Minutes of the Regular Meeting
Denali Borough Assembly
Cantwell School
June 9, 2002
CALL TO ORDER Presiding Officer Jerry Mueller called the regular meeting to order at 3:00 pm.
ROLL CALL Assembly members present were: Sid Michaels, Jim
Caswell, Jerry Mueller, Dave Talerico, Teresa Hall, Jim Payne, Gerald Pollock,
Carol Shields, and Mayor Gonzales.
Assembly member Teresa Usibelli was absent due to a family emergency.
MUELLER entertained a MOTION to excuse USIBELLI and HALL so
moved. SHIELDS seconded. The VOTE was unanimous.
PLANNING 1.) Selection of
chair and vice-chair for the planning
COMMISSION commission was the next item on the agenda.
MUELLER
opened the floor for nominations for Chairman of the Planning Commission. MICHAELS nominated TALERICO for the chair,
and CASWELL seconded. There were no
other nominations. The VOTE was
unanimous with TALERICO abstaining.
MUELLER
opened the floor for nominations for Vice Chair of the Planning
Commission. HALL nominated PAYNE, but
PAYNE declined.
MICHAELS
nominated CASWELL. There were no other
nominations. The VOTE was unanimous
with CASWELL abstaining.
MINUTES 1.) May
19, 2002: Work Session, Public Hearing,
and Regular Meeting.
HALL
MOVED to approve, and MICHAELS seconded.
PAYNE
stated that in the work session and public hearing minutes do not reflect that
PAYNE and MICHAELS were excused.
The
VOTE was unanimous.
FINANCIAL HALL MOVED to receive the April 2002 financial report,
and
REPORT MICHAELS seconded. The VOTE was unanimous.
MAYOR’S Mayor Gonzales continued his report that he started
during the
REPORT work session.
He said he attended a get together to celebrate the completion of two
cabins at the Tri Valley School. He
said students at the Tri-Valley School built the cabins for the Park
Service. He said this is a good
cooperative program between the Park Service and the Tri Valley School.
Mayor
Gonzales said there was a big fire in Anderson on May 25th, and he
was called to assist by lending the Borough’s Caterpillar. He said it’s very important to help others
when you can!
He
said on June 1st the Sportsman’s Club held their annual highway clean up. He
said he would present a resolution during the next meeting thanking them for
all their hard work.
On June 7th Mayor Gonzales attended the Change of
Command ceremony at Clear Air Base. He
said it was a great ceremony.
Mayor
Gonzales gave a brief report on the Borough Landfill. He said the Staff and he manage the landfill. He said the assembly agreed to allow the
administration to run the landfill for one more year. He said we are rather proud about what is going on at the
landfill. He said we have hired a part time
bookkeeper, and a gatekeeper/operator.
Mayor Gonzales said through a grant we were able to send our
gatekeeper/. operator to heavy equipment training. He said the
gatekeeper/operator is doing a great job!
He said just recently the contractor from Clear Air Base
dropped off construction and demolition waste and the Landfill made $3,500 from
them. Mayor Gonzales said Clear Air
Base had finally contacted him regarding the coal ash that is supposed to go
into the landfill. He said originally
the Base thought there would not be a cost to dump the ash at the landfill, but
there are always administrative costs to putting anything in the landfill. Mayor Gonzales said the cost to them would
be $40 a ton. He said the Borough would
need to build a new cell bit the end of this summer. He said the next cell should last three and a half to four
years.
Mayor
Gonzales thanked Denali Borough School District Superintendent Mr. Hagar for
his three years of service. With the District.
CASWELL
asked how may empty cells are located in the landfill. Mayor Gonzales stated that there are three.
PAYNE
asked Mayor Gonzales for the paperwork from the EPA that states that it’s all
right for our landfill to accept coal ahs.
Mayor
Gonzales stated that there was an assemblyperson that wanted a budget for
landfill. He said that it is almost
impossible to do at this time, so he suggested a report instead.
SUPT. Superintendent Hagar said the District has an
outstanding
REPORT relationship with the Park Service. He stated that the Park Service has supplied
them with tools and supplies to complete the two cabins. He said the students learn everything from
framing to plumbing to putting up walls.
Hagar
said Steve Castor was instrumental with this project, and he had help from Chip
Barker, and Johnny Powell. He said the
Legislature did not fund any of the District’s Projects this year.
Hagar said the only changes that have been made were the
addition of a new well for the Cantwell School. He questioned what the District should apply for one project at a
time. He encouraged the Assembly to
keep putting money into the Major School Maintenance Reserve Fund until it
reaches an amount the Assembly feels comfortable with. He said the leach fields
in Anderson are 23 years old and may need replacing in the near future. He said when he first arrived in Healy he
had been told that the Assembly did not support education. He said he found out that that statement was
incorrect. He said it has been his
sincere pleasure to work with the Assembly and the Mayor for the past three
years.
PAYNE
asked if there had been any threats or intimidation incidents in the district.
Hagar stated that there had been three – four students that
have made serious threats, and one of those students was transported to
Fairbanks and put through the judicial system.
He said when someone makes a serious threat it may bear more
exploration.
POLLOCK asked if the District could require the student to
receive counseling.
Hagar said there are programs to address that through the
Special Education Program, but the cost is $80 an hour, and is paid for by the
District.
Hagar said one student was taken to Fairbanks and a ruling
took place that allowed the student out one week later. He said that student had violated an Alaska
Statute and he doesn’t understand how that type of violation can be ignored.
CASWELL said he asked for a breakdown of the Cantwell
project during the last meeting, and has not received it yet. Hagar said he misunderstood CASWELL during
the last meeting and will obtain the backup for all the projects.
ASSEMBLY MICHAELS reiterated the comments of thanks to
COMMENTS Superintendent Hagar.
CASWELL concurred.
CASWELL
also thanked the Park Service for their help with moving the large amphitheatre
to the church along the Parks Highway.
HALL
said Clear Air base should be recognized as well for their help with the big
building-moving project.
PUBLIC There were no public comments.
COMMENTS
COMMITTEE 1.) Personnel
Committee recommendation regarding Ordinance 02-06, version A.
HALL
reread the Personnel Committee report.
ORDINANCES 1.) Ordinance
02-05, version A, an ordinance amending the Sub Area Land Use Plan for Village
View Subdivision.
CASWELL stated that he would like to see a fairly good map
that has definitive boundaries attached to this ordinance.
MICHAELS MOVED to revise the village view sub use plan
ordinance by substituting draft B with draft C. HALL seconded. The VOTE
was unanimous.
Discussion of an election date followed.
MICHAELS asked if the effective date of the ordinance should
be changed. Discussion followed.
Mayor Gonzales reminded the Assembly that this would not be
a Borough-wide election.
MICHAELS said he thinks an election is not required to make
a change to the Plan.
Discussion followed and MUELLER called for a recess.
RECESS MUELLLER
called for a recess at 4:02 p.m.
RECONVENE MUELLER called the meeting back to
order at 4:20 p.m.
The Clerk suggested
“approval by a 60% majority vote at the special election.” be added to
the effective date of the ordinance in accordance with Ordinance 96-04. MUELLER entertained a MOTION to use the
verbiage. MICHAELS so moved, and HALL
seconded. The VOTE was unanimous.
CASWELL said he would like to see a good quality map posted
for that election that defines the boundary of the Village View
Subdivision.
TALERICO MOVED to adopt this ordinance, and PAYNE
seconded. The roll call VOTE was
unanimous.
2.) An ordinance
amending the Fiscal Year 2003 Budget.
Mayor Gonzales explained the proposed changes.
MUELLER entertained a MOTION to introduce the
ordinance. CASWELL so moved and SHIELDS
seconded.
MICHAELS asked if the budget narrative should be changed to
reflect these changes. Minimal discussion
followed.
The roll call VOTE was unanimous. This will be Ordinance 02-07, version A.
POLLOCK MOVED to amend the amount in the Mayor’s salary line
item from $30,000 to $50,000, and SHIELDS seconded.
POLLOCK spoke in favor of the amendment, and said he feels
the time is right to make the change.
He said that $50,000 is a good number as someone would be able to
support a family for that amount, and not have to have another income.
MICHAELS asked where the $20,000 would come from and would
it bring the total expense line item up $20,000. POLLOCK said the total expenses for fiscal year 2003 would be
raised by $20,000.
The VOTE on the adoption was 5 to 2, with MICHAELS and
CASWELL opposed.
MUELLER entertained a MOTION to postpone action on this item
until the next meeting. HALL so moved
and SHIELDS seconded. The VOTE was
unanimous.
3.) An ordinance
creating Title IV, Chapter 27 of the Denali Borough Code of Ordinances
providing for classification of Borough-owned lands.
TALERICO MOVED to introduce and MICHAELS seconded. The roll call VOTE was 6-1, with CASWELL
opposed. This will be Ordinance 02-08,
version A.
CASWELL stated that we have a lot of land in this borough
but this is kind of a zoning ordinance.
He stated that borough land is not owned by anybody other than the
borough. He said there is not a
definition in here for unrestricted use.
PAYNE stated that there needs to be some order in here.
TALERICO said reclassification of lands should also be
addressed in this ordinance. TALERICO,
a member of the Land Use Planning Committee, said the committee worked very
hard on this ordinance, and tried to make it fit the needs of the Borough.
MUELLER entertained a MOTION to postpone any action on this
item until the next meeting. SHIELDS so
moved and PAYNE seconded. The VOTE was
unanimous.
OTHER 1.)
Liquor license transfer request for Clear Sky Lodge. BUSINESS
HALL MOVED to approve, and TALERICO seconded. The VOTE was unanimous with SHIELDS
abstaining as the owner of the Lodge.
2.) Discussion
regarding setting a date for a joint work session with the School Board.
MUELLER said it looks like the two bodies will not be able
to get together until August. MUELLER
suggested that the School Board come up with some dates they can make a work
session. Hagar said he would forward
that request to the School Board.
MICHAELS suggested holding the work session in Cantwell or Anderson.
3.) Public comments.
Healy resident John Winklmann said four months ago he
submitted a formal complaint about the Assembly disseminating misinformation
and he has not received any kind of response.
He stated that he also wrote letters to the assembly members in his
district regarding a proposed change to the Code that deals with initiative
petitions, and has not heard from any of them either. He asked for the status of his complaints. MUELLER said the Assembly has reviewed his
complaint, and the Assembly postponed a letter of response.
Winklmann said that response did not address his
complaint.
MUELLER said it’s his personal opinion that the time to
contest the election was during the canvass meeting.
Winklmann again requested that the Assembly address his
complaints. He also said he assumes
that Pollock, the one who proposed the mayor’s salary increase, is not planning
to run for mayor. He said he assumes
that Pollock thinks the current Mayor is going to run again. POLLOCK said he dose not know if the current
Mayor is going to run again, and he feels that is not important when discussing
this issue.
Winklmann said the vote on that was 6 to 2. He said he knows for sure that two of those
Assembly members who voted in favor of the raise are planning to run for mayor
in November. He said he doesn’t think
anyone who is running for mayor should be voting for a raise for the
mayor. He said that is wrong!
CASWELL said he voted against the raise. He said when you sit up here as an Assembly
member you have a job to do. He said if
one of the members wants to run for mayor they could do that as well. He said he does not think it’s inappropriate
for them to vote on the raise.
Winklmann said he thinks it’s would be more appropriate if
the ones who plan to run for mayor abstain from the vote on the mayor’s
salary.
CASWELL said the Assembly is really not allowed to abstain
from voting. He said that SHILEDS declared a conflict of interest because she
could benefit financially from the vote.
Winklmann said he thinks those members should be able to
abstain the same way that Shields did.
Anchorage resident Nancy Bale said the Legislature votes on
their own salaries.
HALL said no one has filed candidacy papers to run for mayor
yet.
Winklmann said POLLOCK said he wanted to keep politics out
of the vote on the salary raise so the perception would not be that the
Assembly is buying the mayor off to get him or her to do what the Assembly
wants. He said if they really want to
keep the politics out of it, then they should do another way. He said it just seems not right to him.
POLLOCK said what he is really saying is that according to
our Charter this has to be done before the next election during which the seat
of mayor is voted on.
ASSEMBLY CASWELL said that POLLOCK did not mean anything bad
COMMENTS about buying the mayor.
He said the mayor is not for sale!
He said the Assembly did vote in a bonus for him once. CASWELL said the Assembly has worked him
very hard!
TALERICO
apologized to Winklmann for not getting back to him sooner regarding a change
to the Code pertaining to the initiative petition process. He has been researching how other boroughs
handle the process.
NEXT MEETING The next Assembly meeting will be held on July 14, 2002
at the Anderson School.
ADJOURNMENT MUELLER
declared the regular meeting adjourned at 4:57 pm.
Date Approved:
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