All right, welcome everybody.

Uh, we will call to order the special meeting of Tuesday, April 21st, 2026.

Please join me for a flag salute.

I pledge allegiance 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.

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 Klinkitani.

Sarah Rollcall, please.

Mayor Isenbeis.

Present.

Mr.

Pike.

Here.

Miss Carlson.

Here.

Miss Riley.

Here.

Mr.

Christensen.

Here.

Mr.

Mosier.

Here.

And Mr.

Slain.

Yes, here.

I can hear it all of our voices.

We're excited to be starting four nights of meetings tonight, aren't we?

Uh thank you.

Uh so tonight we're gathered to do our annual evaluations for our two employees, our municipal administrator and our municipal attorney.

Uh this evening, uh, John Leach has requested his evaluation be in public.

And then uh our attorney, uh Rachel Jones has requested that her evaluation be held in executive session.

Uh, any questions from the assembly before we go forward in this process?

We'll be starting with John Leach this evening.

Great.

Um, so we will move into the annual evaluation for a municipal administrator.

Uh this one, although I think we do need to give a good recap of the previous year for our administrator.

Um, obviously, he's on his way out, and he's hoping we get him uh a little bit quicker on his way out.

So yeah, I would go through the the same process as normal assembly on this um if you have any feedback from the previous year and uh kind of what you're looking forward to in the next uh next little bit.

Um Kevin, you mind starting us out?

We'll just go around the room.

Sure, no problem, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh thank you.

Uh John, I'll just make my comments brief.

Uh it's interesting because originally when you put in your notice, you were going to be ending your time next month.

So, and then the assembly did ask you to extend until December, which you agreed to.

So it seems kind of surproof surperfluous.

I don't know if that's the right word to do this, but we are doing it because it's the the process.

Um, and the fact that we did ask you to stay longer, I think says a lot.

Uh I have great confidence in your leadership.

Um, you started here, I think, just before COVID hit, and you hit the ground running and helped us through uh really, very difficult time uh without much training.

Uh you know, I think Hugh Bevan was uh the interim administrator at that point, and he helped kind of give you some pointers, but he could tell right away.

Remember, he said to several of us that he knew you you kind of had it already at that point.

Um you've um helped us with a lot of projects, a lot of change, substantial change, not just from COVID, but um through many, many uh ups and downs with the city, and um I think you've learned and grown.

We've you know given you some things to uh think about during your evaluations as you know everyone has a for growth.

Um I've just appreciate your service over these years.

Uh and very grateful that you've given us these years.

I could I know that you put your heart and soul into this job, and um you've always been open uh if I've needed to talk or have communication with you.

Um you've always make your time available.

I know you um take great pains at supporting your staff, supporting the assembly, and supporting the public.

Uh and I've seen that, and we've all seen that.

Um grateful for your time, and I'm grateful for you agreeing to stay until December to give us a little more leeway, a little more time to try to find a good fit.

And uh and you will be missed.

Thank you.

John, you're a top hand.

Um I just really need to know what's it gonna take for the hall out to start hauling out uninsured votes.

Is it just gonna take like four assembly votes to get that, and then we can just get that yard open for guys that are freaking out.

You know, there's so many people that are trapped here, and it really appears that we are making the town unaffordable for people that are just gonna catch the last fish and ride out the diminishing salmon returns and have an old wood boat that they have basically rebuilt and been hauled out in other towns, and people are really on me, like really ragging on me about what we look like, and how can Wrangle and Juna be doing it and what's it gonna take so that that risk does not and apparently I've been told we have the same carrier, and I've really been tasked with trying to get an answer to that right now.

And then somebody just told me that the lady Roxy is hauled out, and I they were saying that that wasn't insured, and I was just trying to find somebody that knew what was up with that, and then the other thing I'd like to visit with you on right here is like with you leaving, and I'm just getting to know how things roll, and I did get my full-time employee in for refrigeration skills, but now that's kind of been hamstrung a little bit because the water department has uh a better package for long-term employees, and I'm wondering how would you recommend that I get the next administrator that comes, how would we be able to focus that so that the money that I see us slipping through our fingers, not only just the $30,000 thermostat at the animal shelter, but a lot of stuff at Blatchley, how how could that go forward so that uh there's more opportunity, so we'd have a wider range of skill sets that would be demographically where a guy that would be in service for like 10 years wants to get out of the 24-7 aspect and then come to work at the building department, but now they can't because the water department is a better deal for working at the city.

Uh John, if you just want to um compile those thoughts and uh potentially respond at the the end, or uh um you and Scotty can link up online on some of his concerns going forward.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Uh John, there is a lot of things that's happened in Sitka since you started in October 2019.

Um to now it's what seven years I've been around for about half of that through this process, and the growth and expertise and you know, calm clarity that you bring to this job uh is just admirable.

There's such a range of of skills that we requested uh in this job description that I reviewed over the weekend in advance of this, and it's really remarkable how you just embody all of it, and that understanding you know, communicative and and caring of carrying forward an expression you have for for this town is really something that will be missed.

Um your abilities to prioritize and be effective and efficient with your workloads.

Um there is a bit of time there when there was many vacancies within the city and department heads and regular staff, and you took on that above your standard works and just kept things rolling through a pandemic, through a huge flux of our economy into a tourism, and through major projects, like an airport and a haul out at once that overlapped the through hiring of four department heads, maybe even more than four department heads, four during my time.

Um is massive.

And any one of those things could become too much for an individual.

And and you did it all back to back, side to side, top to bottom, and while restructuring, uh getting us a strategic plan to guide us, uh restructuring the pay structure, and um just restructuring the departments, and that's so much that takes a vision as a leadership trait, but then also management as a day-to-day trait, and to be doing all of that from the big down to the details for a community like this is a huge feat that you executed with Clarity Calm and Grace.

So I appreciate what you've done.

You know, this review is only the scripted as the last year, but it's kind of a you know all-encompassing during my tenure, um, and what I noticed from before I joined the assembly as well.

And then when you're you know not on duty as administrator, your activities within the community are also exceptional.

Um your participation with just this as a neighbor and as a friend and as a community member is is really um quite remarkable.

And I'm I bring joy to my imagination of what I see you know you doing next um with your professional career and just your life.

So thank you for taking on the task of being administrator for this municipality.

Um it is not a role um that is met with smiles and joy and hugs and handshakes at every turn, um and and you managed um to navigate that very well, and I appreciate um all of what you've given professionally and personally to this town and this municipality.

So thank you you know you didn't ask for this, and then you don't have to do anything with this unless you want to, but you know, I thought writing uh it down for for everybody to see and for me to see and for you to see um uh what I see of what you have done as an administrator.

So um I wrote in the form of a recommendation just so that you could see kind of the thinking behind it and where it goes.

And you know, as I look through all of the things that you do for us as a community and the job description that is embodied in it, you know, I think this is this lays out for for me anyway, the how well you have uh exceeded those expectations.

So I mean I think it you embody the the ideal of a city administrator, and I hope that you will be able to find an opportunity to mentor others because I think there's an opportunity for you to reach a much bigger audience in terms of helping other city administrators and other cities have that benefit.

Again, I'm not you didn't ask for it, I'm not do with it as you will, um, but I wanted to make sure that you saw kind of what I think about that.

Um but uh anytime I do an evaluation, I also want to give people I also want to give people a little feedback in terms of things that I you know from my experience and for my observation, things that are really important for um them to consider.

Um but again, it's just what I see and what I think.

Um I think there's really two categories that that I uh see might be some areas you might want to think about.

One obviously is self-care, right?

So um long ago somebody told me um stress is a choice, right?

And I thought, what a crazy thing to say, right?

Like, is stress a choice?

Um and I you know I was thought the most unhelpful most unhelpful statement I've ever heard.

And as I've lived with that for over time, though, it's I've come to realize it's not the statement is about how you approach it and what you recognize in it.

And and the willingness to take on stress um and realize that it's a choice to do that, I think changes a little bit about how you feel about it.

So um I think stress is a is something that comes with the this job and many others, um, and I think um some of it's very helpful.

There's chance points where stress is good, it helps us focus our minds.

Um, but self-care is going to be a really important part.

And I'm sure that's not news to you that self-care is something that you might want to think a little bit more about, particularly um because it has impacts on on your life and your relationships.

And the other one has to do with um a kind of a it's a sort of a I don't know, I don't know if loyalty is the right word.

Um, but I know that the Coast Guard stresses loyalty, and when you're in a helicopter with a crew, everybody has to work together and loyalty that camaraderie is a very important thing.

Um but it's also important to make sure that the people that you work with have a clear sense of how they're doing.

And sometimes sometimes being a little too loyal to someone can be an issue for being honest with them is terms of where they're at.

So I think as you look forward in your career, that's something for you to think about.

I know that's a difficult thing.

You're you know, you're a very kind person, and and those are difficult conversations sometimes, but I think that's just as a growth item.

You're you know, you're a very kind person, and and those are difficult conversations sometimes, but I think that's just as a growth item, think about sometimes the you know where your loyalty ends up going in terms of whether it's with a person or with the group of people that that are being represented in the case like a city.

Um where does that lie?

So something to think about.

But I have nothing, I mean you're an exceptional leader.

Thank you for doing that for us.

I did not type up a nice sheet like that.

Um so John came in just a few months after I came back to the assembly.

So I have to say that when you announced you were you were leaving, I was like, darn it.

I was kind of hoping to wrap it up at the same time.

And uh so uh and uh it's kind of funny doing an evaluation a month before you're leaving, but uh so I don't really consider that this an evaluation so much as talking about your time here.

Um and I just wrote some notes uh so I had heard the term asset management, but I didn't really understand it until I worked with you, and I and that's been a real revelation in my mind on how we one of the changes you've made that we are much less surprised than we used to be.

Uh and I I don't know, I assume that you know I know you brought that in from your time in the Coast Guard, but if there's anything that's gonna hold over 20 years from now, I think it might be that uh is the the fact that we have asset management in place, and I think you've set up the groundwork for that, so it's gonna continue long after your uh after they say John Who.

Um so um to kind of hear in terms of I think it also talking about the strategic plan that you push that you uh manage to drive through to get complete to where we actually use it.

And I again I will be f freely admit that I have been through that process a number of times, whether we call the strategic plan or whatever, and I wasn't real excited about it because generally those kinds of things get done and they get put on a shelf and you really never hear about them again, and that hasn't been the case.

And so again, I've been I was very pleasantly surprised to see the way that not only did you push through and get us to the process to get a strategic plan, but you it's like every time we have something come up, it's where is it in the strategic plan, which is new for us.

So thank you.

Um from a you know this this the way you have developed the staff is night and day from what it used to be.

Uh I think you've developed you've put together a very professional staff that you know we everybody always was wants to do a good job, but I I really see a real higher level professionalism and things getting done.

Uh and I and I really appreciate that.

I kind of I think there's a a good example of that is you know, we I think we all come in and talk to you in your office, and I love your whiteboards where you've got all everything that's going on and things that are in process and where they are and what they need to be and things you have to work on.

And you can walk into your office and see the state of the city just by looking around at those whiteboards, and that's that's shows uh uh an organized mind, much better than mine.

But uh I I I love that I could do that.

I could you know, I'm talking to him and looking around going, well, what's going on there?

And you would tell me.

Um from uh personal standpoint uh our time together on the EOC during COVID.

I felt that you ran that well.

Um in a trying time, uh and you got thrown into the fire, and you know, we I know we vented to each other a little bit from time to time, and I really appreciated and I enjoyed that time when they're with you.

Um I guess I don't really see a whole lot of for the next month uh that you need to improve on, although I am very glad to hear that uh you're gonna be spending some time for yourself and your family.

I'm jealous going to Italy, but uh you know I think that as much as we hate to have you leaving, and we and I know I do, I'm glad that you're gonna get to spend some time with your family.

And so to echo it everybody, thank you for the last little over six years, and uh so uh I don't look forward to seeing what's next from you here.

I know you're still be in town.

So well, I've gotten to work with you probably the least out of everyone.

So I had uh a little bit of difficulty putting my thoughts together here because generally I think they're they're very positive, you know, and I and the rest of the city get a benefit from all of the growth that you've experienced over the trajectory of your career here.

But one of the things that I just wanted to express a lot of appreciation for was your action orientation.

I think going through the um strategic plan process, the update uh and um the budget process here and seeing some of the systems that you've put in place and how they lead to action and results uh is going to have a lasting impact on our community.

And so I'm really grateful for you coming in and recognizing those needs and creating something that is organization wide and systems-wide and lives within the departments and more the culture of the city now rather than you know being held by a specific person.

I think that's gonna help with longevity and uh continue to benefit um the public for years to come.

One of the other things that I noted um that I really appreciate in a manager is that I I think that your staff for the most part feel really supported by you, and that is really critical.

Um, I think as we look for, you know, the next person that's gonna take this role on at the city.

Um you have a highly capable, highly professional staff, right?

And uh I think that they feel supported by you, heard, um, like they have access to you know mentorship opportunities and uh the resources they need to do their jobs, and that is the thing that is going to translate into outcomes for people on the ground, and that's a lot of the you know, kind of like quieter leadership behind the scenes.

Um so I'm very appreciative of that and definitely something that I'm looking for as we look to to move on.

Um also want to say thank you for the the positive movement on child care.

I'm excited to see um, you know, I know that there was a lot of assembly members working on that and just a lot of dialogue over that and um coming in and you know saying, okay, like what are what are some systems that we can put in place here, some action steps that we can take to achieve the intended outcome.

I think that way that you bring that perspective, which Tim wrote about very very well in his letter, um, is really exemplary and uh something that I hope to keep seeing.

Um I'm not sure that we will be getting rid of you next month, uh, so maybe, but um yeah, there is the the possibility that you might be here for the rest of the year, and I in that uh event would look forward to continuing to work with you, especially on uh some housing stuff.

Um I think that we could make some uh excellent progress there and um put another check on your strategic plan, which uh should feel good.

Um and then also um yeah, just in terms of something, you know, this isn't uh just on you, obviously.

Um this is something that we need to do as a team as an assembly and the city as a whole, but really like how can we better communicate um the impacts of uh where city dollars are going, you know, especially as people are feeling strapped and we face deficits and you know, tough conversations about that, um, really figuring out how we're communicating uh what kind of improvements are happening with increased sales tax and and things like that from tourism, uh especially because so many of the systems that you put in place with like asset management and the strategic plan and and risk management and how we you know categorize where to do infrastructure, uh so much of that is it makes government boring, right?

Which is is the point is a positive thing in terms of we just are continuously moving forward, but also it can become harder to really identify like what are the changes that are happening, and so um you know, how can you work uh with your team and then us together to support you to really communicate out um what we're able to do as a community.

I know that every pawhole you fix in the roundabout and beyond is uh is is some of those really visible things.

Um but yeah, just generally very much appreciate the work that you've done here.

Uh the integrity you bring and the service attitude is really remarkable.

So thank you.

See, that was strategic for me, so everybody else can say the good things, and then I don't have to repeat everything, right?

Uh John, you know, I genuinely hope um after you're relieved of your duties here that uh um you find an other employment very quickly.

And that's not because I don't like you, but it's because uh you always seem like you need to find something to fix, and I have a feeling you'll drive your wife crazy around the house if there's nothing that you can fix.

So well, I don't necessarily want you to see have another job.

Um gotta gotta keep doing something.

Uh but I think that was um one of the highlights of your career at the municipality is that you saw what needed to be fixed, and you were always willing to jump in and fix it.

I know that there was some things that put a little bit of stress on staff as we made the organization stronger going forward in the future.

Um but you weren't afraid to identify those things, and instead of letting them lie, we we jumped on them, we we made them better as a team and we moved forward.

Um it's that it's that and a lot of what we have done together that allows us to have not only um a governmental team that's moving forward well, but then the assembly as well.

Without you in the position, um it can change the composition of the assembly.

Uh, if the administrator isn't doing good, there's gonna be a lot of people that need to get on the assembly to help fix what the administrator isn't working on.

So a a calm collected assembly for the last uh long enough that I don't remember when we weren't um is a reflection of you and the leadership as well.

Uh and it's hard to it's hard to believe that six years is a long tenure in this position.

Um it kind of seems like we're just getting started.

It kind of seems like we're, you know, you and me when we when we travel somewhere, it seems like we're just getting good at and we're just rolling really well now.

Um but six years is a long tenure in this job, which is is pretty unfortunate really.

I think the staff gets adapted at that point.

They kind of learn the the ins and outs, and then within a couple years, it's uh it's time for a transition again.

So that's unfortunate, but it's uh it's definitely a reflection on the complexity of the systems that we have here.

Uh a couple points to consider as we move forward over this next period.

Um just want to make sure that we maintain the the high level that we've come to expect over these next couple months.

Um I do expect a little more break in there as well, go catch a king salmon or two.

Uh, and just continue to work to have a seamless transfer with whoever the assembly chooses next.

Uh making sure that you're setting up your employees to win as well.

I'm sure administrator changeover creates a bunch of angst amongst your staff, and anything you can do to put them in a pet at better position uh is going to be most beneficial to the organization, which I think is the driver of your career here.

And then uh continue to balance output with rest.

I think that's one thing that we have uh said.

I think that's probably the only thing that we've constantly criticized at the at these uh evaluations is that we need a little bit of rest from you as well, right?

Um you can't go 24-7 for six years without it breaking.

Um so you know, make sure that we're balancing output with rest, and that that's organization-wide as well.

Uh as monies start to disappear, we don't have a lot of free grants anymore, and this stuff is starting to wrap up.

Let's uh let's give our people a little bit of a break as we can and make sure that they are recharged for whatever comes next because we have had an incredibly busy last five years.

Um, and it's I'm I'm sure it's it's weighing on people as well.

So uh John, thank you for your your service to the city.

Um, as much as I wish we could get another six years, I also don't want to put that on you.

Um that would be cruel and unusual punishment, but uh we appreciate it.

Um and I I don't think I disagreed with anything that any other assembly member has said as well.

Uh with that, I would uh turn the floor over to you to give you an opportunity for comments.

Well, I I don't have a lot to say without it sounding like a goodbye speech, and it's not the goodbye speech yet, but I I do um thank everybody for the for the kind comments and the and the feedback as well.

I mean, there's always areas for growth, um, even if it's in whatever future endeavor I decide to to take on.

Um so those are all helpful points.

Um I think you've you've heard from me and and you understand that this um it is a job that creates a lot of stress.

I don't know if I agree with uh you choose to take on stress either.

Um but that comes from a position of care.

Um, you know, I I took the job literally to serve a community that I that I love.

Um, you know, I everybody knows the story already when I when I got orders out of here in the Coast Guard, I left my family here while I closed that chapter with all the intentions of of coming back here, and when this opportunity came available, I I thought it was a a good opportunity to serve a community I I so very much wanted to come back to.

choose to take on stress either um but that comes from a a position of care um you know i i took the job literally to serve a community that i that i love um you know i everybody knows this story already when i when i got orders out of here in the coast guard i left my family here while i closed that chapter with all the intentions of of coming back here and when this opportunity came available i i thought it was a a good opportunity to serve a community i i so very much wanted to come back to um so my plan is to continue to be here and and serve in some aspect somehow we'll see what that what that looks like in the future um it's it's been a pleasure um there there have been tough times as well I mean I try really really really hard to stay off of social media but it'll it'll grab you every once in a while and and uh it's it's unfortunate to read some of the things on there but I also have to understand that I'm not gonna make everybody happy all the time and that's what makes this job for for anybody that sits in it um you know especially in a small community uh it's it's hard to it can be hard to live in the same place that you have to make tough decisions for knowing that some of those tough decisions are not going to sit well with with uh with some people but uh as long as everybody understands that I'm I'm trying to make the best decisions I can with the information I have at the time and keeping the long-term interest of the city in mind so I want to thank the assembly for for your support um and achieving some of the the things that we've set out in the strategic plan together and uh hopefully made sit go a little better over the over the past six plus years appreciate it uh thank you john um at this point now um the assembly has typically gone forward with a um a rating of our employees um I believe we had in the past and I get hung up on this every single time we should put in code or something Sarah that would probably help me I think we talked about this last time too and just kept charging um but the in in the past we've had exemplary satisfactory and needs improvement um type ratings so satisfactory meeting the mark exemplary um the mark plus and then needs improvement uh overall the assembly would have agreed that uh there were some areas that we would like to see changed uh typically as well um a pay increase at this point is discussed uh in years past it has been right around um cpi and that's how uh code is written now for a a CPIU uh pay increase which should be about two percent um I don't want to take that from John I know that the pay has not been the reason for this and there was a a boost up here recently as well um but also not getting your said step increase can feel like a little bit of a blow as well so couple things for the assembly to consider John I I don't know if it's appropriate or not can I just say please don't do that you can request mayor thank you and John I'm really glad you said that because I think just uh well first of all for my part my exemplary is easy to say by far no questions asked hand down but given that we did just give you that bump up um I think that's appropriate to not do it at this time um just because you're only here for a few more months but that in my opinion is no way zero reflection upon your your job I think you're doing an amazing job and you have served this community for many years below your financial worth and uh I think that's why people are you know interested in hiring you in other places right now not because of that but because of your service attitude and all the other things that we said.

Thank you.

I would echo that uh except the fact that he's quitting maybe that means below expectation but um uh but no I can decide I I think Kevin hit the nail on the head there and uh the you know unqualified exemplary and and I appreciate you know I again I I think I agree with Kevin that with the uh bump for your especially for your uh interim work um is probably appropriate it's probably more than two percent more than that two percent anyway but I appreciate your being willing to do that and uh honestly I think this will make your final time easier if we don't do that exemplary yeah it sounds uh from the assembly comments and um what we've just said now that we would be issuing an exemplary review uh does anyone have any troubles with that okay and then uh due to the employees request and a uh a previous a recent previous pay bump um I would honor the the zero percent uh increase um as requested um mainly in honor of the request anybody have any issues with either of those okay uh john uh thank you for your time in this evaluation process um this assembly will give you an exemplary review uh for this previous year and uh forego an annual pay increase in lieu of the one that uh has been received

Um I would honor the the zero percent uh increase um as requested um mainly in honor of the request.

Anyone have any issues with either of those?

Okay, uh John.

Uh thank you for your time in this evaluation process.

Um this assembly will give you an exemplary review uh for this previous year and uh forego an annual pay increase in lieu of the one that uh has been received here recently for your interim status.

So uh we thank you for your service.

Uh anything else for this body before we wrap up?

Great, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Uh I know it's only been like 40 minutes, but before we move on to our municipal attorney uh review and executive session, you said we could take a recess.

Um please be seated when you're ready to continue all right.

Uh so we'll be moving on uh to item B tonight on our agenda, which is our annual evaluation for our municipal attorney Rachel Jones.

Uh she has requested this be held in executive session, uh so in compliance with those wishes.

Uh there is a motion that the assembly could present.

I moved to go into executive session under the statutory categories of discussing subjects that one may tend to prejudice the reputation and character of an individual, and two may have an adverse effect on the finances of the city and borough of sitka and invite in when ready.

Municipal attorney Rachel Jones.

In addition, pursuant to customary practice, I move to exclude the municipal administrator and municipal clerk.

Second.

That's been moved and segmented to go into executive session.

Uh is there any public comment on entering executive session?

Sarah.

All right.

Um the motion to go into executive session.

Mayor Eisenbais?

Yes.

Mr.

Christensen?

Yes.

Ms.

Riley, yes.

Mr.

Mosier?

Yes.

Mr.

Saline?

Yes.

Ms.

Carlson?

Yes.

And Mr.

Pike.

Yes.

The motion passes 7-0.

And you'll be meeting in room four.

Uh motion to reconvene.

So second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Uh thank you.

We are reconvened as the assembly in regular session.

Uh we met in executive session to give our uh municipal attorney uh her annual evaluation.

Uh results of that, um, we will be uh offering an exemplary review.

Um we were able to uh discuss some uh topics with our attorney, a little bit of back and forth, which was was great.

Um and we will offer uh well for pay and benefits.

Um I will be reaching out to negotiate.

Uh we'll talk with you about some options that we have for for your future pay and benefit package.

Uh questions, comments from yourself?

Uh no, thank you.

I appreciated your time tonight.

Anything else from the assembly on our reviews this evening?

Great, thank you all.

Um it'll bring us to persons to be heard.

This is public uh participation for any item on or off tonight's agenda, not to exceed three minutes for any individual.

Uh seeing none, that would bring us to adjournment.

The motion to adjourn.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Uh thank you, everybody.

We are adjourned.