Meeting

 Call to Order:  7:00 p.m.

Roll Call:         Becky – Present       John  -  Present

                        Ken    -  Present       Kim    -  Absent

                        Mike   -  Present       Sandi -  Present

                        Wayne-  Present

Addition to Agenda:

1.  Resolution 2007-04 concerning DRC

2.  Amendment to budget regarding beautification of landfill.

3.  Budget amendment to take funds from City Reserve and place in the budget for snow plowing

  Reading and Approval of Minutes:

Changes:  change Icy Straits to Icy Strait.

In the reference to Public and Charitable Lands these lands are not unlimited, but limited in amount.

Motion was made by Ken Klawunder to accept the February minutes with above corrections.  Seconded by Wayne Howell

Roll Call Vote – Approved as amended 6/0

 Ordinances for Publication:  None

Ordinances for Public Hearing:  None

  Resolutions for Public Hearing: 

Resolution 2007-04

delegating responsibility to the Gustavus Disposal and recycling Committee to study the feasibility of relocating all or part of the DRC facility to address the long term needs of the City.

Roll call— approved 6-0

City Council Policies & Procedures Published:  None

Committee Reports:

·        DRC-  Report given by—Karen Taylor  See Attached report

     ·        GVA– Report given by Rachel Parks –

·        Road Committee – No report

      ·        Library Board – George and Lynne Jensen gave report and presented Council     with their ’08 budget. See Attached

      ·        Ad Hoc Committee re rotating beacon—Hank Lentfer gave report that they are   still active in trying to find out if the airport beacon can be modified to have it on a system that can be radio activated.

  Old Business:

      ·        The bid opening and the apparent lowest responsive bid for Salmon River Boat Harbor Parking Rehabilitation Project.

Roll call—approved 6-0

  ·        The ABC Situation and how we proceed?  Mayor Marchbanks turned this portion of the meeting over to the Vice-mayor.

 Three issues of impropriety that have to be dealt with during a public meeting:

 1) Wayne read a paragraph from the February 21^st, 2007  ABC Board hearing that indicated that Mike Atkins, owner of Homeshore Café, has a winter monopoly on the sale of alcohol in Gustavus.  Mike spoke to this issue by saying that he is the only one in town who keeps his business open all year but he is not the only one with a beer and wine license.  Wayne asked all City Council members if Mike had contacted them and attempted to sway their vote on his beer and wine license approval.   All Council members stated that they were never approached by Mike.  This information was presented so the public can make their own determination on the existence of any impropriety.  Council felt it not necessary to take a vote.

 2)  Wayne explained why the City Council had no debate concerning the vote taken at the general meeting in February 2007, for Snug Harbor’s package store license.  Each member was to deliberate privately and state their reasoning at that February meeting only.

 3)  The third possible appearance of impropriety deals with a statement made during the public testimony  at the ABC meeting on February 21st— when it was stated that bootlegging went on in Gustavus.  On a return flight to Gustavus, one City Council member was told that guests were observed drinking wine on the deck of the Gustavus Bay Country Inn and beer on a Glacier Bay Country Inn charter boat.  Mayor Marchbanks stated that wine and beer was served with food, on the deck at the Inn.  Guests on fishing trips are allowed to bring their own beer from stocks they fly in as luggage from Juneau.  This allegation was determined by the Council to be rumor and innuendo.

 The motions from the Jan 11^th meeting concerning the request for consideration of the ABC Board were read.

Ken Klawunder moved that the council rescind the motion of Jan 11^th which stated that if the ABC board decision of November 29, 2006 remains unchanged, that the Gustavus City Council would seek an appeal through the Alaska Superior Court.  The motion was seconded by Becky King

 Discussion: Each Council member gave their view and Wayne stated that less than $500 had been spent on attorney fees so far in dealing with the package liquor license issue contrary to rumor.

Roll call vote was taken with Wayne presiding:

Motion passed 5 in favor and 1 opposed.

  The Vice-Mayor turned the meeting back over to the Mayor.  It was announced that a Petition is being constructed for a Local Option Vote.  Mayor Marchbanks stated that by Alaska Statute, ordinances will have to be adopted to be ready for the opening of a package store.

 Where to go until Local Option Vote?

Wayne suggests that policy about dealing with ABC Board needs to be developed because the Council will have to continue to deal with the ABC Board and the various licenses in Gustavus.

  New Business:

         1.     Suggestions were taken about getting information out to the community. 

·        KTOO will announce meetings. The Council and committees can get online and put our meetings on the KTOO calendar and they will be announced. 

·        Suggestions that finding information should be more centralized. 

·        All minutes could be displayed in a public place such as a library in hard copy format.   

·        Also keep putting the sign up announcing the meetings.

·        Special column in the Fairweather Reporter will be initiated to explain how City runs and point out critical action issues.

    2.     Response to “View”

      Each Council Members gave comments.

     3.  Tim Gibson’s Barge Landing Project—Tim explained that he is trying to lower freight rates by bringing in containerized freight.  He wanted to place concrete logs fabricated by Fairweather Construction in such a way to stabilize the bank.  The DNR permit was in place but he will have to work out management issues with the City.  The Corps of Engineers permit had not been issued as of that date.

     4.  GCI Lease & Location

        Mayor Marchbanks stated that GCI has been given the contract to provide communications for TSA.  They will be leasing property next to the ACS site from the City and hopefully have the facility in place by June. 

        GCI is also sensitive to community concerns regarding lighting and will put in a non-offensive lighting system. 

         5.   Announced meeting on Hydro Project on March 13, 2007

         6.   At the April meeting, the Council is asked to amend the budget to include beautification at DRC and site work at the Powerhouse site.

     7.  There was a budget amendment to add funding to the snowplowing budget. 

          Ken moved that $9000 be moved from the Road Committee Reserve Fund     and made available for snow plowing.  Becky seconded the motion

      Roll call vote taken--passed with 5 in favor-1 opposed 

          8.  CIP List and Gravel Pit crossing

Dick Levitt has requested an additional $800,000.00 in funding for the Hydro Project because the original estimated budget has changed with a 14% increase in essential materials such as concrete and steel.

       DNR and Fish Habitat have met with council members and discussed a plan to provide for drainage for the Wilson/Rink Creek Road and gravel pit area.

        Ken moved that the City of Gustavus accept the two proposals for the CIP list and to assign “high priority” to the drainage management project for the Wilson/Rink Creek Road and Gravel pit area and the highest priority to the request for funds for the Falls Creek hydro Project.  John seconded the motion.

Discussion: The mayor proclaimed a potential conflict of interest, recused herself and turned the meeting over to Wayne.  Wayne explained that Sandi’s husband and son occasionally work on this project.  In addition, the Marchbanks own Glacier Bay Construction and would be potential bidders on part of the projects on the CIP list.

 Mention was made that the City Council has written the Denali Commission requesting an independent inspector be brought in to give an opinion regarding the engineering on the Hydro Project.

        Roll call vote: 5-0 in favor with the mayor abstaining.

 The Vice-Mayor turned the meeting back over to the Mayor.

  Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items:

  Bill Brown gave comment about the Forest Service taking comments regarding the Tongass National Forest Plan.

  City Council Comments:

The Mayor referred to a letter from the Gustavus Clinic thanking the City for assisting with paying for electric utilities.

 A letter from Bill Unkel spoke about the remediation of the gravel pit area by DNR and asked for the possible inclusion of a rifle and target range in the plan.

 Davita Marchbanks will resign from the Library Board.

  Nate Borson will take over the Chairmanship of the Strategic Planning Committee.  The mayor explained this was a decision she had made without input from the Strategic Planning Committee.  She asked if someone from the council would move to ratify her decision.  Ken moved that the City Council approve Nate as chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee.  John seconded the motion.

 Roll call vote:  passed 6-0

Executive Session: None

Adjourned:  9:41 p.m.