Valdez City Council Regular Meeting - July 8, 2025
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Valdez City Council Regular Meeting - July 8, 2025
Note: The agenda for this meeting was dated June 17, 2025, but the user-provided date is July 8, 2025. This summary uses the July 8 date as instructed, while the source materials reference the June 17 agenda.
The Valdez City Council held a regular meeting on July 8, 2025 (per user directive), preceded by a work session on RV park and campground code. The council approved consent items, a professional services agreement, an insurance renewal, and a fire engine purchase. An ordinance amending the Code of Ethics was introduced with two council amendments. A resolution for a T-Mobile Hometown Grant was approved. Reports covered capital projects, the GFOA Distinguished Budget Award, and legal updates.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dawson Moore, Valdez Theater Conference – Reported that the 33rd annual conference concluded with around 160 participants (down from the typical 200), but was one of the smoothest. Expressed deep appreciation for community and city support, noting that participants paid to volunteer. Mentioned possible future request for city assistance. He is moving to Anchorage but hopes to increase recruitment there. The conference holds a unique place in American theater.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (7-0):
- Proclamation: Juneteenth 2025
- Liquor license renewal – Fu Kung Restaurant #23262
- Appointment to Ports & Harbors Commission – Neil “Vince” Kelly and Alan Steed
- Acceptance of resignation from Beautification Commissioner Keena Miller
- Approval to enter Executive Session re: VMC 3.30 Litigation Strategy
Discussion Items
- Professional Services Agreement with Hale & Associates – Approved (7-0). Discussion noted the firm has been the city’s broker for over 30 years with unchanged fees for 7 years. The city periodically considers competitive bids but retained Hale for a 2-year term due to insurance market conditions.
- Annual Property and Casualty Insurance Renewal – Approved (7-0). Premium $925,953. City Manager Nate DeVal and broker Dave Hale explained the move to the APRA pool (merger of two pools) resulted in about 1.5% member savings and a broker credit of $48,374. The city’s experience modification factor improved to 0.72 (industry average <1). School district costs increased by about $17,000 due to APRA’s perception of school risk. Overall savings of nearly $54,000 compared to prior year.
- Purchase of 2030 Fire Engine – Approved (7-0). $1,450,000 for a Velocity HDR Pumper from Hughes Fire Equipment. Discussion covered funding from the Major Equipment Fund balance, paying in installments vs. upfront to mitigate risk, and the 54-month build timeline. The fire chief noted the engine is needed to maintain ISO Class 4 rating; reserve apparatus lose points after 20 years. Three inspection trips (pre-build, mid-build, final) are standard. Cost escalation protections are limited for engines, transmissions, and pumps.
- Ordinance #25-07 – Amending Code of Ethics (First Reading) – Councilmember Devons proposed two successful amendments:
- Section B (Business Prohibition): Removed a strike-through that would have deleted language prohibiting officials from engaging in business with the city after substantial involvement in planning or recommending the project. Council retained the original, stricter language (6-1, Councilmember Foster opposed).
- Section G (Gratuities): Removed new red-line language that added a “reasonable person” test, reverting to an absolute prohibition on accepting gratuities from those doing business with the city. The list of allowable exceptions (meals, merit awards, etc.) was kept. Approved 7-0. The ordinance was introduced as amended and will return for second reading due to the amendments.
- Resolution #25-29 – T-Mobile Hometown Grant Application – Approved (7-0). Economic Development Director Martha Barberio will apply for a $50,000 grant to fund multi-phase wayfinding improvements, including updating interpretive signs, Old Town signage, and banners. No city match required. The grant supports goals in the waterfront master plan and comprehensive plan.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously (7-0).
- Professional services agreement with Hale & Associates approved (7-0).
- Insurance renewal of $925,953 approved (7-0).
- Fire engine purchase of $1,450,000 approved (7-0).
- Ordinance #25-07 introduced with two council amendments; second reading scheduled.
- Resolution #25-29 approved (7-0) to pursue T-Mobile grant.
- Council appointed members to subcommittees: Permanent Fund (Devons, Lally, Lellone), Audit (Foster, Love, Olivia), VCB ad hoc (Joe), CSO (Foster, Love, Devons). Staff recommendation to appoint Martha Barberio to Prince William Sound Economic Development Commission will be formalized at next meeting.
- Strategic planning session scheduled for July 11-12 at the 7th Street venue.
Reports
- Monthly Projects Update (Scott Benda, Capital Facilities Director) – Detailed status of sewer force main (drilling issues at Airport Road), Meals Hill development (ADA parking concrete pour, trail construction with 2,000-ft loss on alder flow trail due to terrain), Civic Center green room (construction start mid-August), library windows (late July), senior center siding (late July), Kelsey Dock dolphin replacement (awaiting state permit), wellhouse #5 (bid July, completion Dec 2026), district office/child care center (Orion Construction selected, 65% drawings, site visit June 26), rural roads (cost estimates), radio repeater upgrade (95% designs), pavement management (design complete, awaiting funding), Herman Hutchins contaminated soil (well sampling done), roof replacements (slip station, container terminal – worse condition expected), animal shelter incinerator (two options evaluation), bailer replacement (RFQ fall 2025), hospital projects (generator concrete pad, long-term care expansion footings complete).
- GFOA Distinguished Budget Award – Sixth consecutive award for the city. Mayor recognized staff.
- City Manager Report – Reminded of Juneteenth holiday (city facilities closed, trash service unaffected). Mentioned working with an Alyeska contractor on land lease, countering claims that the city does not work with the oil industry.
- City Attorney Report (Jake) – Update on Escape property litigation: oral argument on trial de novo scope held June 5; awaiting order. Tax years 1997-2016 summary judgment hearing set July 21 (may be delayed). Tax years 2019 forward decision expected August/September. Redistricting attorney’s fees motion denied; evaluating options. C-plan: motions for reconsideration denied for issues 3, 5A, 5B; leak detection issue remanded for record. Secondary containment testing plan under review with RCAC. VMC 3.30 pre-hearing conference scheduled for tomorrow; executive session will follow.
- Council Business from Floor – Members thanked businesses for summer tourism success, congratulated staff on budget award (six consecutive), and invited public input on strategic planning via email. Mentioned upcoming Renaissance Fair with special guest Jacques Zipper. Councilmember Love expressed anticipation for strategic planning and noted progress on child care center.
The meeting adjourned to executive session.
Meeting Transcript
Mayor, everyone uh is present, um except for council member uhster who is absent and excused okay we're gonna go right into uh uh public business from the floor, and we have Dawson Moore from the Valdez Theater Conference. Hi everyone, it's nice to see you. I just thought I would microphone. Hey, turn it on or something. Yeah, just push button here. There you go. Oh, yeah, that's true. I hear myself now. You think I'd know how to do that with my field. Uh Rigos, hey, I just wanted to come and say uh thank you. Uh we wrapped up the 33rd uh annual conference this year. It was one of our best. Uh we were a little smaller uh than usual. Usually we get up to around 200. This is more like 160. There were a couple of interesting factors to that. Uh, but it was also one of our smoothest years. Uh I was very happy with our evening shows and what they provided. I wanted to share how much love my participants have for this community. Um after we had our city dinner uh on Wednesday night, I went to fringe and there was a song composed about Valdez and their great love for it. After the conference is over, the American theater's social media explodes with pictures of our community talking about the magical experience that they had here. Um yeah, I wish you could hear the song. It was uh Greg's got a terrific voice, like so many of them do. You don't want to compete karaoke with the theater crowd. Uh I will be living in Anchorage now. I'll be moving there on July 26th. Um I have high hopes for bringing the energy that we create for our theater conference here to that community. I also have high hopes of increasing my recruitment there uh from that uh from that community. Um I don't want to say too much about it. The theater conference holds a unique place in the American theater and is one of the largest of the types of events in that. The fact that a tiny staff uh in our small community can put on a thing like that um and be so well known and so well respected uh is an accomplishment that is due to everyone. Leaders get lots of credit, but it would never happen without the city support, without the college's support, without hundreds of volunteers every year, moreover, more than volunteers, they pay to register for something that would normally be a job. Uh they give us money because of the experience that we provide them with. Um tricky economic times for the entire university system. Uh and that trickles down to us. Uh it is possible that I might come to city council and ask for a little help on a specific thing. Uh I'll let you know about that, but I just wanted to share with you all. I greatly appreciate uh how this conference changed my life in 1995, uh, and that it is the great honor of my life to change lives on an annual basis with this conference. So uh that's all I want to say. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you, Dawson. Okay. Uh moving to the consent agenda. We have the Sherry, do I have the noble? Okay. Just that's okay. Consent agenda. Um we have uh five items on the consent agenda proclamation Juneteenth, 2025. Uh number two is approval of the liquor license renewal, Wukung restaurant, number two three two six. Number three is appointment to Ports and Harbor Commission applicants Nile Vince Kelly and Alan Steve.
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