City Council Budget Work Session – Community Service Organizations – October 9, 2025
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City Council Budget Work Session – Community Service Organizations – October 9, 2025
The Valdez City Council held a budget work session on October 9, 2025, to review funding requests from Community Service Organizations (CSOs). The meeting used a consent agenda approach; organizations without council questions were approved as presented. Items discussed in detail included Friends of the Valdez Animal Shelter, KCHU, Valdez Adventure Alliance, and Valdez Avalanche Center. Decisions and modifications were made for several requests, with the final budget subject to public hearing and adoption on November 18, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Advocates for Victims of Violence: Approved as presented.
- Alaska Fellows Program: Removed from the budget because no representative was present at the meeting, contrary to standard CSO requirements.
- Connections to Care: Approved as presented.
- Copper River Basin Child Advocacy Center: Approved as presented.
- Valdez Assistance and Food Bank: Approved as presented.
- Sound Wellness Alliance Network (Swan): Approved as presented, after verifying previously unchecked boxes were completed.
- Valdez Arts Council: Approved as presented.
- Valdez Senior Center: Approved as presented.
- Valdez Torpedo Swim Club: Approved as presented.
Discussion Items
Friends of the Valdez Animal Shelter – Councilmember Love asked about the percentage of services provided to Valdez versus rural communities. The organization reported that 65% of animals in the Valdez shelter come from upcountry, and their spay/neuter programs serve Valdez, the Copper River Basin, and as far as Chitina and Cordova. Total spending on spay/neuter in the past fiscal year was $73,812, with $39,000 in income; the gap is covered by an estate fund. They requested $20,000. The request continued forward as presented.
KCHU (Public Radio) – Councilmember Love recused himself due to employment at KCHU. The organization requested $50,000 toward a replacement tower for the collapsed AM tower at Old Town, which previously served Chenega Bay and mariners. They noted that AM license could be lost if substantial progress on a new tower is not made within a year. Councilmembers raised concerns about the lack of a defined plan, uncertainty about tower location and funding, and the organization’s small membership base (190 members). Councilmembers Love, Green, and another expressed opposition, citing too many unanswered questions. There was consensus to remove the $50,000 request from the budget.
Valdez Adventure Alliance – Executive Director Lynnette Oliver requested $67,000 ($56,500 for Shoops Bay Trail boardwalk and $10,000 for Worthington Glacier). The boardwalk would complete the last 1,135 feet of the first 3.5 miles of the Shoops Bay Trail, which is heavily used. Councilmember Love asked about trail usage data (estimated 1,000–4,000 users per year via cell phone pings), and suggested installing a foot counter. Oliver noted that postponing the project would increase costs because vegetation would regrow. Councilmember Whitty expressed strong support, noting the organization’s progress and the cost savings from using volunteers. The request continued forward as presented.
Valdez Avalanche Center – The organization requested $120,000, up from $40,000, based on an independent audit by the National Avalanche Center that deemed the current model unsustainable. The audit found VAC operates as a Type 1 center with one full-time and one part-time forecaster, covering 363 square miles, while comparable centers have 3–5 full-time staff. The funding would support two full-time positions (three forecasters). Councilmember Love opposed, citing national standards more akin to weekly forecasts and questioning coverage outside city limits. Councilmember Whitty supported, referencing the audit and the importance of Thompson Pass. Councilmember Green and another sought a smaller budget. No consensus to reduce the request, so it remained in the budget as presented, but with a condition that an audit (required for requests over $100,000) must be provided. The mayor noted the policy requires an audit.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar items approved as presented.
- Alaska Fellows Program removed from budget due to non-attendance.
- Friends of the Valdez Animal Shelter request continued forward unchanged.
- KCHU $50,000 request removed from budget after council consensus.
- Valdez Adventure Alliance $67,000 request continued forward unchanged.
- Valdez Avalanche Center $120,000 request continued forward, conditional on providing an audit required by policy.
- Council agreed to set aside time early in 2026 to establish clear standards and expectations for future CSO funding requests, following public survey results.
Meeting Transcript
Yep, yep, we got you. All right, my apologies. No problem. Hey, Elise, could I get my screen up for sharing purposes? All right, uh city manager. Uh Director Nelson is just coming back from trip, so we're giving some jet lag reprieve, not have to get up first thing and be charismatic so you get me instead. Um just by way of reminder how we've done this in the past, that there's a lot of folks here to respect everybody's time. Uh what we've done in the past is kind of a consent agenda approach where if there's no questions, if the information was sufficient with the packet, um those folks can be moved on as as presented with the packet. But what I will do is I'll go through the list, they're in alphabetical order. And if we have two council people who want to discuss a particular item, uh we'll pull it, so to speak, and come back to it to discuss. Uh, but those who don't have any questions from council is we'll just continue on with the request. Um so without any further ado, the alphabetical order, we have advocates for victims of violence. There are two council folks who would like to have any questions about that one. Okay, none. Uh Alaska Fellows program. Um Nate, uh quickly, is Alaska Fellowship here, fellow program here. Uh, I don't know if there's anyone in the audience representing them, but we had been told they weren't going to be here. Okay, isn't it part of the CSO requirement that they have to be present at this meeting? That is one of your standard practices. Okay, then scratch them off the list. Okay. So we will remove them from the CM budget. I should also add within the packet, there was a checklist. Uh, there may have been some updates to that list since from when the uh packet was published. So if something along those lines, if you have a quick question about that, we can certainly update you as necessary. Uh I believe one of the major ones was Swan had some unchecked boxes, but I believe those have all been checked at this point in time. All right. Um connections to care. Okay, you are as presented. Copper River Basin Child Advocacy Center. Okay, they will stand as presented. Valdeese Assistance and Food Bank. Okay, you are good as presented. Friends of the Valdez Animal Shelter. Okay. Councilmember Love also submitted some some comments that you have all been distributed. Councilmember Love also had friends of the Valdez Animal Shelter. So you guys get to stick around. Please. KCHU. Okay. Councilmember Love had him on his list as well. Uh Sound Wellness Alliance Network, Swan. Okay. Swan will stand as presented. Valdeese Adventure Alliance. So I have Councilmember Whitty and Mayor Fleming. Uh Valdez Arts Council. Okay. Valdees Avalanche Center.
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