Council breezes through light agenda

By Diana Haecker
In its regular meeting on Monday, Sept. 12, the Nome Common Council decided on two resolutions and discussed a couple of property tax penalty forgiveness requests.
The first property tax penalty and interest forgiveness request came from a tax payment service for Wells Fargo Bank, disputing penalty and interest in the amount of $ 581.14 charged for a late property tax payment in 2021 due to the late arrival of a mailed check. Usually, penalty and interest forgiveness requests come from private property owners and are granted by the Council. However, Councilmember Scot Henderson said this is an industrial client with ample resources that should know better and that should be taking advantage of the electronic transfer option. The motion to forgive the penalty and interest failed.
Before the council was also the request from Kay and Jim Hansen, who paid their 2022 property tax in full before the second payment was due, but after the first payment was due. The Hansen’s contested the “late fee” with the argument that the annual tax was paid before the second deadline. Council voted to forgive the $50 late fee.
The Council passed two resolutions, one dealing with the approval of developing a collection policy for the Kegoayah Kozga Library. In order to access grants from the state, the Alaska State Library now requires that libraries have a new collection development policy in place. The purpose of such a policy is to guide library staff in the selection of materials and to inform the public about the principles upon which the library’s collection is developed and maintained.
The Council unanimously voted to adopt the resolution.
The next resolution dealt with awarding a contract for light duty vehicle and emergency vehicle repair. Two sealed bids were received for light duty emergency repair with Nome Machine Works emerging as the low bidder, over Farley Tire & Auto Center. Farley charged $145/ hour whereas Nome Machine Works charges $70/hr. The city received only one bid for emergency vehicle repair, from Nome Machine Works. Council Member Doug Johnson, the brother to the proprietor of Nome Machine Works, declared his relationship to the awardee. Leading through the meeting in absence of Mayor John Handeland was Council Member Jerald Brown, who declared a conflict of interest, nobody in the council challenged his declaration; thus Doug Johnson was excused from discussion and subsequent vote.
The resolution awarding the one-year contract for light duty and emergency vehicle repair to Nome Machine Works passed unanimously.
Ken Morton, giving a short NJUS report, said that next Monday, the community discussion on energy continues with a meeting to hear an update from Gwen Holdman regarding micronuclear powerplants. Morton said next week, the last fuel delivery of the season is scheduled for next week; and NJUS has one foreman position open to be filled.
City Manager Glenn Steckman in his report to the Council said that it’s time to mull legislative priorities again. He said last year’s request to reduce the City’s cost share on the Nome Port expansion project has passed the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act, WRDA for short, but is not included in the House version of the bill. He hopes it will be addressed when the legislation goes into conference committee.
For legislative priorities he recommends: $6 million for the teacher and police housing project; $3 million for at least two miles of paved roads; $1.2 million for ice rink improvements and funds for water and waste water infrastructure improvements.
Steckman said that the City continues to receive complaints about the trash pickup service Alaska Waste. Complaints include that residential trash cans are replaced with smaller trash bins. Steckman said that the regional manager of Alaska Waste informed him that a connex with new trash cans is on its way to Nome. Customers with service complaints should call 907-376-2158.
Steckman mentioned that the Resource Development Council is meeting in Nome to be briefed on issues of the port development, fishing industry, Graphite One and tourism.
Steckman said the Polar Pool contract to fix up the Nome Pool will be handled by the Nome School District and that the City would reimburse NPS for its share of expenses.
In public comments, Derek McLarty stepped to the podium, identified himself as a candidate running for city office in October and putting forward ideas to clean up Front Street. He floated the idea to offer an incentive program to pay a bounty for trash delivered to a city-run receptable. Inspired by the city’s “cash for clunkers” roundup of defunct vehicles, he said this could be translated into a program that would incentivize people on Front Street picking up trash and bottles and to deliver it for a set price per bag to garbage collection point.
Finally, Jerald Brown as acting mayor, made the motion to re-appoint Justin Noffsker to the Public Safety Advisory Commission. The motion carried unanimously.
The Council then went into executive session for discussion of legal or personnel matters which may have adverse effects on City of Nome finances.