Council approves contract with interim city manager

Emerging out of executive session, the Nome Common Council approved a contract with interim city manager Brooks Chandler.
Chandler was recruited to fill the city’s chief executive role as former city manager Glenn Steckman had resigned effective Sept. 1 and an interim replacement was needed sooner than later until the position is permanently filled.
Prior to his retirement, Brooks Chandler had been the city’s attorney for many years, as a partner in an Anchorage-based law firm.
The agreement says Chandler will start his temporary employment on Monday, Sept. 16 and employment shall expire on December 16, 2024 or upon the hiring of the permanent city manager. The agreement spells out the terms of the non-exempt position, including in the duties to provide assistance in the recruitment of a permanent city manager. The city agrees to pay a $4,000 salary per week.
Part of the agreement is that Chandler will reside in a city-owned apartment in Nome, and will pay rent and utilities; a car will be provided for him both for official and private use. He is granted ten days of paid personal leave during his employment, however, he will not receive health insurance or retirement benefits. The city will pay for moving expenses and return transportation in “an amount equal to the price of four roundtrip tickets between Anchorage and Nome.”
Prior to the executive session, the council met in a regular meeting with only a few action items on the docket.
With all council members but one present in person – Meghan Sigvanna Tapqaq was present virtually for a portion of the meeting —  the council breezed through a light agenda. In a unanimous, affirmative vote, the council approved in second reading an ordinance amendment that aims to make it easier for senior citizens to apply for property tax exemption and not have to go through exemption process every year.
Applications for Senior and Disabled Veteran Exemption are only required to be submitted for the first year in which the exemption is sought,” the new ordinance reads. The deadline is still February 1 to file for the exemption However, explained City Clerk Dan Grimmer, the vetting process remains to ascertain that the seniors still qualify, i.e. that the property is still used as the primary residence by the qualifying senior or disabled veteran. The exemption, for example, expires upon death or if the person moves out of Nome and is no longer living at the property claimed for exemption.
In other business, the council denied one request for forgiveness of property tax penalties and interest by Donny Olson, whose property in Nome ended up on the foreclosure list. According to a letter sent to the City Clerk, Donald Olson of Olson Ventures LLC was made aware of delinquent property tax that he was not aware of for a property on Airport Drive. Olson said in the letter that the property tax bill was sent to a wrong Anchorage address whereas his personal property tax bill was sent to the correct address in Golovin. City Clerk Dan Grimmer told the council that this is the third time that this property is on the foreclosure list and the amount accrued amounted to $42,945.95. Olson went to the city clerk’s office and paid the principal amount of the bill, $32,648.60, but requested that the penalties and interest from the previous unpaid taxes between 2018 and 2024 in the amount of $10,344.96 are waived.
Discussion ensued amongst council members, debating the unreliability of the postal service and the confusion on why the personal and the property tax address information was not updated congruently. When it came to a vote, however, two council members voted against the forgiveness and three for it. Councilmember Tapqaq had dropped out of the meeting and didn’t cast a vote. Since it takes four councilmembers to approve a vote, the motion failed and the request thereby stood denied.
When a similar request, asking for forgiveness of penalties and interest in the amount of over $2,000 from North West Company (AC), came to the floor, the council did not act on it at, not even entertaining a motion to bring it to a vote.
The council also voted to change the dates on a resolution to conduct a fall auction from next week to the following week.
Acting City Manager Dan Grimmer told the council that the tentative completion date of the City Hall renovations and installation of the new heating and ventilation system are now projected to be mid-November as the workers encountered damaged valves that need to be replaced, setting back the project a few weeks.
With municipal elections coming up on October 1, the Nome Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring several Meet & Greet events with candidates on every Tuesday and Thursday evening between 4:30 and 6 p.m. starting this week until election day.
Mayor John Handeland reported that the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of the Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development were in Nome and Teller earlier this week to discuss work force development. Handeland said the input from his perspective was to not only train up a work force for big projects on the horizon but looking for a holistic approach on training plumbers, electricians and other skilled trades that are needed in Nome and the region.
Handeland updated the council on developments in the upcoming Port of Nome expansion. He said a contract with a general contractor and the Army Corps of Engineers is moving through negotiations and that he expects a contract signed in November.