[0:03] Good evening, everybody. I'd like to call this September 8, 2026, regular city council meeting of the Bethesda City Council to order. The time is 631.

[0:13] Would everyone please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance?

[0:19] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[0:37] Thank you.

[0:37] roll call please clerk Morgan House member Sheetler president council member

[0:44] Kaim I'm here council member Conrad is traveling excused council member minor

[0:52] here council member springer here vice-americellar is sick excused mayor Henderson here

[1:05] We have five members for this.

[1:07] Thank you.

[1:09] Okay, moving on to people to be heard.

[1:13] For people to be heard, the public can participate in person virtually by Zoom or by submitting written comments.

[1:19] We don't have anybody here in chambers this evening.

[1:22] Is there anybody online that would like to speak under people to be heard?

[1:31] All right, hearing none. Click Morgan.

[1:33] Were there any written public comments?

[1:35] No, we're in comments. We're submitted. Thank you. Okay, for members will go on to approval of consent agenda and a regular agenda.

[1:45] For members of the public attending online, the agenda and meeting documents are available on the city's website.

[1:51] Is there a motion to adopt the consent and regular agenda?

[1:57] Thank you, Councilmember Sheedler, is there a second?

[2:00] Second.

[2:01] Thank you, Councilmember Minor.

[2:04] Are there any councilmembers that would like to remove an item from the consent agenda?

[2:08] If so, they should do that at this time.

[2:15] Does any councilmember have a potential conflict of interest on any of the consent agenda items?

[2:26] All right.

[2:27] Hearing none.

[2:28] Council Member Shedler, you have first discussion.

[2:32] I have nothing.

[2:34] Thank you, Council Member Minor.

[2:35] No comments.

[2:36] All right.

[2:37] Anybody else have any comments about the agenda?

[2:43] Hearing none, all those in favor of the consent and regular agenda, please signify by saying

[2:48] aye.

[2:49] Aye.

[2:50] Aye.

[2:52] Any opposed?

[2:54] Motion carried.

[2:55] Moving on to item 6, approval of meeting minutes.

[2:59] item 6.1, 825, 2026, regular city council meeting minutes passed on the consent agenda.

[3:09] Moving on to item number seven, reports of the standing committees.

[3:15] Tonight we will, I will start since the first person is not here today, which is the planning commission.

[3:22] We have not had a meeting since our last meeting.

[3:27] the next meeting is scheduled for this Thursday the 10th at 630.

[3:35] We'll move on to the community

[3:37] action grant council member minor. We're done with meetings. Okay.

[3:44] How about public work

[3:47] council member kind? We have not had a meeting due to a lack of quorum. Thank you public safety and

[3:55] Transportation Council Member Springer.

[3:57] Yeah, thanks Madam Mayor, we did not have a quorum at our last meeting, so we will have another one this month.

[4:05] Okay, Finance Committee Council Member Sheedler.

[4:09] We've not had a meeting since our last meeting, the next scheduled meeting is now at 6 p.m. on the 29th.

[4:15] Thank you.

[4:17] Okay, moving on to item number eight, special order of business.

[4:21] We don't have any special order business tonight, moving on to item number nine, unfinished business, we don't have any unfinished business tonight, so we're moving on to item number 10, and that took me only four minutes to get there item 10.1, introduction of ordinance 2614, amending Bethel municipal city code 2.04.180 organization of council allowing rescheduling of council meeting.

[4:51] due to holiday.

[4:55] Can I get a motion to introduce ordinance 26-14? Yes.

[5:04] All

[5:04] there's no not on my script.

[5:10] Make me look bummed. All right 10.1 passed on the

[5:14] consent agenda item 10.2 resolution 26-11, authorizing and executing of new state

[5:23] Revolving Fund Loan Application also passed on the consent agenda.

[5:31] Okay item 10.3 AM-26-19, Approved Council Members,

[5:39] Fringers, cancellation to attend the 2026 Alaska Municipal League Summer Conference brought

[5:46] to us by City Council Member Springer. Is there a motion to approve A.M. 26-19?

[5:57] I so move.

[5:58] Thank you, Council Member Sheedler. Can I get a second?

[6:02] Second.

[6:03] Thank you, Council Member Minor. Council Member Sheedler, you have first discussion.

[6:09] I have nothing on it.

[6:13] Council Member Minor? No comment.

[6:18] All right. Is anybody else have any comments?

[6:22] Question?

[6:23] Yeah. Madam Mayor, I just want to explain.

[6:25] I was really looking forward to going to AML,

[6:30] and you'll ask the defense for them.

[6:31] But in a short hand at work,

[6:35] so I wasn't able to leave and apologize for not being able to go.

[6:38] And I think all this is, I guess, a little bit forward to the city clerk.

[6:44] on what we're talking about here on the $275, yes.

[6:50] 200.

[6:51] 200.

[6:52] It's not refundable.

[6:56] About everything else.

[6:58] In addition, I'm going to pay back in partying like that.

[7:03] Did you want to add something?

[7:04] No, that sums it up.

[7:06] According to the council of the policy,

[7:08] if there's expenses that can't be refunded or reimbursed,

[7:12] then the council has to approve that those charges be forgiven.

[7:16] but that's what the purpose of this AM is.

[7:19] Okay.

[7:21] Thank you Council Member Springer.

[7:23] Thank you.

[7:23] Burke Morgan.

[7:25] Now does anybody have any questions?

[7:30] All right.

[7:31] Hearing none.

[7:31] All those in favor of approval of AM 26-19.

[7:37] Please signify by saying aye.

[7:38] Aye.

[7:39] Aye.

[7:40] Any opposed?

[7:43] Motion carried.

[7:45] All right.

[7:45] Moving on to item 10.4.

[7:47] administrative review of application for restaurant or eating place alcohol

[7:51] license transfer of controlling interest. Number six zero two seven UCP four nine

[7:58] LLC doing business as uncommon pizza located at four oh one chief Eddie

[8:05] Hoffman Highway, Bethel Alaska. This would be an opportunity for the council

[8:10] discuss the license transfer of controlling interest with administration.

[8:14] Does any council member have any questions for administration about this transfer?

[8:19] Yes, Madam Mayor.

[8:20] Councilmember Springer.

[8:21] Yeah, I already spoke to the manager about this.

[8:24] If I'm not thoroughly mistaken in my memory, the last time uncommon pizza whoever they're

[8:33] doing business has, and it's came in before the council, and I guess it was for their renewal

[8:40] of their license. And there were questions about the ratio of beverage to food sales.

[8:51] There were a couple of people who members of the community who said, hey, I'm part owner of this.

[8:58] And it's like, okay, that's cool. But then I see this transfer of ownership application

[9:05] that says that the ownership is going to be transferred to the people who, maybe not quite a year ago,

[9:12] we're in here saying, oh yeah, I already own part of this. So maybe the supposition is that

[9:19] they're just catching up with the, with Amco in their paperwork. And were you able to get to

[9:29] any of this, Lauren?

[9:32] Yes, Councilmember Springer, and you're correct. So when the original paperwork

[9:36] was filed, there were inaccuracies in the percentage of ownership that were presented.

[9:43] And I'm not sure how it was found to be the case, but they did find out that the AMCO

[9:50] documentation didn't correctly list the percentage breakdown of the ownership interests.

[9:57] And this is ultimately just a correction to the state's paperwork.

[10:02] work. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Council Member Springer. Does anybody else have any

[10:09] questions? Is there a typo in the? Council Member Sheedler. I'm calling on you. Thank

[10:15] you. Is there a typo in the percentages? I come up with 90.78.

[10:27] The percentage is in

[10:28] my letter or the percentage is breakdown in the submission documentation. On the documentation,

[10:34] I think I did it's like a hundred and one or a hundred.

[10:40] Yeah, I'm not, I'm not certain.

[10:42] Just potentially.

[10:56] Definitely didn't do the math.

[10:58] I just looked at the people.

[10:59] We looked at our records, found there to be compliance with the people involved.

[11:05] And so presented a.

[11:07] No, no.

[11:09] Concerned.

[11:12] Yeah, I get 90.78.

[11:16] And 893.

[11:17] Yeah, okay.

[11:18] The map doesn't jive, but.

[11:21] So for those of us that hadn't had a chance to review everything, which is me, the local

[11:31] ownership is higher than what it originally stated.

[11:35] Is that what is happening?

[11:37] Or did somebody from the local ownership sell to the outside owner, I don't understand?

[11:44] The details are not fully known, but it was explained to me that the ownership documentation

[11:52] that AMCO had for the license was incorrect and that this would correct the ownership records

[11:58] for the license holder. And so as it was presented to us, the ownership interest is moving from a 60%

[12:05] ownership with Kiz Kizel Hill Pizza, LLC.

[12:10] A&W construction had a 10% owner percentage.

[12:15] Alex Rzeurski had 10% owner percentage.

[12:18] Aaron Hoster had 10% owner percentage.

[12:22] And Grant Keener had 10%.

[12:24] It's moving to Kizel Hill Pizza, LLC having 29.23,

[12:30] or somewhere around 29.0 something.

[12:33] MW property management having 10.26 Alps or Zersky having 10.26 Andrew Inksman having 10.26

[12:41] Steven Soar having 10.26 Pekaiser having 10.26 Grant Keener having 7.69 and Aaron Haastier having 2.56.

[12:51] So I'm not sure if the other people who were added to the new license ownership were maybe part of

[13:01] Kiesel Hill construction LLC or maybe AMW construction LLC because the Kiesel Hill construction is coming from 60% down to approximately 30%.

[13:17] And Kaiser and Ant Anxman were not listed previously because I remember seeing their names on something that came to us.

[13:27] So that's why I'm so confused, I'm really confused.

[13:32] And it was 51% that the outside entity owned at that time,

[13:39] of the paperwork that I remember reading.

[13:42] Yeah, I'm not sure what the history of all of this is.

[13:46] What I did is the city manager has reviewed based off of the code provisions,

[13:52] the information that was presented, and there isn't any reason

[13:55] and the FAS to protest the transfer of the license based off of the percentage and the people

[14:01] that are listed.

[14:02] I can't speak to the history or the FAS.

[14:05] All right.

[14:07] Anybody else have any questions?

[14:10] Because we don't need to vote on this, right?

[14:12] All right.

[14:15] I'm sorry.

[14:16] I have my hand raised.

[14:17] Oh, I'm so sorry, Kelsey.

[14:19] I didn't see her.

[14:19] I was just waiting to hear you say something.

[14:22] I'm sorry.

[14:22] That's okay.

[14:22] Okay, so is there going to be another document because that's indicating who the remaining

[14:31] what is at 9.22% of the ownership is or does that just not matter, just for clarity

[14:38] and transparency purposes?

[14:43] The council should not expect to see any other documentation.

[14:46] This is submitted to us through AMCO office.

[14:49] the code asks us to look at certain standards when we're looking at licensed transfers or renewals.

[14:58] and the owner.

[15:00] Interest percentage is not something that we look at. We look to make sure that the businesses listed are compliant with our sales tax, don't owe any fees or obligations to the city and that the license itself is in compliance. Thank you. Can you point out that they don't add up to them?

[15:23] Okay. Somebody can. Whoever is in contact with Amco, regarding this, I think should say something.

[15:32] All right. Moving on to reports. Item 11.1 mayors report. I do not have a mayors report.

[15:43] At this time, moving on to 11.2 city managers report.

[15:48] Thank you, Mayor Henderson. So, city administration with the finance team is getting coordinated

[15:55] and organized in our sales tax and business registration enforcement. We're finalizing

[16:01] with Libby's support, a contract to the third party vendor that the council approved about

[16:05] a month and a half or two months ago to allow us to work with the third party vendor to initiate

[16:13] business audits. We are near finalizing that contract with some tweaks and hope to begin

[16:27] significant sales tax enforcement in the coming month or two.

[16:31] We've got potential process change that we're working on to go to council as well for

[16:39] the next meeting, which will allow a forgiveness period as we did a number of years ago for

[16:44] people that are not compliant, to become compliant without the significant penalties and

[16:51] interest that comes along with not being compliant.

[16:55] Some of our first steps in our sales tax compliance will be looking at short-term and long-term

[17:02] rentals, utilizing our utility billing information to look at multi-dwelling units and making

[17:09] sure that the people who own or have controlling interests in multi-dwelling units are registered

[17:16] with us.

[17:18] So we'll be bringing more to the council with that here shortly.

[17:24] We continue to work through our collective bargaining negotiations with the union.

[17:29] We've got another meeting with them this week. I would say it's going very well.

[17:33] Everyone continues to bargain and the demeanor at the table has been very respectful.

[17:39] I'm really thankful for the city team that is putting a lot of work and effort towards

[17:45] the collective bargaining negotiations as well as Laura and we did have a turbine maintenance

[17:53] issue twice actually within the last month. So we're working also on, we just will release

[18:00] a request for proposal tomorrow for turbine maintenance and monitoring so that we can get

[18:07] a new contract issued with the contractor, this last one expired in May. But we also want

[18:12] have a complete overview of what's happening with the turbine as like with a car you need to change

[18:18] your belts and do regular tune-ups. Start working on a budget for long-term maintenance and repair

[18:25] of the turbine so that we can make sure that it has a long usable life. So that is built into this

[18:33] request for proposals so that when we get a contract initiated we'll be able to work with that

[18:38] contractor to identify more than just routine maintenance.

[18:44] We had a surprise OSHA inspection on Monday of last week.

[18:48] I'm really proud of our landfill team and the public works team for coming together

[18:51] very quickly to organize files, documents, training records.

[18:56] They were very quick to get things together, and we are working with the Ocean Compliance

[19:03] Officer right now in our responses.

[19:05] So good job to the public works team.

[19:07] The council has been very busy with the nuisance abatement procedures.

[19:11] We've identified two properties at our last meeting last week, and the city is ready

[19:17] and plans to perform abatement of those properties this fall, if the property owners do not declare

[19:25] or if the property owners do not become compliant with the abatement orders within the timeline.

[19:36] We are whittling down our capital improvement projects.

[19:41] We've got really good progress on our animal control facility.

[19:45] And I was explaining to Kevin earlier today, I'm really thankful that the kennels made it on the barge.

[19:50] It was a really tight timeline there, but they made it.

[19:54] So the animal control facility we expect to be done at the end of October or early November.

[20:00] I'm sure Bethel, friends of Canine, will appreciate having that space back.

[20:03] And then the YK community center expansion, we're looking at probably a late winter completion

[20:10] date for that project.

[20:12] We do have to, we don't, we will be the contractor, we'll be flying in new roof panels and fully

[20:18] replacing the roof.

[20:21] In the meantime, there's mechanical work that the team is still working through and we will

[20:27] be able to keep the roof panels that they're removing from the facility and we can use them for

[20:31] other projects because they're very fancy panels. So, happy to answer questions if there are any,

[20:38] we're going to more detail with any of the projects listed. Anybody have any questions for

[20:43] City Manager Strickler? Council Member Springer. Thanks. Two things. Am I the only one that's

[20:51] I guess maybe really surprised is the right phrase for how much dust has gotten kicked

[20:57] up with the dry weather? I mean, the EK35 quit work in or what's going on there?

[21:03] Yeah, you know, I would say that we learned last year when we had the EK35 application,

[21:10] that it did not perform as well as we had hoped. So I don't remember the data or statistics

[21:17] with EK-35, but the number of passes that most of our roadways have exceed 3,000 a day.

[21:25] EK-35 is not meant to withstand that kind of traffic pattern, but we worked with

[21:32] a contractor, they came out and assisted us with the application, and there was a new application process

[21:37] that they tried this time in our high impact locations. But again, you know, as soon as you

[21:45] grade, what has been laid down, it loses its efficacy pretty significantly.

[21:51] And that's what we're seeing.

[21:53] So we did get calcium chloride in on the barge.

[21:57] The team members have been short staff, so they're able to get it out of the yard, but

[22:01] they have not had the team members available to make the application.

[22:08] Also, it's my understanding, and I'm not a streets and roads expert.

[22:12] but and I was checking to see if I got any text from them as we're talking about them, but to apply

[22:20] calcium chloride, you need to have you know the elements need to be like right for it and we have

[22:25] had a pretty rainy summer fall. Okay yeah it does seem like a few of the roads have started to heal

[22:35] up a little bit platform-wise. And my other question was, oh yeah, how are the lights in

[22:43] Pinkie's Park and the boardwalk they're holding up? As far as I know, they're holding up well.

[22:49] I haven't seen them on for a number of months because of the daylight, but at the end of the spring

[22:56] season, they were doing good. You know, we're going to see a little bit of movement. So the lights

[23:02] are attached to the boardwalk instead of on like a ground mount because we wanted to have some

[23:08] flexibility. So the team does need to go out there and make sure that the line connections to each

[23:14] of those aren't impacted by shifting. But as far as I know all the lights are turning on.

[23:21] Thank you. Anybody else have any questions for City Manager Strickler?

[23:31] I have one or two. I was really pleased reading the, and I don't remember what they called it,

[23:44] the police department's report on Facebook, the one time, but it hasn't come out since. Do we know

[23:53] why it hasn't come out since? So no, it should be coming out every month. And when I spoke with the

[24:01] communications specialists, they were still waiting on the report from the

[24:06] plan, the police department. So I'll have to check with public safety and ask what's

[24:10] going on, but we do intend to release it every month. Okay, that's all I have, anybody else?

[24:21] Hearing and seeing no one, we'll move on to item 11. Thank you city manager's

[24:27] trickler. Moving on to item 11.3, the clerk's report.

[24:31] The council held a new new sits abatement hearing on August 21st for two five one Ag Ag Drive and the council declared the property nuisance in order to bainment.

[24:41] The clerk's office sent the property owner a copy of the orders by certified mail and served a copy to the property owner in person.

[24:48] The copy of the order is also in the clerk's report.

[24:51] The record and the orders also available on the city's website under city council meetings.

[24:55] I'll send AMCO an e-mail about the percentages.

[24:59] I'm going to hear back from them.

[25:01] I'll e-mail the council their apply.

[25:05] If the council does find cause to protest the transfer of control interest application,

[25:10] the deadline to do so is October 26.

[25:15] So important upcoming dates September 6 is the deadline for voter registration that's already passed.

[25:21] September 21st is early voting in person, absentee voting begins here at City Hall for the City Council

[25:29] regular city election and also the RAA School Board election. September 26th is the last day

[25:35] for voters to request an absentee ballot by mail for those elections and September 29th is the

[25:41] deadline to request an electronic ballot submission for the city election. And October 6th is election day

[25:47] is coming soon right on the corner and that's all I have to say thank you. Thank you.

[25:55] Anybody have any questions for Clerk Morgan? All

[26:02] right, hearing none. Thank you,

[26:04] Clerk Morgan. Moving on to councilmember comments. I'll start tonight. Let me think here. I hope

[26:15] everybody had a successful and safe

[26:19] loose hunting season. I know quite a few

[26:23] people didn't get any moves but you

[26:27] still have another chance come winter

[26:29] time so don't give up hope yet. School

[26:33] has started. I didn't mention this in

[26:35] the our last meeting but school has

[26:38] started so please everybody again be

[26:41] mindful of the school zone. I don't bring kids to school in the morning anymore but I do pick

[26:50] them up and I still see quite a bit of people zooming through there. Usually when they're leaving

[26:58] because you don't see the blinking a lot when you're leaving the school areas but when you're going

[27:03] in they tend to slow down and do what they need to do but it's easy to forget so please be mindful.

[27:09] Oh and also it's illegal to go around that bump in front of the high school road. That's a double yellow line. It's illegal. I've watched an accident almost happened the other day.

[27:24] I don't think I have it. I'm sure I'll think it's something else, but at this time I have nothing else. Thank you.

[27:30] We'll move on to Councilmember Springer.

[27:33] Yeah, thanks, Madam Mayor. Yeah, it's getting darker. Kids are back in school. So what's your driving?

[27:43] And what's out for the kids? And I think that's all they got.

[27:46] Thank you, Council Member Springer, Council Member Minor.

[27:51] No comments.

[27:52] Thank you, Council Member Sheedler.

[27:55] I don't have any hint at today.

[27:58] Thank you, Council Member Keim.

[28:00] I would like to extend an appreciation to our city staff who worked on Labor Day, the

[28:08] water and sewer. That's my understanding, at least correct me if I'm wrong somebody,

[28:13] but extending some gratitude there. I did also want to remind people that children are

[28:20] also important. So our pets, I do care about the children, but I also have a dog on my own.

[28:26] make sure that you are if you're walking your dog that they're on a leash, it is a violation

[28:31] of the municipal code otherwise. It's a safety risk for everybody if your dog is off of their leash.

[28:40] So I had one more thing, but I can't think of it, so I will save it for next meeting. Thank you.

[28:48] Thank you, Council Member Kaim.

[28:51] All right.

[28:54] Moving on to item number 13 executive session.

[28:58] We do not have executive session tonight.

[29:01] So move on to item number 14 adjournment.

[29:06] I move to adjournment.

[29:08] Second.

[29:11] Thank you, Council Member Kaim.

[29:13] Sorry.

[29:14] She's there.

[29:15] And thank you, Council Member Minor.

[29:17] all those in favor please signify by saying aye aye any opposed motion carried

[29:25] thank you everybody the meeting is over at 7 p.m.

Regular City Council Meeting

Transcript