And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all the assembly of the city and borough of Sitka would like to respectfully acknowledge the traditional first people of Sheetka with gratitude.

We proceed on Clinkett on E.

Sarah, roll call, please.

See Mr.

Pike.

Here.

Mr.

Yestan.

Here.

Mr.

Christensen.

Here.

Ms.

Carlson.

Here.

And Mr.

Celine.

Here.

Mayor Eisenbais and Mr.

Mosier are absent this evening.

Thank you.

Are there any?

So we're on correspondence and agenda changes.

Are there any correspondence or agenda changes this evening?

Seeing none, we'll move on.

To persons to be heard.

We are now at persons to be heard for public participation on any item off the agenda.

Not to exceed three minutes per individual.

Is there any public comment for items off the agenda?

Seeing none.

New business.

John and Melissa.

Yeah, thank you.

Here we go.

This is the this is the first one.

The way we've done this in the past, you know, we get uh a fairly firm commitment from the assembly on what the level of school funding is going to look like, and and we uh had that a few weeks ago.

Um, and now we're going to come forward with uh a presentation from Melissa that really summarizes um what we've put together for some decision points for the assembly um using our strategic plan and the guidance we got there and uh offered up some um proposals we call them RPs, resources resource proposals, and those proposals tie to specific uh actions in the strategic plan.

Um we'll put those up for um we don't necessarily need firm decisions but just guidance on things that need to stay, things that need to go, and then we'll build that into the draft general fund budget that we plan on presenting to you all uh by the end of this month.

Um, and when that draft general fund is presented from that point on, any changes would have to be motions made.

But tonight we'll be looking for that general guidance on uh on the things that we're about to present.

So with that, Melissa, please.

And our goal is generally we want to present the budget that best reflects the will of the body.

Um, and I think the the better we start out uh the more smoothly the whole process goes.

So that's where we are tonight is getting that uh initial feedback on what uh the um staff has recommended looking into 2025 and um getting the assembly feedback.

So I I wanted to start out because we've been doing um doing this for the past few years, and we've had a number of new and in some cases kind of big ticket items that have come before this body, and so I wanted to start out by by highlighting some of the things that um we've brought before you that are in in the works that are a success.

I think one of our first ones which really is driving this whole process is the strategic plan.

Um, in 2022, we were able to put our first ever strategic plan in place, um, and it's really been helpful um to help us guide and and keep us directed um in what we're doing.

Um we also have a new parks and recreation program that is up and running.

Um, you know, it really it it's been just barely over a year since it started, and we've already had 643 people.

Um, and this is these numbers are at least our system um was kind of at slow to get started, um, and so this is just tracking in our electronic system, but 643 um users have signed up for programs.

There have been over a hundred programs offered, and um there have been at least 803 reservations for different school facilities.

Uh we added the sustainability coordinator, which has been filled by Brig Gable.

Um, and this has really helped our team.

It's playing a key role in the sustainability commission, and uh, she has also been leading applying for funding.

Um so she's applied for 8.9 million dollars.

Um, we've gotten two million of that.

A lot of that is still kind of we're we're waiting for feedback.

And then another big goal of the past couple years has been we've known this federal funding is coming.

So focusing on getting some of that federal funding and being prepared to actually manage and use that funding.

So I I put together a little spreadsheet of funds that we've either already been awarded or we have a pretty good idea, things like the seaplane base.