Commissioner Raditic, can you hear us?

Yes, I can.

All right, thank you.

All right.

Public business from the floor is a time for anyone in the audience to address us on a non-agenda item.

One staff member in the audience.

All right.

New business item number one approval of temporary land use permit twenty-five dash zero nine for granite construction company for a one and a one point nine acre portion of track C one ASLS seventy-nine dash one one six owned by the city of Valdez.

Okay.

Oh sorry.

Moved by Commissioner Bolton, seconded by Commissioner Goodrow.

Any discussion on this one?

I agree.

Yeah, uh, no, this is not an objection by any means, but um I did send an email earlier today to uh Kate about just the timing of these applications.

Um they wanted to start the seventh, but they didn't submit it to the fifteenth.

Here we are the twenty-third.

Um, and just being the point really is an I I asked for just a little baby history in the timeline.

Not that I don't want to approve it, but um yeah, from my time on council, I never liked seeing stuff after the fact, and it makes me think a little bit about their planning and what their idea was when they took this project, and that they're here, and then they really set up signs and do work, and they don't have anywhere to do their asphalt plan.

If there was an issue with this property, which again, I'm not saying there is.

In this case, um, I from my understanding that granite was not aware of the need for the temporary land use permit.

And then we had city staff who was at the site because we're working on a renewal of the gravel lease at that site who observed that they were operating there.

And as soon as we informed them that there was a permit required, they responded immediately and submitted an application.

Um so again, the applicant is online.

I don't know if Ben or somebody else on the line would like to speak to that process, but my understanding is that they were unaware of the requirement, and as soon as we made them aware, they responded immediately, and then we brought it before you.

And would that be if I may continue?

Um would that be more of nature because this was a state project.

So yes, I'll let the applicant speak to it.

Is the state project also I suspect because there is an asphalt batch plant at this site for um Harrisan and Gravel who has a permit to do gravel extraction at this site that I think that probably played into the confusion of not understanding that a permit would be required, that it actually is city property.

And any time that we have somebody who has a permit for gravel extraction, a gravel lease, that's not actually a land lease, it's not actually a land interest.

They have a permit to go in and extract gravel.

So we see that as a point of confusion, and we actually had the same situation arise with a different gravel lease a few years ago where a different construction company um needed or desired to operate a plant at that site.

And so we went through the same process with them.

But at that time, we kind of had to, we worked with the city attorney to determine what was appropriate since there is an existing gravel lease at that site.

And so what we settled on is the same um process that you saw in that in the packet tonight, where we had the um the person who holds the gravel lease in this case Harris Sand and Gravel submit a letter of non-objection, just so that you all know that the person operating there is aware that um granite will be on site and that they can work together.

And so that's that's the same process that we went through before, but I don't think it's well known amongst the public that that's a necessary step.

Yeah.

So I don't I don't know if you'd like to hear from the applicant, but they are on the line.

Um if if they wish, I mean, that was a good explanation.

I'll just that was what I was worrying about.

I don't I don't like being behind the curve or putting a bad place where like, well, they're already working, so you know if there was an issue with the property, we'd be in a tight spot to approve it regardless.

Again, not saying that with this current site, but in the future, and thinking if it was a city project, that probably would have been a little more clear, but since work with the state, this and that.

I'm glad you brought that up.

Uh would the applicant care to address us on this?

You're not required to, but if you'd like to say something, this would be a good time.

Yeah, this is uh Ben Lameron from Granite.

I was just going to comment that's a pretty accurate representation.

We were unaware of the permit requirements for that.

Uh, the land use to application, and as soon as we got the notification, we turn in the application the same day.

All right, thank you.

Anyone else have concerns or questions?

I would agree with Commissioner Moulton and say this is a good project and good use of the land, and I'm in favor of it.

And I had the same concern, and I was wondering, I didn't realize they'd already set up the plant.

I was wondering if we should consider dating it today instead of post-dating it, so you don't have to pay so much.

But that would be up to you guys if anybody wanted to propose that.

I suppose if they've already set up the project, maybe we shouldn't.

We should just go ahead with that date.

Okay, let's go ahead and vote then.

Okay, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.