Sealaska Executive Vice President Rich Harris speaks to the Borough Assembly during their regular Jan. 10 meeting at City Hall.
The Borough Assembly set a deadline for assembly members to turn in documentation of concerns or recommendations for issues surrounding the budgetary spending methods of departments within the city.
The issue arose after assembly member David Jack brought up his concerns over spending of capital reserves at Wrangell Medical Center in relation to the WMC Renovation project.
Before the meeting, Jack went into detail about his concerns.
“Several assembly members have expressed concern over the spending of the hospital’s reserves,” Jack said. “The way the current ordinances are written are pretty vague, and I believe the hospital should be providing information on possible spending of those reserves. It’s ambiguous across the borough, and I feel like all departments should operate in a more clear fashion.”
Mayor Maxand and assembly member Bill Privett were like-minded and recommended a Jan. 31 deadline for members to turn in their requests to Borough Clerk Christie Jamieson. After they are turned in, a workshop between both the WMC board and Borough Assembly would be scheduled.
According to the bi-monthly report from Borough Manager Tim Rooney, the new-and-improved http://www.wrangell.com website could go live as soon as Friday, Jan. 20.
“While the new website will by no means be 100 percent complete at that time,” Rooney stated in his report. “The basic information will be online and should be easier for the user to find than the existing site.”
Rooney added that a “substantial” promotional push for the new site would begin in February – after any developmental bugs are worked out.
The new site will offer far more than just updated content to users, according to Rooney.
“There are also other abilities of the site such as mailing lists, newsletters, online forms, etc.,” Rooney stated.
On the topic of renovations to the community gym, Rooney’s report stated that the borough is currently in negotiations with Juneau-based Jensen Yorba Lott Architects for a professional services contract for design. More discussion regarding the possible contract should happen at the Jan. 24 assembly meeting.
The operational function of the Heritage Harbor restrooms will likely wait until the spring, Rooney’s report stated, due to the wait needed for an Alaska Department of Transportation permit to work in the Zimovia Highway right-of-way.
“It is staff’s plan to proceed with closing out the contract with Southeast Earthmovers and pursuing the sewer connection once the (DOT) agrees to issue the permit,” Rooney stated.
In Person’s to be Heard, Sealaska’s Executive Vice President, Rich Harris, spoke up about his visit to the borough – and the corporation’s plans for the region.
“The reason we came to Wrangell was to simply provide information on the Sealaska land legislation,” Harris said. “The session had three to four major agenda items with, first of all, a lot of interest in this community about landless natives. We also talked about the Sealaska legislation.”
During the December assembly meeting, local business owners raised questions of stewardship by Sealaska – questions Harris looked to resolve during his visit.
“We gave a short presentation showing what we do after (timber) harvesting,” Harris added. “In other words, harvesting isn’t the end but just the beginning. We’ve spent $19 million on silviculture, so we’re basically showing what is happening with our forestry.”
In unfinished business, the assembly took up and passed a second reading of a proposed ordinance that would allow the group to determine whether foreclosed property should be retained for public purposes, or whether they should be sold at auction if no public need exists.
The quorum also passed an ordinance to use a portion of the 2011 SEAPA rebate of $326,183 to extend electrical transmission lines along Spur Road to the Ketchikan Ready Mix facility – contingent on a Memorandum of Understanding calling for the purchase of a transformer and assurance of increased employment at the site.
The assembly tabled amendments to the contract between the borough, PND Engineers and R&M Engineering for contract administration and inspection of the Etolin Street and Medical Campus Utilities Assistance Project.
Local wood was once again a topic as the assembly passed a resolution encouraging the use of wood products grown in Southeast for construction projects in the borough.
The next regular session of the assembly is set for Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.
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