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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Valdez City Council Budget Work Session - October 30, 2025

Meeting Portal — Thursday, October 30, 2025

BodyValdez, Alaska

SessionMeeting Portal

DateThursday, October 30, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:07:37

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Okay, we'll go ahead and uh start this uh meeting.

0:03

It's our workshop for uh the budget.

0:06

Uh and uh just want to reiterate to everybody we will not be taking public comment today.

0:12

That'll happen on November 18th at 6 p.m.

0:15

So um we just want to hear from the CSOs that are presenting, and with that, we'll kick it off to Jordan.

0:22

Thanks so much, Mayor.

0:24

Tonight, as you can see on the screen shortly, it is our workshop with the Ports and Harbor Division, those are three special revenue funds, the airport harbor and port fund, as well as some uh conversation around reserves, just give you an update of what happened with reserve funds as we went through the budget process, and uh we also will talk about some CIP projects towards the end of the night.

0:49

In the meantime, to begin with, we have a couple of uh topics to revisit, and in this order, it'll be KCHU Valdez Avalanche Center and Valdez Convention Visitors Bureau.

0:59

Uh we're just assuming it'll be in that order, we can change things around if need be.

1:04

But let's start it with KCHU.

1:07

Okay.

1:25

Hello, welcome.

1:27

Uh I haven't been on this side of the desk in a long time.

1:31

I need a second to set up.

1:33

My name is Jimmy Devons.

1:35

For those of you who don't know me, which I assume is no one.

1:42

Give me just a moment.

1:44

Um, so would you guys like to start with questions?

1:50

Is that better for you?

1:53

Or would you like to start with an explanation of our budget or perhaps some other speaker?

1:59

Yeah, Jimmy's just let me interrupt you real quick.

2:02

I just wanted to let everybody aware that you are not speaking on behalf of the council.

2:06

You are speaking as a member of KCHU, and you'll be presenting as such.

2:11

Yes, that is a great point.

2:13

Thank you for making that clarification.

2:15

I am uh acting as a private citizen today.

2:21

Do I just unplug this if I want to use the thingy?

2:25

So that this guy right here.

2:28

All righty.

2:29

Um does anybody have any questions just to start with?

2:37

I guess I'd just like to hear the if you had an overview first.

2:41

Okay.

2:42

Um, well, I the overview in front of you guys, you have a document that looks like this minus the stain.

2:49

It's the it's a large format one.

2:52

This is the budget for our AM Tower project.

2:56

Um the AM Tower project includes all of the supplementary materials to support an AM tower, including also 180-foot tower, a Rhone uh 55G 110 R180.

3:11

Um these are all from uh quotes, which I I also have provided in my slideshow here.

3:20

Uh so these are these are real figures, these are not hypothetical.

3:24

Uh here you can see a quote for uh materials from uh radio engineer Van Kraft and uh quote from Frontier Electric Services for installation and uh and fitting of the site.

3:40

Uh the site preparation quotes, uh though those are uh quoted by uh local contractor.

3:50

Those are approximate uh because one of the considerations is we have not yet locked in a site, although a little further down in my going out of order here a little bit.

4:02

Can you guys read this?

4:03

Can you oh my gosh.

4:06

All right, let me try to figure out how to make that a little more legible.

4:11

Try doing what now?

4:13

Control.

4:15

Can you guys read that?

4:16

No.

4:18

Control plus.

4:19

All right, so I had a I had a pre-meeting uh pre-application meeting with uh Kate Huber and I also had one with uh Nate Duval in regards to the availability of city properties.

4:31

Uh they were both of the opinion that KCHU would be applicable for opportunity for lease of city properties, and we identified potential properties that would be most ideal for the purpose of uh of construction of a tower.

4:46

The reason that we have not yet identified the exact specific property is because there is a lengthy process where we have to go through the planning and zoning commission.

5:00

We have to get a CUP and we have to present engineering drawings for the final approval.

5:05

And the final approval would of course go through you guys through resolution.

5:13

The reason we don't have engineering drawings yet is because they cost money, and we're still in the getting the money portion.

5:20

But I do have in my slide deck here.

5:26

Let me see, where did I put that?

5:29

A little further down.

5:31

This is the tower.

5:33

This is a pre-engineered tower.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████████21%

Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████17%

Harbor Management██████████████14%

Avalanche Safety███████████11%

Tourism██████████10%

Technology and Innovation█████████9%

Public Engagement███████7%

Procedural████4%

Public Safety███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Valdez City Council Budget Work Session - October 30, 2025

This work session revisited prior topics (KCHU, Avalanche Center, VCVB), reviewed the Ports & Harbors Division budgets, discussed reserve funds, and wrapped up with CIP projects. No public comment was taken; public hearing set for November 18, 2025.

KCHU AM Tower Funding

Jimmy Devons, speaking as a private citizen, requested a $50,000 CSO grant for a new AM tower. He presented quotes, fundraising progress ($28,561 raised), and matching grant plans. Council questioned the organization's financial health and project timeline. Council members Joe, Lester, and Austin voted to include $50,000 in the budget, with the condition that staff research the viability of using a memorandum of understanding (MOA) for matching funds. The appropriation was approved 3-0.

Valdez Avalanche Center

Director Sarah presented a revised request of $99,500, which included a $20,000 audit fee. After discussion, the council agreed to fund $79,500 by removing the audit expense, as the request was under $100,000 and the audit was not required. The council confirmed this amount would still meet the required deliverables (five-day-a-week forecasts). All council members indicated support.

Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau (VCVB)

Director Harris presented a $563,000 request, but failed to provide the requested 2024 audit and event revenue/expense breakdown. Council members expressed concerns about financial losses, lack of transparency, and reliance on events with unproven returns. Council member Love proposed limiting funding to $505,000 (the accommodation tax level), contingent on receiving the 2024 audit by January 1, 2026, submitting a revised budget focused on destination marketing, and providing quarterly financial and operational reports. The motion passed with all council members in favor (Joe, Lester, Austin, Jimmy, and the mayor).

Ports & Harbors Division

City Manager Duval and Director Nelson presented the airport, harbor, and port fund budgets. Key points: airport operating subsidy of $229,000; harbor targeting a $63,000 surplus with a rate increase and expense reductions; port fund balance over $5 million, with a $300,000 average annual contribution to reserves. No objections were raised, and the budgets moved forward as presented.

Reserve Funds & Permanent Fund Contribution

The council discussed the $3.4 million windfall from the escape properties court case. Council member Love proposed allocating $1.8 million from the repayment reserve to the permanent fund. The vote failed 3-3 (Love, Lester, and ?; Joe, Jimmy, and mayor opposed? Actually Joe and Lester opposed, mayor opposed? From transcript: Lester stuck with his position (opposed), Joe opposed, mayor opposed, so 3 against? Then Jimmy supported Love? Actually Jimmy initially proposed a lesser amount, then said he could support 1.8 if it was the difference. Then after failed, Jimmy proposed $867,150 (the amount over $1 million) to the permanent fund. This passed with all council members in favor.

Wrap-up & Next Steps

The city manager presented the final budget picture with $73 million in total appropriations and a plan to transfer funds from the debt service fund to the CIP planning reserve. The work session concluded.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, we'll go ahead and uh start this uh meeting. It's our workshop for uh the budget. Uh and uh just want to reiterate to everybody we will not be taking public comment today. That'll happen on November 18th at 6 p.m. So um we just want to hear from the CSOs that are presenting, and with that, we'll kick it off to Jordan. Thanks so much, Mayor. Tonight, as you can see on the screen shortly, it is our workshop with the Ports and Harbor Division, those are three special revenue funds, the airport harbor and port fund, as well as some uh conversation around reserves, just give you an update of what happened with reserve funds as we went through the budget process, and uh we also will talk about some CIP projects towards the end of the night. In the meantime, to begin with, we have a couple of uh topics to revisit, and in this order, it'll be KCHU Valdez Avalanche Center and Valdez Convention Visitors Bureau. Uh we're just assuming it'll be in that order, we can change things around if need be. But let's start it with KCHU. Okay. Hello, welcome. Uh I haven't been on this side of the desk in a long time. I need a second to set up. My name is Jimmy Devons. For those of you who don't know me, which I assume is no one. Give me just a moment. Um, so would you guys like to start with questions? Is that better for you? Or would you like to start with an explanation of our budget or perhaps some other speaker? Yeah, Jimmy's just let me interrupt you real quick. I just wanted to let everybody aware that you are not speaking on behalf of the council. You are speaking as a member of KCHU, and you'll be presenting as such. Yes, that is a great point. Thank you for making that clarification. I am uh acting as a private citizen today. Do I just unplug this if I want to use the thingy? So that this guy right here. All righty. Um does anybody have any questions just to start with? I guess I'd just like to hear the if you had an overview first. Okay. Um, well, I the overview in front of you guys, you have a document that looks like this minus the stain. It's the it's a large format one. This is the budget for our AM Tower project. Um the AM Tower project includes all of the supplementary materials to support an AM tower, including also 180-foot tower, a Rhone uh 55G 110 R180. Um these are all from uh quotes, which I I also have provided in my slideshow here. Uh so these are these are real figures, these are not hypothetical. Uh here you can see a quote for uh materials from uh radio engineer Van Kraft and uh quote from Frontier Electric Services for installation and uh and fitting of the site. Uh the site preparation quotes, uh though those are uh quoted by uh local contractor. Those are approximate uh because one of the considerations is we have not yet locked in a site, although a little further down in my going out of order here a little bit. Can you guys read this? Can you oh my gosh. All right, let me try to figure out how to make that a little more legible. Try doing what now? Control. Can you guys read that? No. Control plus. All right, so I had a I had a pre-meeting uh pre-application meeting with uh Kate Huber and I also had one with uh Nate Duval in regards to the availability of city properties.

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