[0:01] All right, we'll call the regular meeting of the Assembly to order. Do you join me in the flag,

[0:07] so, allegedly, just to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which

[0:16] it stands, one nation, individual, with liberty and justice for all. All right. Any correspondence,

[0:28] or we need the roll call.

[0:33] Sorry Sarah.

[0:36] W. Mayor Christensen.

[0:37] Here. Here.

[0:39] Ms. Nelson.

[0:55] Valerie, can you hear us?

[1:13] I'll go.

[1:18] Yeah.

[1:23] Valerie, are you on?

[1:26] I'm trying to get back on.

[1:27] I don't know what's going on.

[1:30] OK, can you hear me now?

[1:32] I can hear you. Can you hear me?

[1:34] Yes, I can now. I could not earlier.

[1:37] OK.

[1:37] Okay, so I'm just reading a row call, so Ms. Nelson.

[1:41] I'm here.

[1:42] Mr. Knox.

[1:43] Here.

[1:43] Mr. Moser.

[1:44] Here.

[1:45] Ms. Duncan.

[1:46] Here.

[1:46] Ms. Tim Schoot.

[1:47] Here.

[1:48] And Mayor Eisenbyes is absent this evening.

[1:50] He is attending Southeast Conference.

[1:53] Okay, any correspondence or agenda changes?

[1:59] Nearing none, any special reports tonight.

[2:03] Government to government, school district,

[2:09] here's not.

[2:10] All right, okay, we're on to persons to be heard on any matter, not on tonight's agenda, with a three-minute limit.

[2:20] Anybody wish to speak?

[2:41] Did.

[2:42] Thank you.

[2:43] Okay.

[2:43] Thank you.

[2:44] Thank you.

[2:45] Okay.

[2:47] Yeah.

[2:48] I've been not as prepared as I wish I was.

[2:52] I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to comment.

[2:55] And in this time of what appears to be a faltering democracy in our country, I'll just say that,

[3:07] where our freedoms are being challenged.

[3:13] And what I want to say to the assembly tonight is, first of all, thank you for your service,

[3:21] But also that I would only gently remind you, if you don't know already, that you are here to represent the people who elected you.

[3:35] And so the thing that has been disconcerting to me is the advisory vote that's coming up on the ballot.

[3:47] and we have been forewarned. Oh, that guess what? It doesn't really count. You are not bound by that vote as an assembly.

[3:59] And that's understood now, however. I just want to let you know and I just want to remind you by reading just one

[4:08] personal sentence from the Declaration of Independence, which states, we hold these truths to be self-evident

[4:17] that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable

[4:23] rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And that to secure

[4:30] For these rights, governments are instituted among men like the assembly, deriving their

[4:38] just powers from the consent of the governed.

[4:43] And so I want to repeat that particular phrase, the consent of the governed.

[4:50] So with this advisory vote coming up, I know you all know where I stand on the sale of

[4:56] of the hospital properties, I guess I'm just hoping that people will actually go out

[5:06] and vote.

[5:08] If the vote ends up being a no, I am hoping that the assembly will act by consent of

[5:20] the people that you serve and represent.

[5:23] I know there's all kinds of stuff behind the scenes and there's money this and money that, but I, I think it's very important for the city to retain that property only because it's so valuable, and because Sirchone's so much property already, and now they want this one too, and I'm just afraid that to get that money to spend it down, it could be income-producing and it should be leased.

[5:52] So I just want to exert people to please get out and vote, and please let the vote matter.

[5:59] So many are disinheartened this day and age with our voting system.

[6:03] So thank you.

[6:04] Thank you.

[6:05] You're welcome.

[6:06] Thank you.

[6:10] I don't know.

[6:11] Okay.

[6:21] Good evening.

[6:22] My name is Richard Ween.

[6:24] I remember as a newly elected assembly person, we went up to Anchorage and got a legal lessons

[6:34] on how to be a newly elected officer.

[6:38] And I think we were called meos then.

[6:41] Tonight, I'm going to remind people of the city about some certain things.

[6:46] It's called Alaska FOIA laws.

[6:49] There is such a thing as an Alaska Public Records Act.

[6:52] The Alaska Public Records Act states that most records in the possession of municipal and

[6:59] state government are subject to disclosure and this applies to municipalities.

[7:03] citizens should presume that all records are public and subject to inspection by any member of the public.

[7:11] The only reason a record may be withheld from public disclosure is if a legal exception can be identified that authorizes withholding access.

[7:22] The basic exemptions are representing a juvenile, adoption, medical, public health, even library lending.

[7:33] So, I guess if you take out Nabakol's Lolita, nobody will be able to access that and know names of victims of certain types of sexual crime in some law enforcement records.

[7:46] That being said, I submitted a FOIA request on at the day after the last assembly meeting, and I requested a contract for the services of appraisal for psychic community hospital with CBS.

[8:01] Yes, I wanted the contract.

[8:03] The contract was, had $30,000 appropriated by this assembly.

[8:10] And the Julie Denien company is how they do business.

[8:14] And I also mentioned in my request, this is the original,

[8:18] that these documents should be readily available.

[8:21] This is a contract that the city signed with an individual.

[8:26] Now, what I received this morning was that the request number one, which was for the contract, from Ms.

[8:35] Denien, quote, records or information cannot be located or do not exist.

[8:42] And the requester was notified on September 14, 2021.

[8:46] So this is how this city does business.

[8:49] There is something that maybe is going to have to be taken care of.

[8:54] And I know this individual didn't write this themselves, but we're probably advised to do this.

[9:02] This was a request for a readily available document, which is a contract.

[9:07] And they are denying a Freedom of Information Act.

[9:10] And the question is, what to do now?

[9:13] Since this has to do with the Alaska Constitution and the Records Act,

[9:18] I'm sure that request to the Attorney's General's Office,

[9:21] as well as a possible legal matter may be done.

[9:26] You can contact me by tomorrow because this is absolutely unacceptable.

[9:31] Thank you.

[9:36] Anybody else wish to speak on anything not on the agenda tonight.

[9:44] My name is Justin Clark, howdy.

[9:49] I flew out of the airport the other day and I noticed that there was no parking.

[9:58] What do you say to no parking?

[9:59] I had to drive my car way down the road and walk all the way back.

[10:09] Did you guys think of this?

[10:13] I mean I don't mind walking. I expected that there

[10:15] would have been long-term parking, but there's stuff that's blocking it. I don't

[10:20] know. Supposedly there's a lot of construction going to be happening, but do you

[10:26] make any allowances for during that time and so, you know, I guess someone's leasing that old place where people did long term parking, but that that was kind of a surprise to me, you know, and are you then not allowing long term parking, except for just those little areas, or have you expanded that?

[10:53] to just say, hey, go ahead and do a little bit long term parking in the normal areas.

[11:00] So I'd love for you guys to, you know, answer me on that.

[11:04] I don't know.

[11:05] Can you guys talk with me here?

[11:07] Have you guys thought about that?

[11:10] We're not allowed to have it back and forth during persons to be heard.

[11:12] Oh, you can.

[11:13] Just the one way you can speak as long as you're respectful.

[11:16] And then that's it.

[11:17] We can always get back to people later.

[11:19] You beat me to it.

[11:20] Okay.

[11:21] Okay.

[11:21] That's why I was wondering.

[11:21] Also voting, we need to trash the machines and we need to go back to voting by hand.

[11:31] I will not continue this fraud.

[11:37] We are steeped in fraud in Southeast Alaska and it needs a change.

[11:45] The Dominion voting machines should be no more.

[11:49] We should vote by hand, we don't have as many people as we did when we voted by hand.

[11:56] We could do it, there's a lot more people to help out,

[12:01] there's a lot of things that should change here.

[12:05] And this is an easy, simple way.

[12:09] So I hope that you listen to this, I hope more people speak out about this because the machines, I have no confidence.

[12:20] And I hope more people would say the same.

[12:23] Please think about these things.

[12:28] Does anyone else want to speak to something not on the agenda?

[12:32] If we could just have some decor on here.

[12:34] If the audience could please refrain, thank you.

[12:39] Yeah, anything not on the agenda.

[12:46] Okay, go ahead.

[12:47] Sorry, I'm just going to speak during persons to be heard.

[12:51] The clerk asked the audience to refrain from clapping.

[12:56] This is part of Parliamentary procedure.

[12:58] It's not to and fringe on people's rights to speak, every single person who has at the appropriate time will get to speak for three minutes, as long as we're respectful.

[13:08] But the decorum is that we not clap.

[13:10] I don't really know why, but it is the decorum and we ask that everyone respect that.

[13:15] Please, thank you.

[13:17] Thank you.

[13:18] All right. Anyone else want to speak to anything not in the agenda?

[13:23] We'll move on to the consent agenda. Can I get a motion?

[13:44] Okay. I'm just going to read what I wrote to you.

[13:47] So I'm here tonight because of my concern for the health of this community,

[13:51] each and every one of you. In Germany, there was a laboratory analysis

[13:56] Texas to investigate the level of contamination found in masks.

[14:01] After a fresh mask was given to school children for six to eight hours, what they found was

[14:07] shocking evidence of extremely-

[14:08] Man, this is on the agenda later, so-

[14:11] Okay, that's what I was wondering.

[14:12] I wasn't here.

[14:13] I'm not on the agenda.

[14:14] Before and then there was one after, so-

[14:22] Okay.

[14:25] Again, if we can have some decorum, can I get an emotion for the consent agenda, please?

[14:32] I move to approve the consent agenda.

[14:35] Consisting of item A, approve the minutes of the August 24th assembly meeting, and item B, approve the following marijuana license renewal applications, one standard marijuana cultivation facility license for Jeremy J. Erickson, DBA,

[14:48] Furns Wicked Weed at 3872 Helbert Point Road Bay 1 and 2 retail marijuana store license for weed dudes Inc. DBA weed dudes at 1321

[15:00] Creek Road, sweet jane, NK. Second. All right. Any comments from the public on those items?

[15:10] Seeing none, back to the assembly, Sarah.

[15:14] On the motion to approve the consent agenda, Mr. Christensen. Yes. Mr. Knox. Yes. Mr. Moser. Yes. Ms. Duncan. Yes. Ms. Hemshoot. Yes. And Ms. Nelson. Yes. Motion passes 6-0.

[15:30] Okay, it appears we don't have any board and commission appointments, so although we have lots of vacancies, so if anybody is interested, see the clerk on to unfinished business.

[15:42] Can I get a motion? I move to approve ordinance 2021-30 on second and final reading, authorizing the sale transfer of a portion of city and burrow of sick as old city shops, property located at 410 or sorry, 1410 and 1414.

[15:57] I mean, how did it point road to the CICU community land trust for the and affordable housing project that is not subject to competitive bid and is available to all regardless of ethnicity.

[16:08] Second.

[16:10] All right. Any comments from the public on this?

[16:16] Go ahead.

[16:24] Richard Wien.

[16:25] I spoke to this matter at the last meeting and part of my concern was that this was not really affordable housing when you have a unit

[16:36] it for $300,000 and it is what it is, it's a big piece of land and so they have half of it and now they want this as well.

[16:50] If the houses are valued at $300,000, it is 6,000, so that's 600 per 100,000, so that is $18,000, a year in property tax, and if they have 14 units, that's $25,000 a year.

[17:12] Now, if they are not going to meet the needs of truly affordable housing, here in SITCA, we can always wait till the housing bubble bursts, so that's one strategy, but I don't think that their current strategy meets that need, it meets for middle-class needs, which I think is wonderful, but there are many people here who need truly starter homes, and I think that you could do so much better by trying to

[17:42] to sell the land because not only you would have a sale price, but you would also have

[17:49] whatever is built or as far as property tax and if they do commercial, maybe you can

[17:58] get some sales tax.

[17:59] I had understood that years ago that prior property that there was a offer made to the city

[18:07] need to take that entire property to relocate one of Sitka's major businesses which would have been incredible, and they were going to turn their current place of business into like condominiums or whatever.

[18:23] And I think that that, the assembly needs to really start thinking about revenue, et cetera, and how this is going to affect people within this city.

[18:36] because we do need that revenue, we have the quarterly report as part of the packet, and there were some very interesting comments made as far as our future revenues and et cetera.

[18:50] So my notion is, is that I think we can do better, hold off on this, see what other things we can do for sale of prime,

[18:59] Halibut Point, a real estate, which could be commercial, which could bring in lots of revenue as a property tax item.

[19:09] It's really not a heck of a lot, so I would advise not trashing it but to not vote on it tonight and look for alternatives.

[19:19] I understand the goodness of the people involved, but as the assembly you need your revenue hat on, thank you.

[19:30] Anyone else on the public want to speak to this?

[19:46] And Sitka.

[19:48] And I feel the same way that Dr. Wien feels affordable housing.

[19:53] There's not a $275,000 to $300,000.

[19:57] And I think that it should wait until we see

[19:59] if we can get more money for it.

[20:01] Thank you.

[20:03] Anyone else?

[20:07] All right, back to the assembly.

[20:15] I just think it's important for us to all remember

[20:18] that this property was put before the voters to do

[20:21] to just this to provide some measure of affordable housing.

[20:30] And yes, this level of housing isn't necessarily affordable to all,

[20:38] but it's certainly more affordable than some of the other homes.

[20:43] So I mean, there's all graduated levels of this,

[20:47] and it's the term affordable is a difficult one for us to define and capture.

[20:57] The cost of building here in town is extremely expensive, building a brand new home.

[21:04] You're going to spend this kind of money on it, so I think from the will of the vote

[21:12] that happened, you know, some time ago, this is what people wanted to see, and I think

[21:19] that the City of Community of Land Trust has done a great job of making this model work

[21:26] in this particular location, and they're continuing to see success there, so I'd like

[21:31] to see them continue.

[21:34] Yeah.

[21:37] I'll just kind of say what I said last time, the same things, this is just one of many different

[21:43] different types of affordable housing that is a real difficult word to agree on.

[21:50] Everyone has a different opinion on what that would be.

[21:53] There was a prior agreement to do this and also in Sitka to find us, they are small relatively,

[22:00] but clean and new and non-moldier, gross or need of repairs.

[22:04] You can't get that for even 300,000, so yeah, this isn't for everyone, it's just one of

[22:10] of many options to hopefully open some living spaces

[22:14] for people here.

[22:16] Thank you.

[22:17] Anyone else?

[22:19] Valerie?

[22:21] Yeah, I think it's germane to point out

[22:24] that that ordinance was voted on in 2006.

[22:28] I'm not sure if it was like a real vote or an advisory vote,

[22:32] but things have changed a lot in 15 years.

[22:35] And I've had several questions on how this thing really works.

[22:39] And I did reach out to the assessor today because when I go to the GIS map website, it says that those properties have zero value.

[22:47] And he said that we are in the process of updating the GIS map.

[22:52] So they do pay property tax, I guess on the land and the residences.

[22:58] But I've never seen like a financial statement saying how much the directors get and how much, you know,

[23:04] I did hear from the previous mayor that they only pay 1% to the banks whereas most of

[23:13] us have to pay whatever it is now. If you're lucky you can get in at 2%, but we were paying

[23:22] like 4% until we refinanced and I'm thinking that it might be best to look at other options.

[23:30] Thank you.

[23:32] Anybody else?

[23:34] Okay.

[23:36] Okay.

[23:38] Low income versus affordable, I kind of had to dive into that a little bit more.

[23:42] And so I'm, last night I was going on to local realty sites to do kind of comparisons of

[23:49] houses that are listed, of course, as Mr. Moser pointed out.

[23:53] These are brand new builds, energy efficient, new roofs.

[23:57] I don't have to worry about the maintenance that you would on a purchase house.

[24:01] but I just pulled six homes looking at the per square footage cost and of course I unfairly

[24:11] removed the million dollar homes. Clearly that would have pulled that number even higher.

[24:16] But looking at Sitka CLT or their site the options that they have listed, when you average those

[24:23] it comes out to about $260 per square foot. If you look at the homes that are priced as of yesterday

[24:31] That averages out to $393 per square foot, so I know there's that question about affordability and whether or not these are affordable homes.

[24:42] They're much more affordable in that they're brand new and you don't have to do the repairs that some of these older homes are taking on.

[24:51] And so I am supportive of this and I'm glad that it's in the hands of SIDCA Community Land Trust because they have a track record of doing projects like these.

[24:59] for watching the one that they're currently developing.

[25:02] The three homes that went up with the addition

[25:07] of more builds coming down the way.

[25:09] So I'm supportive of this, but I just, I thought

[25:12] that that was, when we look at it, was the comparables

[25:15] in how these new homes will bring affordability,

[25:18] maybe not low income housing options,

[25:21] but something that we need desperately here in Sitka.

[25:24] So those are my thoughts.

[25:25] Thank you.

[25:26] Anyone else?

[25:29] I don't have anything to add. Oh, sorry, sir.

[25:32] We have one individual that I forgot to call for public testimony.

[25:36] Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't realize that.

[26:08] Hi.

[26:09] Hi, ma'am. It's Sarah.

[26:10] If you could state your first and last name for the record

[26:12] and then your three minutes will begin.

[26:15] Okay.

[26:17] Min McConnell.

[26:25] Go ahead.

[26:29] Assembly members.

[26:31] I know it's not the radio.

[26:35] Thank you for your recent vote.

[26:38] support in this ordinance. The SICKA community land trust staff and board members have been

[26:43] deeply involved in planning and creating the current CCD shock community neighborhood,

[26:49] as well as designing the expansion onto the 1410 and 1414 Helvetpoint Road parcels.

[26:56] Recently, a homeowner's association was formed for this community, and it will regulate

[27:02] many aspects of the neighborhood. And stewardship is a cornerstone of success for the SELT.

[27:09] We see interest in the houses growing in spite of pandemic. The open house went really well

[27:16] over the weekend. We had over 60 people attend and we have four that are in the process of applying

[27:26] for a home. So, this fills a kind of a section of our community that don't make enough

[27:36] to buy a house on the market, but they do make enough to have a mortgage that ends up

[27:41] being right about what they'd be paying for rent. And so, it gets them out of that rental

[27:48] loop that you get into and gets them into a better place where they can start building

[27:54] equity for their future and will make them citizens that can help get back to the community

[28:03] because they're seeing them, they're financial interests improve over time.

[28:11] And then there's also a resale formula that makes sure that these homes are always affordable.

[28:19] We retain that affordably, you can't just flip it.

[28:22] So, we have a lot of protections in place to keep this program going for, you know, it's

[28:29] a 99-year lease that's renewable.

[28:32] So this is going to go way long beyond any of us and our children and grandchildren.

[28:38] So we're really looking to the, not just for today, but for the future of our community.

[28:44] So thank you for your support.

[28:49] Okay.

[28:50] Anything else on the assembly?

[28:57] Okay, on the motion to approve this ordinance on second and final reading, Mr. Knox.

[29:02] Yes.

[29:03] Ms. Hemshoot.

[29:04] Yes.

[29:05] Ms. Duncan.

[29:06] Yes.

[29:07] Ms. Nelson.

[29:08] Oh.

[29:10] Mr. Moser.

[29:11] Yes.

[29:12] Mr. Christensen.

[29:13] Yes.

[29:14] The motion passes 5-1 on second and final reading.

[29:17] All right.

[29:18] Can I get an order motion?

[29:22] Next one.

[29:24] 21-27.

[29:25] OK.

[29:25] I moved to approved ordinance 2021-2027

[29:28] on second and final reading amending title 22 zoning of the sick

[29:32] general code by modifying chapter 22.16 districts regulations for

[29:36] the recreation district.

[29:37] Second.

[29:41] I moved to approve ordinance 2021-27 on second and final reading

[29:45] amending title 22 zoning of the sick municipal code by modifying

[29:49] chapter 22.16 district regulations for the recreation district second

[29:55] Before we get started, I was wondering if Amy could come up and give us a quick overview of this.

[30:09] Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Assembly members, and the Ainsley Planning Director. So there are a couple of changes that are a part of this ordinance that all affect the recreation district. Three of which are a result of the sort of the process around leasing out $49.51 hell of a point road, which is a 17-acre waterfront parcel that is municipally owned and is being leased to sciatica in partnership with Adventure Sitka. As a part of that,

[30:37] that property to be leased is going to be re-zoned, and that's the next ordinance that's on the agenda for second and final reading tonight, that would re-zone that property from residential into the recreation zone in order to facilitate best use of that land and of the zoning, we wanted to try and find a solution that was not so restrictive that would not allow for commercial development, but also still recognizes the recreational nature of that land.

[31:07] and has some sort of, you know, some kind of boundaries around the types of uses that can, that will make sense for the development,

[31:14] which is why we kind of settled on recreation being the primary choice for that particular parcel.

[31:21] In order to do so, though, we wanted to add three new uses as conditional uses.

[31:27] They're currently prohibited in the recreation zone and they will now become conditional,

[31:31] meaning that they will, if anyone would like to exercise those uses in the zone,

[31:35] they would need to get a conditional use permit through the planning commission.

[31:38] So those three new uses are eating and drinking places, amusement and entertainment, and outdoor

[31:46] amphitheater.

[31:47] The nice thing about all of those changes becoming conditional is that they can all be evaluated

[31:51] on a case by case basis to make sure that they're a good fit for the area and that neighborhood

[31:56] concerns can be taken into account when people make those applications.

[32:00] Additionally, the Baranoff Property Owners Association in Baranoff Warm Springs for several years has been working on a zoning text amendment to make some changes to the Recreation Zone, which is the other main area in Sitka that is zoned as Recreation.

[32:16] There are three permitted uses currently that the property owners wanted to become conditional uses, and that was resort public utility facilities and public water supply facilities.

[32:29] The resort piece of it, we felt was of kind of a cleanup piece because hotels are currently conditional use, so it was unclear why resorts would not be also conditional, so we felt that that was kind of bringing those types of uses in line with one another by making it conditional.

[32:45] And in terms of utility facilities and public water supply, many of those uses are already not allowed in residential areas.

[32:53] So creating those as just out and from, sorry pardon me, changing those from outright allowed to conditional uses will allow people living in the and who have property in the barren of property town site itself to have a little bit more say as to the type of development and intensity of development that takes place there in the barren of town site.

[33:14] So those are the combination of uses or proposed changes per me that are a part of this ordinance.

[33:23] So we kind of worked in partnership between the city and the Baranoff Property Owners Association to put this ordinance together and make those changes all at once given that they all affected the recreation district.

[33:33] And because we are bringing new land into the recreation district as well, we wanted to make sure that those zoning regulations that we made that affect property here in town also make sense for

[33:44] bear enough, Borm Springs as well, because they're all a part of the same zoning district.

[33:48] So this was a good opportunity to make sure that we were all sort of on the same page

[33:51] about what that zoning would look like for the property owners as well.

[33:57] Thank you.

[33:58] All right, with that, we may have you back up later on better.

[34:03] So are there any members of the public who wish to speak to this?

[34:08] Back in the back there?

[34:13] I can't, but Grant can, or somebody from the Centennial Building.

[34:16] All right, anybody else want to remember, okay, Dr. Wing?

[34:29] I'm very happy that the needs of Barrono Form Springs are being met by this ordinance.

[34:35] And I think that is the highlight of this.

[34:38] It must be remembered that these ordinances are the changes that need to occur for

[34:45] the halibut point group in order to develop that land.

[34:52] And so these are another gift from the city to that group.

[34:58] Again, as I have mentioned previously, they could have done better in the financial.

[35:03] But my important notice is that one, these are going to be changed to conditional uses.

[35:11] They're eating and drinking, amusement and entertainment and outdoor theater.

[35:15] Maybe they'll have a comedy club, which we can only hope.

[35:19] But the important thing is, is that these things come to the planning board, and so you need to be alert in order to see exactly what is going on there in order to, I'll say, protect Sitka interest.

[35:34] The other thing is that as part of the state permitting to the city giving the land, is that there is a public access on both the halibut point side.

[35:49] and as well as on the shore side, so I would like to remind people that you too can freely access these properties without inhibition.

[36:02] So remember that if you'd like to take a stroll at these properties just to see what's going on.

[36:09] So, and it won't cost you the price of a ticket, so enjoy and thank you very much for listening.

[36:15] Okay, what do you want to else like to speak to this?

[36:21] All right, back to the assembly.

[36:30] Okay, Senator.

[36:33] Okay, on the motion to approve this ordinance on second and final reading, Ms. Himchut.

[36:40] Yes,

[36:43] Mr. Christensen?

[36:44] Yes.

[36:46] Ms. Duncan?

[36:47] Yes.

[36:48] Ms. Nelson?

[36:50] Yes.

[36:51] Mr. Knox?

[36:52] Yes.

[36:52] And Mr. Moser?

[36:53] Yes.

[36:54] The motion passes 6-0 on IMD.

[36:56] Okay, on item E, can I give a motion?

[37:02] I move to approve ordinance 2021-28 on second and final reading.

[37:07] I'm ending the official sick zoning map to Reson 4951 Helvet Point Road from single family and duplex residential R1 to recreational district.

[37:17] All right.

[37:17] Okay, I think Amy's explanation last time also covered this, would you agree, Amy?

[37:23] Okay, so would anybody like to speak to this ordinance?

[37:26] That's

[37:29] saying none, we'll bring it back to the assembly.

[37:35] Kevin?

[37:37] So I still remain a bit concerned.

[37:41] I know this doesn't have to do with the actual lease, but

[37:45] re-zoning this and opening up the uses for this land, for

[37:53] the intended purpose of creating the visitor industry

[38:00] the recreation, I guess, regardless of what it is.

[38:05] I continue to be fairly concerned about the numbers of people that we are going to be seeing here.

[38:12] I think it's important that we have appropriate dispersal and

[38:20] activities for people to be able to enjoy Sitka.

[38:24] I think the residents of Sitka also have some of the same rights, and

[38:35] I just, it's really hard to really figure out in the end where to go with a lot of this.

[38:42] It does feel a little like a rock in the hard place, and then also creating some of this rezoning after the fact.

[38:53] I'm not really sure if we have the horse in front of the cart right now or not, but

[39:01] I'll be in support of this at this point.

[39:04] I really hope that the lease group is looking forward to what's in the best interest of SITCA.

[39:18] Anybody else, Kevin?

[39:20] I'll just disclose I've done this several times over in Preciatica.

[39:24] I'm not getting anything for this, I've not been insurentened, I've been completely kept out of the project from a detailed perspective.

[39:34] As far as this, I support it.

[39:37] I think it's part of the plan that I've personally been pushing and I think other assembly members have to try to create money from without SIPCA.

[39:48] In this case, we're leasing it for an annual amount and then getting a certain amount

[39:53] per ticket.

[39:54] And so this is city land that will be getting money into our treasury that we can use

[39:59] for things, like I always say, you know, police and fire roads, schools, the things that we need

[40:04] to pay.

[40:04] And this is just another attempt to prevent us from having to increase taxes.

[40:09] So we're trying to use what we have.

[40:12] Thank you.

[40:14] Anyone else?

[40:15] Mervika?

[40:16] Yeah, I just wanted to remind folks that when this went out, it went out for either a lease

[40:20] or sale and no developer found that they could develop it in an affordable way.

[40:26] And so no proposals came back.

[40:27] And I did reach out and check with some people to make sure that it wasn't a question or was

[40:32] there not enough time or why did people not respond.

[40:35] And it just was not going to be affordable to develop as housing.

[40:40] That's a primary need that we have in Sitka.

[40:42] So if we can't have housing there, let's do something else with it and like Mr. Mosher said, let's make some money on it, thanks.

[40:52] Anybody else? Yeah, I just will say that while I have some issues with the lease itself, once it's we voted on it, I'm not gonna try and mess it up by, I mean this is a reasonable request considering that we've already done the lease, so anybody else?

[41:13] The motion to approve ordinance 2021-28 on second and final reading, Ms. Hamchute.

[41:20] Yes, Mr. Christensen?

[41:23] Yes.

[41:23] Mr. Knox?

[41:25] Yes.

[41:26] Ms. Nelson?

[41:28] Yes.

[41:29] Ms. Duncan?

[41:30] Yes.

[41:31] And Mr. Moser?

[41:32] Yes.

[41:33] The motion passes 6-0.

[41:36] All right.

[41:37] We're moving on to new business.

[41:39] Can I get a motion for item F?

[41:40] I move to approve ordinance 2021-32 on first reading requiring use of a face covering

[41:47] in certain indoor settings and providing a penalty.

[41:49] Second.

[41:51] Okay, before we start, I'm going to try and lay some ground rules for tonight because we

[41:56] have enough people here and we have a lot of people on the phone.

[42:00] So we're going to restrict testimony to one minute for first and so that is, that is

[42:10] Excuse me, please, look, this is excuse me, can we please, can we please have some decorum here, can we bring in?

[42:22] All right, if we, I'm sorry people, if you cannot be civil, we'll clear the room.

[42:29] But if we do this on a regular, all right, we're going to take a recess then, but five

[42:44] minute recess.

[42:45] Yes.

[43:43] Welcome back Rebecca.

[43:46] Okay, so I'm going to fill this out to the assembly.

[43:48] We have a long history of when we have a lot of people speaking short in the amount of time.

[43:56] So you guys want to shorten it to maybe, do you shorten it to two minutes or not shorten it at all?

[44:02] Again, sir, this is the assembly deliberation not with the crowd.

[44:07] What's the will of the assembly?

[44:09] can you get a rough number from the crowd, how many people

[44:14] are attending this meeting?

[44:14] Yes, I would be more quiet on speaking.

[44:17] Okay, so that's, I mean we do have other business to do tonight.

[44:23] I was here one time to advocate for education and there were, there was a similarly

[44:28] full room and we were asked how many people were here for that and then we were restricted

[44:33] I think to one minute.

[44:35] So it's happened before.

[44:37] So I'm just saying I remember this happening and we've got a fair decision.

[44:44] You know, just to say because it's happened before it's okay.

[44:47] You have people that were planning on speaking for three minutes.

[44:50] They probably spent a lot of time to write down what they were going to say either for or against it.

[44:55] And I think we owe it to them.

[44:58] Again, if we could please have...

[45:00] The room be quiet.

[45:04] We will clear the room if we can't have the quorum. Okay. So, Tor, I would say my only history here is the only time I've seen it is then when Paxton was mayor, and we had something that was a big one and he narrowed it down to two minutes. People were upset about it, but we got through it. I have find it hard. I mean, that I would be able to come up with a coherent thought in one minute. I went from one minute's kind of tight.

[45:32] I'd like to do two minutes.

[45:34] Okay, I'm not waiting one minute.

[45:36] Just I'm looking at the rest of the agenda

[45:37] and honestly, there's only so many different ways

[45:41] we can hear this.

[45:42] So, the crystal, do you have any thoughts?

[45:48] Yeah, just looking at, we have seven more agenda items

[45:50] to get through tonight.

[45:52] And so, I, two minutes seems fine for me as well.

[45:56] All right, so we'll be two minutes.

[45:59] And I also want to alternate between, oh, sorry, Valerie.

[46:07] Go ahead.

[46:08] Sorry.

[46:09] I've been on the assembly for many, many years going back to like 1998.

[46:14] And we have not sometimes finished our business and had to complete it at a later date.

[46:20] To say that the other items are more important than this is wrong.

[46:23] Thank you.

[46:28] again we will clear the room if we don't have decorum so it'll be two minutes and

[46:34] Sarah if you would call people so we can get through everybody and we also have a

[46:41] number of people who want to call in I believe seven looks like six or seven here

[46:46] is that okay okay so with that if you can set the timer for two minutes and if we

[46:55] if somebody wants to come forward for two minutes.

[47:02] My name is Mary Todd Anderson.

[47:05] I want to start out with a quote it does relate to Mass.

[47:08] My body has absorbed so much hand sanitizer.

[47:12] Now, when I pee, it cleans the toilet.

[47:15] OK.

[47:16] I say that not in disrespect.

[47:18] I say that not disrespect, but I say what

[47:22] are the long-term effects of Mass?

[47:23] You guys got to listen to all of us.

[47:26] I witnessed a mother trying to get her child

[47:29] to get a keep a mask on. The child was crying and fighting her. I've talked to teachers that are

[47:34] mass all day long and I asked what may I ask her you coming down with a cold well my voice is

[47:38] horse because I can't you know speak I have to speak louder over the mass you know I've witnessed

[47:43] the I've taught the students that work at at different grocery stores and clerks and they're at school

[47:47] all day long then they go have a mask all all night you know or for a few hours and it's really

[47:52] hard they hate it and you guys should hate it and what this is all about what are you so afraid of

[47:57] the truth. What are you afraid of? This is real. I brought a copy of the Bible and I brought

[48:03] a copy of the US Constitution and the Bible talks about liberty that you are here to serve us and

[48:08] I'm sorry I'm not giving eye control to everybody but you know this this is for real. When is the last

[48:12] time anybody's read the US Constitution and this is not about fear tonight. This is about righteous

[48:18] anger, righteous rights and in no way all this two minutes is horrible. Okay so so Matt it's a

[48:26] falseness of security it causes, okay you wear a mask and it causes issues with your

[48:30] mouth throat lungs and that can result in pneumonia and then mask where it's crazy you guys

[48:36] and this I don't know this is this is what's not fair it's trying to limit what we spent time

[48:41] on in two minutes that is very very unfair then buff the rest of your agenda to the next night

[48:46] I'm sorry but this is I'm a Christian but this is about God this is about unalienable rights

[48:52] And if you don't get that read it, but the only purpose of government is to hear people's rights.

[48:57] This is not going to, essencely, we love our neighbors as yourself, the Bible says that.

[49:02] This is a good town you guys, this is causing friction and unhealthy, and it's not right.

[49:07] And wow, I did it in two minutes.

[49:09] Thank you.

[49:11] Please.

[49:13] Look folks, we've got to maintain the decorum, we don't clap and just come up.

[49:20] And like I said, we will clear the room if we have to.

[49:23] We don't want to let people speak.

[49:28] Okay, so my

[49:35] name is co-oiness and I'm really delighted that I took time to write this

[49:39] out because then I've got a copy for each one of you.

[49:43] I'm not a scientist, but a COVID virus 60 to 140 is the average size of a COVID virus.

[49:54] It is measured in nanometers, which is 1 1,000th of a micron.

[50:05] And 5 microns are 1 5,000th of an inch.

[50:11] No mask that anybody has in here or is wearing.

[50:17] And the holes are much, much larger than that.

[50:22] And COVID spread by two poise droplets

[50:27] less than five microns, which I remind you

[50:31] is 1 5,000th of an inch.

[50:35] But the vast majority is spread by aerosol spray,

[50:40] which is 1 1,000th of a micron.

[50:44] So people are misled to think that they're safe, and so a mask mainly keeps the wearer from ejecting droplets or spray that affects others, but a respirator which provides two-way protection and can keep the wearer from catching aerosol particles from others.

[51:07] There are two that are the most common, an N95 and an N100, and those are what are worn in surgical rooms.

[51:19] It takes two people to get them adjusted so that they're right, so that they're actually stopping these.

[51:27] So, anyway, I say, don't deceive yourself and don't deceive others by thinking that they're safe.

[51:38] Thank you.

[51:41] Mr. Wayne?

[51:51] My name is Richard Wayne and I'm not really going to talk about mask science or anything like that.

[51:59] The important thing to note is that not all masks are created equal.

[52:03] None of the masks here are basically PPE, according to the CDC.

[52:10] And so in essence, it is, as always, kabuki.

[52:16] I'm going to deal with the ordinance, the ordinance exemptions,

[52:19] really kind of limit what is going on as far as your mitigation ability,

[52:28] as well as there's no true enforcement.

[52:32] And the bottom line is, is that, let us take a look at what this ordinance looks like if we graph it.

[52:42] If I'm my strobe, and the ordinance has it that the goes into effect when it's high, when the alert level is high.

[52:57] But I'd like to point out that you see the line here, which goes each line.

[53:04] This is where it's a high alert read, and this is the line.

[53:08] On this line are people who are positive cases.

[53:13] And therefore, you are allowing a cycle, if you actually believe in the mitigation,

[53:20] you're allowing this cycle to occur.

[53:22] You're allowing people to get COVID.

[53:24] You are allowing, maybe on this line, is somebody who dies.

[53:28] So actually, if you look at your ordinance, it makes no sense.

[53:32] If you really want to do it, everybody 724 masks all the time.

[53:37] This is what it looks like.

[53:39] It's really not a mitigative thing, and it makes no sense.

[53:46] Also, in the exemptions, you don't include the United States Postal Service.

[53:51] And the members of Congress, if you looked at football games,

[53:54] this weekend, college, or even the Met Gala, no masks, but that's for the elite.

[54:05] Okay, again, please post on the forum.

[54:09] All right, rules would like to speak.

[54:21] My name is Bridget Hitchcock, and thank you so much for your time.

[54:25] I support requiring you to face covering in certain indoor settings while Sika is in high alert.

[54:30] It's a public health issue, and I don't believe it should be a personal issue.

[54:33] As a health care provider, I know how important masks are to keep myself and my patients safe.

[54:40] Without masks, I cannot safely be providing the physical therapy that many people in our

[54:45] community need after a surgery, after having COVID.

[54:50] I've seen a few patients there, after an injury or after a stroke, just to name a few examples.

[54:56] With the COVID numbers high, we all suffer, including our kids and our elders.

[55:00] members. As a mother of two school age children, I can tell you firsthand that our kids need

[55:05] to be back in school. We don't want to have to go back to online school. The elders in

[55:11] this community, especially in the Pioneer home, and at the long-term care, need to be able

[55:16] to connect with their family, their friends, and the community. They have been shut down

[55:19] several times during the pandemic due to high COVID numbers. I also have lost two extended

[55:27] We have to do everything we have in our power to prevent the spread.

[55:33] Please do the right thing and support this ordinance.

[55:35] Thank you.

[55:36] Thank you.

[55:38] The last would like to speak.

[55:45] Hi, I'm here tonight because of my concern for the health of this community.

[55:49] Oh, by the way, I'm Laurie Lee.

[55:51] In Germany, there was a laboratory analysis to investigate the level of contamination found in masks.

[55:56] masks, after a fresh mask was given to school children, for six to eight hours what they found

[56:01] was shocking evidence of extremely high levels of microbes with 82 bacterial colonies and

[56:07] four mold colonies. With masks, you're forced to re-bread your own waste, otherwise known

[56:13] as carbon dioxide or CO2, which is a waste product of cellular respiration. Within the first

[56:19] There's 10 breaths of wearing a mask, your CO2 levels can race to over 10,000 parts per million.

[56:27] The upper range considered safe for humans, the upper range considered safe is 1,000.

[56:33] That's 10 times the CO2 that you're breathing in your mask, that you should be, that's allowed safe.

[56:40] Elevated CO2 levels can lead to organ damage and have long standing effects on the brain,

[56:45] which is one reason why studies find mass students are netting lower test scores, diminished attention spans,

[56:52] and racking up more sick days.

[56:55] Oxygen lowering effects of the mass force the body to compensate by increasing heart rate and deepening inspirations.

[57:04] This drives pathogens deep into the lungs.

[57:08] Mass-related lung infections are far, far more dangerous than a COVID-19 infection.

[57:13] An alarming explosion in the bacterial pneumonia is being reported at ERs and urgent care centers across the country.

[57:21] In 2008, Dr. Anthony Fauci called her to paper entitled bacterial pneumonia caused most deaths in the 1918 influenza pandemic.

[57:31] He clearly conveyed that bacterial pneumonia was responsible for the vast majority of deaths, not the virus itself.

[57:39] This mask mandate is a perfect example of government over each.

[57:45] It is not the role of any government to dictate or govern my health.

[57:50] Most people would agree the government has exceeded its constitutional boundaries.

[57:54] Man, it would wrap it up.

[58:00] It is not the role of any government to dictate or govern my health.

[58:08] And I am for one not giving my consent for such dangerous agendas.

[58:12] Most people would agree the government has exceeded its constitutional boundaries.

[58:16] And I feel the city has placed itself in a precarious position right for a host of liabilities.

[58:23] Any mandate regarding mask wearing needs to be withdrawn immediately and indefinitely.

[58:29] Thank you for your time.

[58:58] Thank you for your attention to this issue tonight. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak.

[59:03] I did send a letter in support of this new regulation already, but new information came

[59:11] to light today that I wanted to share.

[59:13] There was a letter written by the Chief of Staff of Providence Alaska Medical Center

[59:18] today to all the last guns, informing us of the critical situation of an anchorage due

[59:24] to COVID numbers.

[59:26] As of today, they are faced with a critical situation and now are in the point of meeting

[59:35] so they're developing policies and procedures to ration medical care, including dialysis

[59:42] and specialized ventilatories support.

[59:45] Their transfer center is unable to accept patients who sit in emergency rooms and hospitals

[59:50] across the state.

[59:51] If you or your loved one needs specialty care at Providence such as a cardiologist, a trauma

[59:56] a surgeon or a neurosurgeon, we sadly may not have.

[1:00:00] We have room now. There are no beds left. So the letter goes on and can be seen in the encouraged daily news tonight and I encourage people to look at that. The Chief of Staff at Providence pleads with Alaskans across the state to do everything in our power to reduce the spread of COVID across the state and to stay healthy so we don't need to take hospital beds. It says first wear a mask even if you're vaccinated. I just like to add that I have the privilege to interact with a broad

[1:00:29] spectrum of people across the community and my work.

[1:00:32] I love talking to people and getting to know people who share different points of view than myself.

[1:00:37] What I've been impressed with during this time is how much sitkins agree on.

[1:00:42] People want to stay healthy, they want to keep their neighbors healthy,

[1:00:46] they want to protect one another.

[1:00:49] In our office, people wear masks and 99% of the patients comply without difficulty.

[1:00:54] We have over 80% of our community vaccinated and I'm proud of Sitka.

[1:00:58] So, thank you.

[1:00:59] Thank you for having me.

[1:01:01] All right.

[1:01:02] Who would like to speak next?

[1:01:15] Gavin Holder, I would like to talk specifically about the lack of standards

[1:01:21] that this ordinance would provide it.

[1:01:24] It doesn't require any specific type of filtering or any level of just care in general

[1:01:32] for the person.

[1:01:33] It just covers the face, not even the face, it's just the mouth and the nose.

[1:01:37] And the thing is that if this is truly a life and death situation, we don't have the

[1:01:44] time to talk about it like this.

[1:01:45] The people will be falling on the ground and dying.

[1:01:47] It's just how it is.

[1:01:50] If it gets to that point, if this is the next bubonic plague, we really need to be, I guess

[1:01:57] really everyone, just about everyone here is going to die anyways.

[1:02:00] I'm saying that this isn't the way that we want to do it.

[1:02:04] The legal system, if you want people to change, you're not going to go through the legal

[1:02:07] system. It's just, it's not viable, is what I'm trying to say. I can tell you, though, that if you want,

[1:02:12] if you are concerned about this, you can go and you can buy filter masks like this. This is about

[1:02:16] $50, a little over $50 from Fisher Scientific. And you just look up online, anywhere you can find

[1:02:23] filter masks by them because they do have a shelf life, well, not it's not a shelf life, but they

[1:02:28] have a used life. Like, you can't use them over and over and over again, especially not for

[1:02:32] biological contaminants, because that's not what they're made for. It's, if you really care

[1:02:37] about this, you have to be buying these filter masks in bulk, and it's just, it's not

[1:02:40] going to work that way. And the thing is, with all the exceptions in the ordinance,

[1:02:45] it's, in life and death situations, there aren't exceptions. There are people who make

[1:02:49] the cut, and there are people who don't, and the people who don't die. Everyone on these

[1:02:52] exceptions list, it's just going to get them killed. It's not going to work. It's not

[1:02:57] viable. This is negligent. If you, if you really care about this, you can't do it like

[1:03:02] this. It's going to get people killed. It's not going to work. That's what I have. Thank you.

[1:03:10] Thank you.

[1:03:20] That's not the way we're set up.

[1:03:22] Hi,

[1:03:28] my name is Justin Clark and I believe that this is a joke. What you guys are doing here

[1:03:36] about the mass mandate and everything is a joke. If you really cared and I have to think and it's

[1:03:44] sad to me to see the medical community, who knows, who knows these things, and they're

[1:03:53] following this, this political scam. For power, I work to the medical field. I have

[1:04:03] a, well, Thor, you said, oh, mass work. What degree do you have, Thor? I ask you that.

[1:04:13] And

[1:04:14] work. I have so many studies that I could show you, but you guys don't want to listen.

[1:04:21] That says, mask do not work. I laugh that you say kids need to wear a mask. The kids touch

[1:04:29] mask. I mean, I'm sitting there, Coast Guard people are touching, touching, touching. They

[1:04:34] have to wear a mask because I would never wear a mask, if I was a Coast Guard person. They're

[1:04:39] just touching, touching. You guys probably same thing, touching, touching. And then you

[1:04:43] touch stuff, whatever you touch is germed. People need to eat right, lose weight, stay healthy,

[1:04:53] enjoy Sitka, and we won't have this. There's therapeutic things, there's health things that we

[1:05:00] could do that would solve this problem. Nobody's treating COVID. Why don't you look into treatment?

[1:05:12] They're

[1:05:13] I push drugs. I had protocols. You guys are doing, I laugh at the fire department. They're

[1:05:21] masked. It's all up here. I used to be a fireman.

[1:05:26] Get real, guys. So resistance to tyranny

[1:05:32] is obedience to God. And I love God. Wrap it up, please. I'm going to resist.

[1:05:46] All right, please come forward, ma'am.

[1:05:55] It's Risha Dick as my name.

[1:05:56] I would like to say thank you to the SICKA assembly for the mask mandate that we currently

[1:06:04] have in effect.

[1:06:06] According to the SICKA school district website, as of yesterday, we have 10 active COVID cases

[1:06:13] in the SICKA school district within about four weeks of the year started already, but that's

[1:06:20] But only from data that was voluntarily tested, kids or adults that came in and tested voluntarily.

[1:06:30] So we don't really know how about it is, and what I understand from a letter home that my girl's got is that it's sounding a lot like spread is going on in the sick of school district right now.

[1:06:41] Just a reminder that when staff or sickle school district teacher gets a crossover infection,

[1:06:49] they then take it home to their children and family.

[1:06:53] Recently, some teachers from home are asking me, how did you get a mask mandate in SIDCA?

[1:06:59] And I said, our city assembly, SIDCA assembly loves our children.

[1:07:08] And you let me know.

[1:07:12] You let me know.

[1:07:13] And we let you job.

[1:07:15] Let her job.

[1:07:16] Care workers.

[1:07:17] And they love our essential.

[1:07:20] People who are on the fighting lines here.

[1:07:23] You guys care.

[1:07:25] And that's what I felt good about telling our home teachers

[1:07:29] who were wishing that they had a mask and that mandate.

[1:07:32] It is your job, also I told them I said they're listening to scientists at the responsibility of the SIDCA assembly to follow the CDC masking guidelines in order to protect our citizens.

[1:08:00] Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, I'd like to say something, point of order here, everyone, our intention

[1:08:12] is let everyone who wants to speak to speak, but we just had an example of a person who

[1:08:16] clearly disagreed with the majority, and she was booed, I think that's not right,

[1:08:23] it's

[1:08:23] If everyone wants to speak, we have to control ourselves and calm down.

[1:08:28] We can't be booing people, and the constant clapping and

[1:08:32] crying is not helpful either.

[1:08:34] This is meant for a reason.

[1:08:35] There are people who have opinions that may not agree, and when there's a crowd,

[1:08:39] crying or booing, it may intimidate them.

[1:08:42] We all need to be respectful.

[1:08:44] Thank you.

[1:08:46] Thank you.

[1:08:49] Hi, my name is Karen Attics, and I do want to say that we need to respect both sides.

[1:08:56] And I believe that my side, which is I don't want to wear a mask, tends to get boo-hooed

[1:09:05] and stuff, but I do believe that we need to listen respectfully to those who disagree.

[1:09:10] For example, the letter to the editor last night was extremely caustic and rude to those

[1:09:15] of us who don't want to wear masks. And I believe we should respect each other. There's

[1:09:20] a lot I could say about it, but the mask ordinance was passed to begin with as an emergency

[1:09:24] thing. What is an emergency? It's a situation that imposes an immediate risk to health and

[1:09:30] life. Regular mandate is different. The emergency one can only go for a certain period of time. You

[1:09:36] want this one to go for six months. I think that's ridiculous. COVID is never going to go away.

[1:09:42] Okay, the flu of 1918 has never gone away, it has morphed, it has changed.

[1:09:47] I personally don't want to wear a mask for the rest of my life.

[1:09:51] When we have a high level in this town, it's 100 out of 100,000 people,

[1:09:56] according to whatever you're using now.

[1:09:59] That's .001% of people are testing positive.

[1:10:05] She says there's 10 cases at the school.

[1:10:07] Those people have all been wearing masks.

[1:10:10] It's silly to wear a mask.

[1:10:12] I'm a rule follower usually, but I'm sick of it.

[1:10:15] I'm not going to wear a mask in the future.

[1:10:18] I've had COVID.

[1:10:19] It was better than most of the flus I've had in the past.

[1:10:23] I have immunity.

[1:10:24] I want to breathe freely.

[1:10:25] And those driven by the fear of COVID should stay home

[1:10:28] and the rest of us should be able to breathe.

[1:10:30] Thank you.

[1:10:31] So again, people, please be respectful of everybody.

[1:10:39] Okay, who else would like to speak?

[1:10:48] My name is Carrie Johnson, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to listen to public comment.

[1:10:55] I understand you wanting to streamline the mandate and leave it to the case numbers as to whether we mask up or not.

[1:11:01] I understand this, but I don't agree it is the healthiest option for the winter ahead in SICKA.

[1:11:05] I speak for the workers and vulnerable school kids who are in the masks many hours a day as

[1:11:10] well as being indoors.

[1:11:12] We need to look at the mental health aspect of this idea as well.

[1:11:16] Alaska already has a high suicide rate, and I'm wondering if breathing our own recycled

[1:11:20] air for extended periods just can't be nourishing, excuse me, for our brains.

[1:11:25] There's medical research that says the mask carry virus bacteria and mold and colonize in

[1:11:31] this mask.

[1:11:33] And so you have these kids who are reading this for long periods of time, they're just

[1:11:38] going to, you know, they're taking it into their lungs, it's causing pneumonia.

[1:11:42] It's just, I mean, it's, I don't know, in some ways to me, it's not really rocket science.

[1:11:48] And we have enough mold and sick already.

[1:11:51] So instead of extending this mandate, I'm suggesting that we take a fresh look at making, at masking

[1:11:56] and educating the public, the kids in the schools.

[1:11:58] I'm saddened to see young kids at Kikushahine come out of the school, pop on their bikes alone, and in the pouring rain with the paper mask over their face.

[1:12:07] What are we doing as adults?

[1:12:08] What's the message we are telling our kids to be afraid of our own breath when we are alone?

[1:12:13] Let's educate them, stay home, win sick, how and win to wear a mask, not to fiddle with it, take vitamin D and so on, protect the elders.

[1:12:22] There is an alarming explosion in bacterial pneumonia as a result of mask wearing.

[1:12:26] As a former business owner with employees, I would not be comfortable forcing my people

[1:12:31] to wear something that could possibly potentially really hurt them.

[1:12:34] And while I know no one wants to be this person, we are being forced to let the people

[1:12:39] and businesses decide we are being forced to, so please let the businesses and people decide

[1:12:44] for themselves what they are comfortable with.

[1:12:46] I have a friend here in town who tested positive for COVID and went to retest during the same

[1:12:51] time I'm almost done.

[1:12:52] they counted it and she got retested again and counted for positive and she said they

[1:12:56] counted it for two cases. So I'm not even sure about the numbers. This is not a political

[1:13:01] situation but a humanitarian one. We need to support it and work together to help educate

[1:13:06] the vulnerable, which include the children. Most of all, we need to be open to new information

[1:13:11] and adjust accordingly if we are wrong and be teachable enough to change our course and

[1:13:15] rethink how we move ahead as a community. Locking us into a time frame may reduce our

[1:13:20] Your ability to change the course is needed.

[1:13:23] Breath is our birthright and something I never dreamed I would be testifying for.

[1:13:27] I'm sorry I went over.

[1:13:29] Sara do you want to get somebody on the phone?

[1:13:30] Thank you very much.

[1:13:42] We're going to be bringing in somebody who wanted to testify on the phone right now.

[1:13:47] All right, go ahead, ma'am.

[1:13:49] It's your wish.

[1:13:49] She's getting on the line.

[1:13:56] Hi, I'm Julie Stromer and I was just wondering on the ordinance that we're talking about.

[1:14:02] So it says, and providing a penalty, who exactly is going to provide the penalty?

[1:14:14] Okay, well, I mean, just in case it would be going to be the police, I think that would be really a really big joke.

[1:14:23] Because our law enforcement officers have taken an oath to protect us physically and to protect our constitutional rights.

[1:14:32] They have real police stuff to do.

[1:14:35] We've got an open border with all kinds of deadly drugs coming across.

[1:14:40] They have, our police men and women have to do their job.

[1:14:45] And I think this would just be, like I said, a really big joke.

[1:14:54] Thank you, Ferri, do you have someone on the line?

[1:15:00] Yes, so go ahead and get

[1:15:07] - We have another person come up, Sarah, can you be getting somebody on the line while they do it? Go ahead, come up, ma'am. I just want to make sure that the people who signed up to be calling it a chance. You guys are great at it.

[1:15:32] Hello. My name is Linda Marlin. You folks know me as LJ.

[1:15:38] I want to go back a little bit.

[1:15:40] But in 2003 we had anthrax, we also had SARS, COVID, 2006, we had the months, the U.K.

[1:15:50] life, Samanilla, swine flu, bird flu, and MRSA.

[1:15:55] It did not close this town down, not at all.

[1:15:59] I worked through it up at the Bayview restaurant.

[1:16:03] But in my travels here lately, I had to go down, do hospice with my mother.

[1:16:07] But I saw children in a hundred-degree weather having a hard time breathing.

[1:16:12] Then I shook my head and I was told that one of these kids' mother died of mold that

[1:16:19] collected into her lungs.

[1:16:21] They thought she had just lung cancer, you know.

[1:16:24] But it was mold from her mask because she was in fear of catching COVID because it was

[1:16:30] raised upon her every time she turned around.

[1:16:34] And it was sad to see this mother pass away as something that came from a mask.

[1:16:40] It's only a mask.

[1:16:43] Well, cloth mask is higher in respiratory infection than anything.

[1:16:51] Being a breast cancer survivor myself, my doctor told me to take my mask off as soon as I got outside.

[1:16:59] Because it hinders the immune system.

[1:17:02] And all I see is two weeks later, what, the flattened occurve, it's been two years and the solution is what?

[1:17:09] Get a shot, get a booster, then another shot, and keep wearing a mask.

[1:17:14] And be like everyone else.

[1:17:17] Well, we're not two people or alike, not one shoe, we don't wear the same size.

[1:17:22] And I'm really a gas, white kids are the issue here.

[1:17:26] Children have their own immune system that needs to be developed, eaten mud, whatever.

[1:17:34] But it's just the idea.

[1:17:36] You leave these kids alone.

[1:17:38] This air is brought to you by God, not by the City Council.

[1:17:45] Sir, sir, sir,

[1:17:50] do you have any banlinga, okay, go ahead.

[1:18:11] I bet that Sarah calling from the assembly meeting.

[1:18:14] We are taking testimony on the mask mandate, if you could state your first and

[1:18:19] last name for the record, and then your two minutes will begin.

[1:18:22] Thank you.

[1:18:23] My name is Beth Shortroaks, and I am calling in tonight in favor of the mask mandate.

[1:18:32] We had, as everybody knows, we had really high COVID numbers in mid-July, and we put the

[1:18:38] first mask mandate into effect, and drop the numbers down to the point where schools could

[1:18:44] open, schools open smoothly. They've been open, you know, in contrast to other places in Alaska,

[1:18:50] like the Map 2 Valley and Kachikan more schools have closed down in places where there are no

[1:18:56] masking requirements. And so the mask mandate has helped. And this latest version is even a milder

[1:19:04] version, you know, from the one that we had before. This is requiring masks only in times of high

[1:19:12] COVID Alert. And it's going to help keep schools open and that is really of the

[1:19:19] utmost importance. I have a high school student here at home and I've seen that

[1:19:25] going back to school has made a huge, how's that a huge difference in her, just

[1:19:32] in her mental health, in her academic health and she needs to stay in school and

[1:19:39] And all of the kids that can need me to stay in school

[1:19:41] and this next mandate is going to help ensure that that happens.

[1:19:46] So I appreciate the assembly for their service

[1:19:51] and for continuing to issue and urge them

[1:19:54] to vote in sport of it.

[1:19:55] Thank you.

[1:20:01] What anyone else like to come up?

[1:20:10] You have another one after this?

[1:20:12] Okay.

[1:20:16] Grenade if we can.

[1:20:24] There we go.

[1:20:25] Stephen Bethune, this two minute drill

[1:20:27] is giving me bad flashbacks to high school football practice.

[1:20:29] So, at the last assembly meeting, when you extended the current mask mandate,

[1:20:34] one of the assembly members noted that they had not heard of any people fighting over masking.

[1:20:38] And that's signaled to them that sitkins are okay with this ordinance.

[1:20:41] I'm letting you know that since all this mask of pollusa has started, I have had seven significant negative interactions where masked up seconds have given me a piece of their mind over my choosing not to wear one.

[1:20:52] I don't shop at businesses that enforce the mask policy, so I'm not going out of my way to provoke hostilities.

[1:20:57] All the hostilities and vitriol that I've seen and experienced over this issue, whether

[1:21:02] social media, letters to the editor or in grocery store aisles, have come from those masking.

[1:21:07] Those of us who choose not to wear a mask, we don't care if you wear one.

[1:21:11] We just don't want to be told we or our kids have to.

[1:21:14] So the idea that there's no fighting going on among seconds over this issue isn't true

[1:21:18] at all.

[1:21:20] This ordinance is confusing, unenforceable, because there's no requirements to provide proof

[1:21:24] of exemptions illegal under U.S. law concerning emergency use authorizations and

[1:21:29] unconstitutional.

[1:21:31] Going about daily life and Sitka, some stores require a mask, some don't.

[1:21:35] In my office, somewhere all day, some sporadically, some not at all.

[1:21:40] Some restaurants require one, some don't, and some even seem to be differentiating between

[1:21:44] whether you are seated or standing.

[1:21:47] Even looking around this room tonight in a city building with a city mask mandate, many

[1:21:51] here are unmasked.

[1:21:52] There's no rhyme or reason to it.

[1:21:53] But this is a feel good measure that is only serving to further divide our town and provides no actual medical attention.

[1:22:01] If you decide to pass this mandate, I'm letting you know that I will continue not to comply and will encourage others to do likewise.

[1:22:07] Paraphraising several historical leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Jefferson and Gandhi.

[1:22:13] There is a moral obligation to disobey the government when it is being unjust.

[1:22:17] There is a higher authority in set-geth than the City Assembly, and I will not submit to rules written in the spirit of fear, control, lies, and manipulation, even when told it is the kind and loving thing to do.

[1:22:28] The kind and loving thing to do is to stay steadfast to truth and not capitulate to the majority or submit to an impressive government.

[1:22:44] We've

[1:22:47] got somebody coming in on the phone.

[1:23:08] Hi, ma'am.

[1:23:08] It's Sarah.

[1:23:09] There's a two-minute time limit if you could state your first and last name and then you

[1:23:14] can go ahead.

[1:23:16] Okay.

[1:23:18] My name is Min McConnell and I just wanted to briefly say that I'm supportive of this ordinance

[1:23:26] and I think it's needed and please vote yes, that's it.

[1:23:35] Okay, thank you, man.

[1:23:37] All right, so May else from the public wish to come forward?

[1:23:49] Hi, my name is Anna Hansen and I'm not here to change your minds.

[1:23:56] I know that they are already made up.

[1:23:59] I'm here to let the sponsors and the supporters of this ordinance know

[1:24:03] that you are not fooling anyone.

[1:24:04] One, you know in your heart that COVID has become political, regardless your viewpoint,

[1:24:12] you cannot deny it.

[1:24:13] You know that the scientific process has been correctly violated.

[1:24:17] You know that the citizens of Sitka and the rest of the country have been intentionally

[1:24:22] lied to and misled to achieve an agenda of their own.

[1:24:27] You know you will get your way tonight.

[1:24:29] also

[1:24:33] know this. Someday you will have to give an account for your life. Someday you will be judged

[1:24:39] choosing tyranny or validity. I know COVID, absolutely. I have recovered from it. I also know that

[1:24:48] if you and others, others in power could have, could have been completely honest and liberty-minded.

[1:24:56] Your response would have been different.

[1:24:59] We would have been united as a nation and a community.

[1:25:03] I do not need your permission to be free.

[1:25:06] So you may vote, however you please, but understand this.

[1:25:11] I, like the growing Americans, intend to live a free life.

[1:25:17] And I will not be masking my family or myself.

[1:25:21] Thank you.

[1:25:26] Seriously people, you need to show some decorum, all right?

[1:25:40] Assembly members, my name is Roger Hames.

[1:25:43] I have several businesses in town here, family-owned, and I wear my mask out of courtesy and respect, but I am not for this right now.

[1:25:56] We have approximately 150 employees and I could hire 20 more tomorrow.

[1:26:02] You all have put us businesses in a terrible situation.

[1:26:06] We will not win no matter what, we won't win.

[1:26:11] It's just a no-win situation.

[1:26:15] It's political, it's unfortunate.

[1:26:19] There have been yelling matches inside the store, yelling matches outside the store,

[1:26:24] almost to the point where the police have been called to prevent a fight from taking place.

[1:26:35] There's no enforcement of this.

[1:26:38] If there's no enforcement, why haven't, why haven't ordinance in the first place?

[1:26:42] It makes no sense to me.

[1:26:44] I currently have a mask mandate at my operations, all my stores.

[1:26:50] But effective tomorrow, I am not going to have a mandate.

[1:27:04] Assembly is going to take a five minute.

[1:27:22] As I mentioned, I currently have a mask mandate, but effective tomorrow, I will leave it optional.

[1:27:29] I believe it's the best that our customers decide for themselves, and our employees decide for themselves whether they want to wear it or not.

[1:27:37] And I am pleased, no reaction to this, I honestly mean that.

[1:27:42] But if there's going to be anyone find, let it start with me.

[1:27:47] I will be at my biggest business tomorrow morning at 10 AM, not wearing a mask.

[1:27:52] And I will pay any fine that the employees incur.

[1:27:56] Thank you.

[1:27:56] Sir,

[1:27:59] do you have somebody else on the phone?

[1:28:26] Hi Lorraine, it's Sarah, a con from the assembly meeting.

[1:28:29] We are taking public testimony on the mask ordinance.

[1:28:33] There's an imposed time limit of two minutes.

[1:28:35] If you can state your first and last name for the record,

[1:28:37] and then your time will begin.

[1:28:39] Okay, I'm in a meeting that's totally for the mask mandate.

[1:28:44] We have to consider all of the health professionals in town

[1:28:47] that are giving exhausted and sick people.

[1:28:50] I mean, yes, with COVID, and we need the mass mandate.

[1:28:55] All the people that are against it are wrong,

[1:28:57] they're not humanitarian, and they don't care about society.

[1:29:03] Thank you very much, we need the mass mandate.

[1:29:09] Does anybody else from the Holocaust come speak?

[1:29:26] Shirley Robards.

[1:29:28] I've been sitting back here listening, and I'm kind of laughing,

[1:29:32] and I'm saying to myself, isn't it funny?

[1:29:34] I don't know if anybody that needs to change your mask probably every hour.

[1:29:42] You cannot tell me you'd enough play with your mask.

[1:29:46] And the kids do it in school.

[1:29:48] So why are we making them wear a mask when it's not good?

[1:29:52] I think you guys should really think about it.

[1:29:54] And I know that you're an ethical and you

[1:30:00] But you're finding more and more. You see it. People are fighting it. The airlines are fighting it. Everybody's fighting it. I think you should really think about it. And I think it's a really bad thing to make people say people after a mask. If the mask was really doing the job and clean and you don't touch it, then it'd be a different story. But you can't tell me that you didn't wear that mask yesterday. I can't believe it. Thank you.

[1:30:29] I

[1:30:37] already have somebody else on the phone. Go ahead.

[1:31:06] Hi, Koana and Sarah. We're taking public testimony on the mask mandate. If you can

[1:31:11] state your first and last name for the record and there has been an imposed time limit

[1:31:15] of two minutes. So if you can state your first and last name and then the time limit will

[1:31:19] begin. Okay, thank you. Koana, Marley. I am testifying today in support of the mask mandate.

[1:31:28] I actually see the majority of my fellow citizens adhering to the masking rules and expressing

[1:31:35] their gratitude to your leadership on this issue.

[1:31:38] I can confidently say most of the town as well as our visitors support the mask mandate.

[1:31:46] In addition, our health officials locally and nationally support masking, and as we are

[1:31:56] finding out around the country, our schools require it to operate in person.

[1:32:02] However, even if our small town majority was against a masking mandate, I would hope that

[1:32:08] you would take your duty seriously to protect the majority by using the information we have

[1:32:13] about what is going on in our hospitals locally in statewide with this virus and the benefits

[1:32:20] of masking as a first line of defense make the best decisions for our town.

[1:32:28] Thank you for your persistence and endurance on this issue and please support the mask

[1:32:34] mandate with your vote this evening and thank you for respectfully listening.

[1:32:39] Thank you.

[1:32:42] All right, is anybody else from the public wish to come forward?

[1:32:55] My name is Roxanne Newell, I'll probably get emotional so I'm just going to look at my

[1:32:59] paper and not look at all of you.

[1:33:01] So influence changes every year.

[1:33:04] We get the vaccination and when it changes they don't come out and say now we got to do

[1:33:09] variant so we have to get three more influenza vaccinations for the year.

[1:33:13] It has the real virus in it to make us have an immunity to it.

[1:33:18] COVID vaccination has no virus in it, so we're not getting the virus from it.

[1:33:23] So natural immunity is the best.

[1:33:26] So I went into a store in town, and I did not have my mask on for medical or mental reasons.

[1:33:33] And I said that to the employee and their answer to me was I'm not going to argue with you.

[1:33:39] So as a nurse, I cannot tell anybody whether you have or have not been vaccinated.

[1:33:46] But now, I have to go into a store and I get asked why I'm not wearing a mask and I've got to tell my private health information in order for them to be accepted that I'm not wearing a mask.

[1:33:59] So this isn't about everybody, it's about each one of us, each one of us in our lives and what we've happened.

[1:34:06] I was respectful of them.

[1:34:08] I didn't argue.

[1:34:10] I didn't say anything to rawgatory.

[1:34:12] I said, per our ordinance, it says a medical or mental reason.

[1:34:17] I have that and I shouldn't have to display and say what it is.

[1:34:22] That's my private health information.

[1:34:24] So, if I was exposed to the vaccine, can I tell them that?

[1:34:29] If I had it, can I tell them that?

[1:34:31] Did I get an antibody test?

[1:34:33] Nobody asked me that when I'm not wearing a mask.

[1:34:35] I ask all they want to know is why I'm not wearing a mask.

[1:34:37] But any one of those three things is exactly where I'm at.

[1:34:41] So I have to tell you why I'm not wearing a mask.

[1:34:44] If it's not my medical or mental health reason, there's no common sense of this.

[1:34:50] Nurses are going and doctors are going with it because the threat of loss in their jobs.

[1:34:55] There's always been germs out there, they are still out there, they've been there.

[1:34:59] You've all been to Vegas, you've been to concerts, the germs aren't going away.

[1:35:04] Thank you.

[1:35:05] All right.

[1:35:06] Sarah, do you have another present on the phone?

[1:35:26] Hi, Doug.

[1:35:26] It's Sarah, calling for an assembly meeting.

[1:35:28] We're taking public testimony of two minutes on the mask mandate.

[1:35:32] If you could state your first and last name for the record, and then your time will begin.

[1:35:36] Great.

[1:35:36] Thanks, Sarah.

[1:35:37] My name is Doug Osborne, and I am calling in as a citizen tonight.

[1:35:43] I wanted to read something that I thought was connected to this.

[1:35:46] It's from the journal of the American Medical Association.

[1:35:50] And it says after reviewing data from 10 previous studies, the association concluded that mask

[1:35:56] wearing substantially reduces the spread of COVID-19.

[1:36:00] They write that wearing a cloth mask can reduce transmission of exhaled droplets from infected

[1:36:06] wearers in the air by about 50 to 70 percent.

[1:36:09] Additionally, masks were shown to prevent uninfected wearers from inhaling large respiratory

[1:36:14] droplets.

[1:36:15] And then after that I said peer review and I got it from an article that said, do mask

[1:36:19] work?

[1:36:20] Here's 49 scientific studies that said why the answer is yes to that.

[1:36:25] I just wanted to read a couple of the titles because I found them to be pretty credible.

[1:36:28] One is the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Community Health, International Journal

[1:36:33] of Nursing Studies.

[1:36:35] The Lancet, they reviewed 172 other studies in 16 countries and they found, quote, large

[1:36:39] reductions in the risk of infection, National Academy of Sciences.

[1:36:43] So there's a lot of credible organizations that do these peer-reviewed studies and they

[1:36:49] are putting their credibility in line and saying, yes, mass work and here's the proof.

[1:36:54] And then what about mass command age, though, in 2021, the CDC published two new reports

[1:36:59] on mobility and mortality weekly about masking policies and they found that one, it was linked

[1:37:04] to higher rates of proper mass use and two, most importantly, they're associated with fewer

[1:37:08] COVID-19 hospitalizations, and I think that everybody who's in support of

[1:37:13] mask management in public places is looking for a lower case count, keep the

[1:37:16] schools open. And at the front page of today's paper, it says four new cases added

[1:37:21] to the sick of Irish dashboard. So we know masks work, we know mask mandates work,

[1:37:25] this is a tool that will help us to keep our case counts low and keep sick and safe,

[1:37:29] and I just encourage all of you to vote yes and I want to thank the sponsors for being

[1:37:33] courageous tonight. Thanks.

[1:37:35] Okay, anybody else on the other question from forward?

[1:37:49] Marshal Robertson, I'll keep this short and sweet.

[1:37:52] First of all, I thank you all for drunk with power, and I thank you all political, political hacks you want to know the whole truth.

[1:37:59] The last meeting, him to, she mentioned that she's only heard of three or four,

[1:38:07] Or, you know, incidences where there was anybody questioning somebody about whether there were a mask or not, or vice versa, and so she thinks everybody's getting along just swimmingly and everybody's okay with this.

[1:38:22] Well, as you can see just from behind me here, it's more than just a few people.

[1:38:27] My daughter, yes, it was in foreign automotive, and an older gentleman came in there with a mask on.

[1:38:32] he didn't have a mask, neither did anybody that was inside the establishment.

[1:38:36] And he cussed her out, called her filthy names, and it's happening, isn't it?

[1:38:41] It's not the people who are not wearing the mask going up in the rate people are wearing the mask, it's the other way around.

[1:38:50] Second of all, I put out a post after you guys passed this thing a few weeks ago and

[1:38:56] and saying, I will pay any and all fines that you guys feel you can impose on anybody.

[1:39:03] I will do anything and everything if it breaks me to fight you guys every step of the way on this.

[1:39:09] This is unconstitutional.

[1:39:10] We have our God-given rights to breathe.

[1:39:13] And it far be from any of you to interfere with that.

[1:39:16] And last but not least, I am going to go around to every business owner.

[1:39:21] and if we have to, you pass this saying, and you try to enforce it, and maybe we'll just stop paying our city taxes for a month or two, and we'll see where the city is in.

[1:39:32] You guys need to start working for us. There's more than just one half of Sitka that you guys need to work for. You need to work for all of us.

[1:39:40] Period. Have a good evening.

[1:39:45] Please, you guys, so you have somebody else on the phone?

[1:40:17] Hello, this is Done.

[1:40:18] Hi, Brett. It's Sarah calling from the assembly meeting.

[1:40:21] We're taking public testimony of two minutes on the mask mandate.

[1:40:25] If you can state your first and last name for the record,

[1:40:27] and then your two minutes will begin.

[1:40:34] Okay, can you hear me okay?

[1:40:36] Yes.

[1:40:37] All right. My name is Brett Wilcox.

[1:40:40] We now live in a world where medical doctors are sanctions for telling the truth,

[1:40:44] as well, unlicensed and untrained people

[1:40:46] pretend to be doctors.

[1:40:48] Some of the more famous imposters

[1:40:50] include the principal owner of the World Health Organization,

[1:40:52] Dr. Bill Gates, the quote unquote,

[1:40:55] head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Ted Drove,

[1:40:57] and Dr. Joe Biden.

[1:40:59] They know that the real purpose of the mask

[1:41:01] is to keep us locked in fear.

[1:41:03] Here makes the herd bag and chair for the vaccine Jesus,

[1:41:06] the same vaccine Jesus that has killed more Americans

[1:41:09] in eight months, and all other vaccines

[1:41:11] have killed in the past 20 years.

[1:41:13] with vaccine Jesus leads to vaccine passports.

[1:41:16] Vaccine passports will be tied to social credit scores.

[1:41:20] Social credit scores will be followed by universal digital currency.

[1:41:24] Universal digital currency results in complete control by global creditors.

[1:41:28] The creditors can then deny access to food, water, medicine, employment, housing,

[1:41:34] and travel to all who refuse to submit to their demands.

[1:41:37] This is the world that you are helping to usher in.

[1:41:40] In this world, doctors, Christiansen, Duncan, Imchute, Moser, and Knox, you and your families

[1:41:46] will have three choices.

[1:41:48] One, compliance slave to the predators, two, non-compliant prisoners, three, dead.

[1:41:54] The goal was never two weeks to flatten the curve.

[1:41:57] The goal was always global slavery and genocide.

[1:42:00] Forced facial p2 shackles is the first step.

[1:42:04] Flavory and genocide the last.

[1:42:05] Your minds are likely screaming as trained, conspiracy theory.

[1:42:10] You're half right, conspiracy yes, theory no.

[1:42:13] The conspirators have laid out their plans for all to see.

[1:42:17] I could cite the references, but it wouldn't make any difference because you wouldn't look.

[1:42:21] You've demonstrated that you're incapable of learning.

[1:42:23] As such, you're unfit for public office.

[1:42:26] Dr. Lee Marrett says that anyone who believes in masks is either being paid or played.

[1:42:31] Either way, you're unfit for public office.

[1:42:33] mask in the public has never been about health. It has always been about our

[1:42:38] inalienable rights, science, and truth versus the agenda of global predators.

[1:42:43] Will your posterity one day look back and remember you as co-conspirators or as

[1:42:49] the tender blanket and a mark of freedom?

[1:42:55] All right, thank you. Anybody else

[1:42:58] can I come forward to speak?

[1:43:15] Amy Batoon, good evening. I came tonight with several

[1:43:19] For reasons to vote no, there is no statistically meaningful difference in COVID infection rates

[1:43:26] between mask mandated and unmannedated populations.

[1:43:30] And at least 47 studies confirm masks are useless against viral transmission, 32 show negative

[1:43:37] health effects, and at least 9 that do claim face masks are effective.

[1:43:42] But experts report they have significant problems, including with their methodology.

[1:43:49] Proficial government sources the COVID survival rate remains enormously high still on par with historical seasonal flu rates.

[1:43:59] That's hard to believe given the media coverage.

[1:44:02] If we had publicized the number of flu deaths like we have COVID we'd all be terrified of the flu.

[1:44:10] We've never masked to prevent the flu.

[1:44:13] But then again we've never ignored the studies like we have now.

[1:44:18] Many hospitals are overrun, but one might expect that, given how many doctors and staff have resigned after refusing vaccine employer's vaccine mandates.

[1:44:27] Seems hospitals have contributed to their own problem, and their patients are the ones to pay for it.

[1:44:33] In a carrot and stick scenario, mandated masks are one of the sticks for the experimental, still experimental vaccine push.

[1:44:41] The

[1:44:44] demonization of those unwilling to accept it, and discriminatory vaccine passports, and a global social credit system, as Brett mentioned, like Communist China's.

[1:44:55] It's obviously political in nature.

[1:45:00] And that's why people are so upset. It's not just about the mass. It's about what they've begun.

[1:45:08] It looks like you still have research to do, given that the medical narrative differs so significantly from the actual data. Since mass are part of the framework for the vaccine push, does the CDC or do other advisory, I'm almost done, other advisory bodies own vaccine patents? Are they making money from COVID-19 vaccine sales?

[1:45:30] Our hospitals and doctors receiving money or bonuses from pharmaceutical companies for increased patient vaccine compliance have contracts been signed that restrict hospitals from prescribing proven therapeutics until you receive answers to these questions, you don't know whether anyone advising you has a conflict of interest, so I argue that you can't properly weigh their advice.

[1:45:54] Finally, it's illegal.

[1:45:56] Mass are only approved by the FDA for COVID under emergency use authorization, which means legally you must get consent.

[1:46:04] You cannot mandate a medical device under an EUA.

[1:46:07] You must allow one to decline.

[1:46:09] Please wrap it up.

[1:46:10] Thank you.

[1:46:11] I urge you to vote no.

[1:46:22] Go ahead.

[1:46:24] Call out in assembly, huh?

[1:46:26] Pretty sad what you do with this city.

[1:46:28] That's first of all.

[1:46:29] Turn on the light.

[1:46:30] How do you do that?

[1:46:30] Please take your name, please.

[1:46:32] I'm August Bacar, and I just want you all

[1:46:36] to listen to a little something real quick.

[1:46:49] Be a jerk.

[1:46:53] Four months, the US was transformed into an obedient socialist country.

[1:46:57] Government dictated what events are acceptable to attend.

[1:47:01] Violent protests that instill fear are OK.

[1:47:04] But church services, family funerals, and patriotic celebrations

[1:47:07] are, and you bought it.

[1:47:13] Graduation line is a safety hazard. Small businesses were forced to close, but crowds to support the corporate money machine at Walmart, Lowe's, and Home Depot are okay.

[1:47:31] 2400 dollars that we stole out of your paycheck in the first place.

[1:47:35] Enjoy!

[1:47:36] Buy something with it from a big corporation.

[1:47:40] Cash is dirty. We can't give change. There's a coin shortage. Use your card.

[1:47:45] In four months, they convince you to use a traceable card for everything.

[1:47:51] In less than four months, government closed public schools,

[1:47:55] then restructured education under the guise of public safety.

[1:47:58] In less than four months, our government demonstrated how easily people assimilate to guidelines

[1:48:03] that have no scientific premise whatsoever when you are fearful.

[1:48:09] In less than four months, our government successfully instilled fear

[1:48:13] in a majority of the population in America that allows them to control every aspect of your life,

[1:48:18] including what you eat, where you go, who you see, and your choice.

[1:48:26] And that's a wrap, y'all have a great night.

[1:48:35] All right, would anyone else like to come forward?

[1:48:47] Good evening, my name is Stacey Moody, and I'm here as a business owner and operator for

[1:48:52] Sikka Reddy-Mix and Renewal Equipment, but this short amount of time, I can't read what I've got.

[1:48:59] But this ordinance is bad for business, especially here, and we're trying to make business

[1:49:11] good here in SICKA, you know, we pay you taxes.

[1:49:17] I was torn when this ordinance first came out on how to put my signs up on my doors.

[1:49:25] I put signs up.

[1:49:26] and I started watching my customers drive in, see the signs drive out, I'm like,

[1:49:31] well great, now I'm losing my customers. So I stopped one. One's actually here

[1:49:35] in this, in this audience. I stopped him. I'm like, hey, what's up? Oh, well, do I

[1:49:40] have to wear a mask to come in? I said, no, it's your choice. I believe in free

[1:49:46] choice. Anyways, with that, you know, I totally agree with where Roger Hanks came

[1:49:52] from tonight, what he said, and made the audience go wild.

[1:49:57] I'm sorry he made it go wild, but I totally agree with it.

[1:50:01] You know, this ordinance, you know, it's a violation of our first amendment right under

[1:50:07] the U.S. Constitution.

[1:50:09] Freedom of expression cannot be suppressed or limited in any way.

[1:50:14] Muffling a voice, forcing the covering against our will for freedom of facial expression,

[1:50:20] and even reducing our ability to breathe

[1:50:22] and speak properly is a hindrance in violation.

[1:50:26] You know, and all this does is instill fear.

[1:50:32] I've noticed one thing, you know,

[1:50:35] our city COVID smart sheet keeps on taking away

[1:50:38] the transparency of all the information

[1:50:40] for our general public.

[1:50:42] So now we're being limited on what we can find out

[1:50:47] At our current alert levels, you know, they've changed to make it near impossible of getting

[1:50:53] out of the high alert status.

[1:50:56] As of Sunday, our current cases, per the last seven days, was 10 cases total, which would

[1:51:02] have been 1.43 cases per day under the old alert system.

[1:51:08] This would have been considered one or moderate.

[1:51:11] And going off memory, our high status began at eight cases per day.

[1:51:15] Okay, thank you.

[1:51:16] It

[1:51:36] was Tam Fondell, I've literature for 34 years, and I own a business here in Tom Goldsmith Gallery for 31 of those 34 years.

[1:51:44] Three weeks from now, approximately, I will close those doors permanently.

[1:51:48] And a lot of the reason that I'm closing those doors has to do with incremental steps that have been made due to reactions to a virus.

[1:51:57] And one of those reactions is a mask, and another one of those reactions is social distancing.

[1:52:03] another reaction and down the chain, and down the chain until we have so damn many reactions that we don't even know which way to turn.

[1:52:11] My place has been mask free, will be for the next three weeks, always.

[1:52:17] I will not wear a mask in my store.

[1:52:19] I don't require anybody to do so, I will not mask.

[1:52:23] I am tired of giving up my freedoms for things that are continually influx.

[1:52:30] The ideas of masks has been all over the board from our

[1:52:34] Stated Fauci, all the way through to who and everywhere.

[1:52:39] None of it has, it's a moving target all the time.

[1:52:42] So you're going to take something that you think is so rock solid

[1:52:46] and force it upon all the citizens read this town.

[1:52:49] Not me.

[1:52:51] I'm done.

[1:52:52] I'm finished.

[1:52:54] I'm finished with a business that I loved.

[1:52:56] for many, many reasons that have nothing to do with the virus it has to do with the reactions only to that virus.

[1:53:05] I'm not retiring. I'm not finishing because I enjoy, want to go off and just lay on a beach somewhere. That's not my plan.

[1:53:14] I would have worked. I would have had a way different exit strategy than this one is.

[1:53:19] But I'm one of tens of thousands of businesses all over our country and our world.

[1:53:23] And I will not be the last and I likely, I'm not going to be the last in this town to shut my doors permanently.

[1:53:29] Your saber rattling is nothing but that, and it's political posturing.

[1:53:36] I'm just beyond disgusted when I look at 34 years in this town and see this happening.

[1:53:43] It's really sad, I've loved Sitka and I still do, and I've loved the citizens who have supported and

[1:53:52] And been here for me as I grew a business in this town.

[1:53:56] And I will wrap it up with this is BS.

[1:54:00] Thank you very much.

[1:54:05] All right, let's ask them to come.

[1:54:08] Would somebody else like to come forward?

[1:54:10] I'm

[1:54:22] curiously about that.

[1:54:24] Karen Comis, government and medical officials continue to promise that they are able to eliminate these infections and deaths.

[1:54:34] And we citizens keep giving away more and more of our freedoms and

[1:54:38] liberties because of their claim that these measures will keep us safe.

[1:54:43] They are very persuasive lies, they are lies in the name of public health.

[1:54:49] The people of Sikha must decide what is more important, human rights and

[1:54:53] constitutional freedoms, or the false security promised by elected officials.

[1:55:00] I do rejoice that more and more people are waking up to these lies and

[1:55:05] And these people are choosing liberty over brutal totalitarianism in the name of public health.

[1:55:12] According to the Sikha Charter Section 17.04, every officer of the municipality before entering upon the duties of their offices shall take and subscribe to the following oath and affirmation.

[1:55:27] I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of United

[1:55:35] States and the Constitution of the State of Alaska and that I will faithfully discharge

[1:55:43] my duties to the best of my ability.

[1:55:46] What is unacceptable is elected officials who have raised their hands and pledged under oath

[1:55:53] to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alaska but are not doing so.

[1:56:02] Simply said, elected officials cannot pick and choose what laws they want to follow and cannot violate constitutional rights.

[1:56:11] Voting yes on ordinance 2021-32 is voting against civil liberties and human rights.

[1:56:19] I stand against tyranny, and I will not and have not worn a mask.

[1:56:29] Anybody else like to come forward?

[1:56:53] Okay, thank you and good evening, members of the assembly.

[1:56:55] My name is Jay Leno and I address you today during this time in American history where our nation's security has never been so threatened.

[1:57:02] You know the never ending COVID narrative? Are you tired of it yet? I know I am.

[1:57:07] We are at war. Can you see it? If you can, I ask what or who is the enemy?

[1:57:13] If you were to ask me, I wouldn't say the enemy is a virus, maybe you see the threat

[1:57:18] differently than I do. I tend to think critically and logically. I reflect upon my own personal

[1:57:24] experiences and understand the meaning of the world. In the beginning of the pandemic

[1:57:28] I was concerned, I was hypersensitive. It's just to flatten the curve became my motto as

[1:57:33] I explained away the threat and the need to hunker down. Then as time pressed on, the narrative

[1:57:38] have changed and it has consistently changed and will if you continue to let it.

[1:57:44] So what price are you willing to pay for peace?

[1:57:47] What point shall you say that this is enough?

[1:57:50] The last time I checked this is United States of America, not the United States of Soviet

[1:57:55] America.

[1:57:56] This is the land of the free and home to the brave.

[1:58:00] We are the last stand on earth where immigrants come to experience the American dream and

[1:58:05] and escape totalitarian dictators, and if we lose this freedom here, there is no place to escape.

[1:58:11] You may believe in the full power of centralized government, and I am here to remind you that our founding fathers sought to minimize government overreach because they knew the government does not control things.

[1:58:22] And the government cannot control the economy without controlling the people.

[1:58:25] And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose.

[1:58:31] They also knew that outside of this legitimate function, government does nothing as well as economically as the private sector of the economy.

[1:58:40] Our natural, enable rights are now considered to be an allowance given to us by the government, you are elected officials.

[1:58:47] And the freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is in this moment in time.

[1:58:53] I know you were worried and rightly so, but your concern is guided or misguided, and I pray God opens your eyes before it's too late.

[1:59:04] Anybody else would like to speak?

[1:59:17] Good evening, my name is Perry Comus, and we've been residents here for ten years.

[1:59:24] It's my first time to address.

[1:59:26] I'd like to address the free citizens of Sitka, first, the assembly and the mayor.

[1:59:31] First, the bad news, your US government from the highest office and agencies has been

[1:59:38] taken hostage by enemies both foreign and domestic, enemies of freedom, by birth, and

[1:59:45] enemies of the US Constitution.

[1:59:48] Let that sink in, I'm not attempting to be dramatic.

[1:59:53] This was perfectly illustrated when just two days ago, President Joe Biden's

[2:00:00] In mid sentence. Yesterday, U.S. Senator James Reich demanded, we know who is making decisions

[2:00:06] in this act of puppeteering of the commander in chief. Think about what we're dealing with here.

[2:00:15] We could discuss how this has happened for hours, but here we are in midstream. History books will be

[2:00:21] written that will hopefully tell the true story. So how is this bad news of a federal government

[2:00:28] soft coup manifesting here in Sitka. Simple. We're watching it happen before our very eyes.

[2:00:35] One, the medical, professions, and industry have also been hijacked and forced to promote an

[2:00:41] unscientific, ineffective, and unsafe narrative of mask and vaccine mandates rather than highly

[2:00:48] effective and economical pre-hospital treatments. These treatments are known the world over

[2:00:55] and becoming mainstream in other countries that are requiring their use.

[2:01:02] This national direction has obviously made billions of dollars for

[2:01:05] the most powerful drug companies that fund medical schools and other entities.

[2:01:09] Like we're spoken about tonight seeking a competitive advantage over alternatives.

[2:01:15] And here number two, now our local medical establishment that's been hijacked.

[2:01:20] High Jack and commissions are pressuring this local assembly to move toward policies and mandates, which are against the law.

[2:01:28] Please wrap it up.

[2:01:32] Masks are EUA, and so what I would ask tonight is I would ask for an assembly member to ask in public our city attorney if masks are EUA, and

[2:01:44] to give the fine citizens of SITCA a determination of whether we know that masks are EUA.

[2:01:50] And if they are EUA, they're illegal to man-rate.

[2:01:55] Wrap it up.

[2:01:59] Anyone else wish to come forward?

[2:02:19] Good evening.

[2:02:20] Blossom.

[2:02:22] Teal Olsen.

[2:02:27] I was shopping at Seamart this evening,

[2:02:31] listening to the radio, and listening

[2:02:36] to all of their emotion in this room.

[2:02:40] and it's very clear that Sikka is very divided on this matter. And so I came to come and speak,

[2:02:51] even though I don't like speaking in front of people, just to say this isn't the Sikka that I know.

[2:03:00] I grew up in Sikka. I had moved here since 1994. I've gone to church with people in this

[2:03:08] from Coak and Gary Oynas, Tam Fondel,

[2:03:13] I shop safely at Seymourt,

[2:03:18] Kevin, we've been to church.

[2:03:22] I've gone through tours,

[2:03:27] classes on CPR and safety.

[2:03:31] The big message is this is a community

[2:03:34] and it's divided and it's very sad to see it this way.

[2:03:37] And I understand that people have freedom and I understand your big obstacle of a choice

[2:03:45] that you have here tonight and what I have to say is that I know that you guys will act

[2:03:52] in our best interest and you guys are awesome for sitting in this room listening to all

[2:04:00] of this emotion tonight, in closing, I hope Cicca can really come together and stop being so divided on such an issue.

[2:04:11] That is so trivial.

[2:04:13] Thank you.

[2:04:16] Hey, would anyone else like to come forward?

[2:04:31] My name is Jeremy Twaddle, I'm a lifelong citizen in Cicca.

[2:04:36] I did not intend on speaking here tonight, but a

[2:04:42] back and up a little bit, I typed a little over there.

[2:04:44] So I have two children in the sickest school district, and I'm also a business owner.

[2:04:49] I see that this mandate that the city has created has caused a huge divide, as we just heard.

[2:04:57] By implementing this mandate, you have forced people to take a side.

[2:05:02] I do agree that some people may have special needs and need to wear a mask, and they should be able to do so without harassment.

[2:05:08] I would agree that people need to feel safe, people should have their independent right to

[2:05:14] get a vaccine if they would like, people should have a right to wear a mask if they would

[2:05:18] like, people should have the right to not wear a mask if they would choose, and people

[2:05:23] should have a right to let their bodies in natural immunity protect them if that's what

[2:05:27] they would choose.

[2:05:29] This mandate is not helping people come together.

[2:05:34] If the mask keep people safe, then I say absolutely let people wear masks, but I do not mandate and force people to wear them.

[2:05:43] I would not agree with a previous statement either that most citizens are happy to wear masks, otherwise you would not have to have a mandate.

[2:05:51] I ask that you do not provide a blanket mandate approach for the citizens, I ask that you let people choose for themselves how best to take care of their bodies.

[2:06:00] Thank you.

[2:06:00] Okay,

[2:06:04] anyone else like to come forward?

[2:06:14] My name is Richard Dolan, I didn't actually plan on speaking tonight, but sometimes when

[2:06:20] you hear something like this, you've just got to say something.

[2:06:24] I remember a few months back, I saw a man riding down the road on a big Harley, no helmet, but

[2:06:34] he had his mask on.

[2:06:37] And, you know, that just kind of opened my eyes really to where we're at.

[2:06:47] I'm not looking around and seeing stacks of people in the street that are dead.

[2:06:54] I think we've got to put this into a reality situation and realize that, yes, I'm not saying people don't die of COVID.

[2:07:03] but I know they do and I feel very bad that they do.

[2:07:07] But I also have to put it into context

[2:07:09] that we're killing people's minds.

[2:07:13] People are losing their minds over this

[2:07:16] and it's really sad.

[2:07:18] And I think we've got to understand

[2:07:20] that there's more to it than just a physical disease.

[2:07:24] It's turned into a mental disease.

[2:07:27] And I really feel sorry for people

[2:07:29] that are so overwhelmed by it.

[2:07:30] And I hope that we can get a handle on this before it takes over.

[2:07:37] Like I said, I'm not really prepared for what I would like to say here tonight, but I feel very

[2:07:42] strongly. And I think we will find out tonight what a democracy really is, whether this is a

[2:07:48] democracy. I think we have to say, resoundingly, the citizens that are in this room have spoken,

[2:07:54] And it is a pretty obvious that the most people are against the mask and date, and I don't know how we can say it any different.

[2:08:03] Thank you.

[2:08:07] Anyone else like to come forward?

[2:08:15] Okay, we'll bring it back to the assembly then.

[2:08:19] Oh, they're waiting to come forward.

[2:08:22] All right.

[2:08:35] All you need, ladies and gentlemen.

[2:08:41] My name is Robert Layton.

[2:08:45] I've been here a few years from Pennsylvania and I love this state, love Sitka, and it's

[2:08:54] a shame that we have to go through this because all we're doing is hurting ourselves.

[2:08:59] We love this town, I know you do, I don't know how long you've been here, but I've been here

[2:09:05] over 40 some years in the last about 50 and I walked down the gravel roads and all

[2:09:14] you're doing is alienating each other. How about the poor children in our town? I have

[2:09:21] a lot of kids that I see every morning because I'm on bear watch where I live. And they wear

[2:09:29] a mask and they say, Uncle Bob, why do we got to wear a mask? You don't have to wear a

[2:09:35] mask and front of me, but they do when they go to school, they can't understand it.

[2:09:40] And that's who we're hurting is our children. I don't know if your grandparents are not

[2:09:46] I am, I'm a great grandfather. And I raise my kids. But the irony of all this is if you

[2:09:54] love this town, get it together and stop this damn nonsense is what it is. And if we can't

[2:10:03] I trust our president who we trust, he's bigger liar than anybody I know.

[2:10:09] You can't trust Dr. Williams because he's my doctor.

[2:10:16] But you have a bad time, you have a bad time, I might know it.

[2:10:22] You take a lot of bunk off of everybody, we all do.

[2:10:26] But I've been around the world a little bit, not every place, but it's getting really

[2:10:32] really bad reminds me of the way you used to be. When you had no vote, you said the wrong

[2:10:41] thing ended up in a big old ditch and they covered it with lie and they covered it up,

[2:10:48] called concentration camps. I've seen it, I know. I'm in my 90s and I never want to see

[2:10:55] ever again. We have a good town here. I get together and love one another and

[2:11:03] straighten it around. My wife says, what do you want to talk about? I don't want to

[2:11:08] say anything. I just say, I see a lot of people biting their nails. Not because

[2:11:13] they want to be up there, but I think that do you represent us?

[2:11:19] represent us.

[2:11:20] Right, wrap it up.

[2:11:23] Please.

[2:11:26] I don't know.

[2:11:27] I'm just, I feel so sorry.

[2:11:29] Yes.

[2:11:30] Really, I do.

[2:11:31] Yes.

[2:11:31] It's a tragedy.

[2:11:33] And I made a fool out of myself again.

[2:11:36] So I go back and tell my wife I love her.

[2:11:39] God bless all of you.

[2:11:45] Is anybody else who wants to speak?

[2:12:09] Good evening.

[2:12:10] My name is Louise Brady.

[2:12:11] I've been born and raised in Sitka

[2:12:14] as my parents were and their parents before them.

[2:12:19] Thank you so much for this opportunity.

[2:12:22] Thank you for giving people the opportunity

[2:12:24] to say their piece.

[2:12:27] I do have to say that, you know,

[2:12:30] I know that I believe the ICU beds in Anchorage are full.

[2:12:36] And I had a friend who almost died from COVID.

[2:12:41] I know that COVID-19 has really hit the Native American community hard and people of color really hard.

[2:12:53] I wear a mask because I respect my elders because I want to keep the children safe.

[2:13:00] I have had a few scares this year because I have at least three comorbidities including

[2:13:12] lung issues and autoimmune disease and kidney disease.

[2:13:20] So I thank you for wearing your masks.

[2:13:22] I will continue to wear my mask whether mandated or not.

[2:13:25] I really do hope that others understand that when you're wearing your masks, you're protecting me as somebody who is at very high risk of basically dying of COVID if I get it.

[2:13:42] So, I'm going to teach for serving, thank you for bringing up these difficult issues.

[2:13:49] I know it can't be easy to hear a lot of this, but I also know that there are many people

[2:13:56] out there listening.

[2:13:58] I was listening and it just almost made me sick to my stomach and it's really hard to be

[2:14:03] in here because I know people will probably, you know, are laughing at me right now, probably

[2:14:08] behind my back and I'm probably not really happy with what I'm saying, but as they're saying,

[2:14:14] you know, that is my right.

[2:14:17] Thank you.

[2:14:18] Thank you.

[2:14:19] No problem.

[2:14:22] So, for anyone else like to speak,

[2:14:32] it's still long.

[2:14:36] Qiskansi, Hino Diqiang, a place of one zone is my name in the Haida language.

[2:14:41] It's always great to be a Haida here on Klingitland.

[2:14:45] So thanks for that.

[2:14:46] You know, it's very interesting how masks have just something in the American mind just won't accept it.

[2:14:56] And we have this backward engineer.

[2:15:00] So, you'll go find any reason, anything you can find to then justify not wearing a mask. And even saying how masks don't work, they'll say how mask. Well, they stop big droplets. It's kind of amazing. Why did Japan have so few infections? Because they don't have a cultural objection to wearing masks. They've worn masks in their subway system for years. And even though they have more people living closer together than

[2:15:29] And the United States does, they don't have the infections we did.

[2:15:34] Kids don't want to wear life jackets, but life jackets work.

[2:15:39] There's motorcycle helmets, there's seat belts, it's safety, not tyranny.

[2:15:44] But I don't want to just be arguing, going tit for tat, with what's been said before,

[2:15:50] because it is tough.

[2:15:52] And the enforcement side is a very tricky aspect of this.

[2:15:58] But I don't think the mask is the mark of the beast that I think you see a lot of people

[2:16:04] saying it's just a slippery slope and you know but we have more cases than a year ago

[2:16:11] when we thought it was bad. That was supposed to be the bad year.

[2:16:17] And a lot of people I hear

[2:16:18] talking about, I'll try to wrap up, that they're talking about all of this freedom and obedience

[2:16:25] to God and all of this, but a lot of those same folks think of the World War II generation

[2:16:31] as the greatest generation. And why? Because a lot of them fought, but the ones that didn't fight,

[2:16:38] they sacrificed back at home, but the generation now won't, we won't even wear a mask.

[2:16:45] I'll wrap it up. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[2:16:49] Would anyone else like to speak?

[2:17:02] Hello, my name is Brad Russell. I am a resident of Sitka.

[2:17:07] I am not for the mass mandate, there is a lot of science that doesn't support it.

[2:17:14] I was walking in the park yesterday with my dogs, and I came across the kids from Mount Edgcomb jogging through Totem Park, and all of them had mass on.

[2:17:26] It's proven to be an oxygen deficient environment for them, it is not safe, the science does not support mass, not at all.

[2:17:35] I believe everybody does have a right to wear a mask if they want, but folks, we're at a point now that we're going to have to pull together sooner or later.

[2:17:48] It takes two sides to start a war, and we don't need to go down that road.

[2:17:56] You know, I think we need to work on ways to pull together rather than a part.

[2:18:02] And this tit for tat isn't going to solve anything.

[2:18:06] People don't want to look at the science, they want to avoid it.

[2:18:10] And they, you know, the last gentleman, what was it?

[2:18:13] He said stated that he read an AMA study.

[2:18:20] Do you know that the AMA, which is the American Medical Association,

[2:18:25] is the largest political lobby in the United States of America.

[2:18:30] I mean, hands down.

[2:18:32] We've got to start questioning those in power.

[2:18:35] You've got to look out for us, you know.

[2:18:38] You've got to find ways to pull us together rather than wedges that wedges apart.

[2:18:43] And, you know, I mean, all I got to say, we live in a beautiful town, a great environment.

[2:18:50] You know, the air is beautiful.

[2:18:51] Matter of fact, I got this shirt here, I kind of wore it for everybody.

[2:18:54] It says, breathing in that good-ass prana.

[2:18:59] Now, if you want something to fix you, go outside.

[2:19:02] It'll take care of you.

[2:19:04] It will.

[2:19:06] I'm sorry, but the science is not behind you guys.

[2:19:10] Thank you.

[2:19:13] All right, was anybody else wish to speak?

[2:19:24] Bring it back to you somewhere?

[2:19:28] All right.

[2:19:31] Kevin?

[2:19:42] I have to say, I'm deeply, deeply saddened about how this has played out tonight.

[2:19:49] As Assembly members were asked to sit up here and listen respectfully, without making comment, without cheering or

[2:20:03] jeering those that come before us to express their opinions, I feel like what happened here tonight with the cheers and

[2:20:16] years, to those that spoke on both sides of the issues, the issue here, push this more towards like a mob rule.

[2:20:31] Please, let him speak.

[2:20:36] I sat here listening respectfully to everybody and I feel like now, if I have opinions or I say anything that might be contrary,

[2:20:50] I will get cheered or jeered.

[2:20:56] I think regardless of the merits, it really didn't help our process here, either side.

[2:21:10] I'm going to continue to wear my mask.

[2:21:13] I'm going to implore everybody in Zika to do as much as they can, because the science that I read,

[2:21:26] that I understand as much as I do or don't, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a scientist, sure.

[2:21:36] But what I have taken in for myself and the reality that I end up seeing is that COVID is wrecking the entire globe.

[2:21:55] hospitals being totally overrun, healthcare staff being totally stressed, losing

[2:22:03] family members to COVID, losing close friends.

[2:22:14] This is going to be an incredibly

[2:22:16] hard vote for

[2:22:20] all of us. And for me it's I

[2:22:27] feel like the path that I'm going

[2:22:29] down is not the vote that I'm going to make is not because of the efficacy and

[2:22:34] the science, mind the need for this, what I feel like is a very real public health protection

[2:22:43] need. Thanks.

[2:22:47] Anybody else?

[2:22:50] Valerie, I'll speak for that for Valerie.

[2:22:51] Oh, sorry, go ahead, Valerie.

[2:22:55] First of all, I think that this ordinance has done nothing but turn neighbor against neighbor.

[2:23:02] Our emergency ordinances, I read in the police plotter one where somebody turned somebody in.

[2:23:07] I did call the police department today trying to get an idea of how many calls they've

[2:23:13] fielded and I think it would just take too much work.

[2:23:18] I talked to the chief's assistant and she said mostly it's been questions about those

[2:23:26] emergency ordinances and you know there may have been one or two where people were turning

[2:23:31] on other people are reporting them but from what I see with this ordinance and I know Mr.

[2:23:37] Christian Senator, Mr. Acting Mayor, that you believe that, you know, we want to send a strong

[2:23:42] message, but we can send a strong message by doing a resolution and not passing an ordinance.

[2:23:47] In my mind, and I want to ask the attorney if he's there, I can't see it that end of the table

[2:23:53] if the attorney is there. But where is the due process in this? Because if you look at the

[2:24:00] severability portion. It says if any portion or provision of this ordinance, an application

[2:24:06] thereof to any person in circumstances is held in valid, the remainder of this ordinance

[2:24:11] application thereof to any person in circumstances shall not be affected thereby. So what does that

[2:24:18] mean? Is the attorney there to answer that? Brian,

[2:24:25] I am here and that standard severability

[2:24:29] the language that considers and speculates about the possibility that there could be provisions

[2:24:41] in this that isn't enforceable. It's a boilerplate thing you see in a lot of language, it's

[2:24:47] not something that I do, it's something that was presented to me. I didn't see any reason

[2:24:52] and not to take out the severability clause in it,

[2:24:56] and I can only speculate on what provisions might not pass

[2:25:02] muster and accord it if it would ever to come up.

[2:25:06] Thank you.

[2:25:07] All right, and then I will go on to the enactment,

[2:25:12] face section one, face covering mandate on page two of three,

[2:25:16] and it's got all these exceptions.

[2:25:18] And, you know, if I have a police officer that doesn't like me, and I'm not wearing a mask in what might be deemed a public place, and they come and they say to me, we're going to find you $50.

[2:25:34] dollars. There's no appeal that I can do or anything. I can tell them that I have a medical condition.

[2:25:41] Oh my gosh, I'm on low battery. I'm going to have to cut the short or go plug it in. But no, I can tell them that I have a medical condition.

[2:25:48] But because my medical history is my own business between me and my care providers, I don't have to show them that medical proof.

[2:25:57] And I'll tell you something else. I learned something very valuable in the last three months that I've been dealing with the health issue.

[2:26:03] I in July was told that the possibility of the big C was to back. No, not COVID cancer.

[2:26:11] I made two trips to Seattle for several tests.

[2:26:16] And the last trip to Seattle, I was told I had to get a COVID test.

[2:26:21] I can't be vaccinated because of allergies and because of my medical history.

[2:26:27] But they told me I needed to have a COVID test.

[2:26:29] So I had a COVID test and the next day after my MRI, I'm meeting with my oncologist and she says, I don't know what's changed in two weeks. Your blood counts are up. It doesn't look like the lesion has grown.

[2:26:43] Oh, but I see you have an inconclusive COVID test, Ms. Nelson, and I said, well, inconclusive.

[2:26:49] That means I don't have it, right?

[2:26:51] Oh, no, we treat every inconclusive as positive, and you have to be retested immediately.

[2:26:56] I was treated like I had a big C on my forehead for COVID, and NV, not vaccinated.

[2:27:03] And I had this large gentleman in full hazmat gear come, escort me down to the COVID testing

[2:27:10] site again and I was ready to fly out the next day to come home and I got a call Thursday night

[2:27:16] from cancer care alliance saying well guess what this one's positive you got a quarantine here

[2:27:21] for two weeks and I said I have no symptoms I've not been sick other than like a cold on the last trip

[2:27:29] but if COVID can make it look like I'm dying of cancer and I can you know I'm not really sick

[2:27:37] then I'd rather die of COVID than cancer and I think that this ordinance isn't the right time

[2:27:43] and I think if you want to do something that's meaningful you should do a resolution that doesn't

[2:27:49] pit neighbor against neighbor get rid of the mandate and the fines and say in the resolution

[2:27:55] we highly encourage people. I mean it's time for us to stop ruining people's business and my heart

[2:28:02] goes out to Roger Hames for getting up and speaking tonight.

[2:28:06] So, I'm a definite no, and I'm figuring that the three of you sponsors have already made up your mind.

[2:28:12] And so, I hope that one of the Kevin's or both of the Kevin's can see some logic.

[2:28:17] Thank you.

[2:28:19] Would anyone else like to speak?

[2:28:24] People, let's have some decorum, please, Kevin.

[2:28:28] So, I was trying to write things down and have a clear thought, but I do have to concur with Mr. Knox.

[2:28:38] Although people are very passionate, I'm very, very disappointed with the way the demeanor, the meeting is taken.

[2:28:46] There's a reason why there's rules not to be hollering, clapping, booing.

[2:28:50] I felt it was very disrespectful for everyone in the entire process.

[2:28:53] And when you're respecting this, you're not respecting just, if you don't respect us, that's fine.

[2:28:59] You're respecting the people of Sitka by respecting that process.

[2:29:03] I'm very upset and frustrated and disappointed.

[2:29:06] I'm frustrated for us being called names.

[2:29:10] Kevin's right, we're supposed to sit here not have an a facial emotion while people go rail at us.

[2:29:18] So I'm just going to say, I'm just saying, I'm upset.

[2:29:21] That, and I have that right, so I'm going to speak my mind.

[2:29:27] My position has not changed, I'll say the same thing because most people who were in this

[2:29:33] room did not hear me when I said yes the first time, and by the way this is basically the

[2:29:38] same ordinance that's already in effect.

[2:29:40] It's just meant so that when we're in a high, it is in effect and when it goes low or not

[2:29:46] high, it's not in effect.

[2:29:48] So we don't have to keep having meetings over and over again, but I'm going to list my points.

[2:30:00] I have not been a fan of having a mask. I hate it. I do not like this. This is not enjoyable for me. But what really changed my mind was the presentation by Dr. Zink, who is the chief medical officer of the state of Alaska. She did not weigh in on mandating, but she highly recommended masks and she highly recommended vaccines.

[2:30:27] And I just want to, I'll keep my thought here, she also showed a presentation on the

[2:30:37] contagiousness of the Delta variant, how it's a lot more contagious.

[2:30:42] And the biggest thing for me was that the children cannot be vaccinated.

[2:30:45] So when you are being asked to mask, it's not necessary to protect you, it's to protect

[2:30:51] another child who cannot get vaccinated.

[2:30:54] So you are showing respect for those children by putting a mask on.

[2:31:00] Now I understand, I'm trying to get the vibe of what people are concerned about, and I understand there's some very valid concerns that people have about global and national things that are going on in this country and world.

[2:31:12] But that's not here. This is Sitka, okay? So I feel like people are trying to draw all that in to hear when this is a simple mask mandate for a small town.

[2:31:24] So if, and if, and here's another thing, for perspective, if people knew what's here, what some people would like, it's, this is a very light handed mandate.

[2:31:34] Some people would like it to be so that it's an effect and only not an effect when we're at a low.

[2:31:41] This is, there's, there's exemptions. There's a thing and they're saying that you're not supposed to harass people.

[2:31:49] If you just look at the big picture of what peep some people are wanting,

[2:31:53] this is actually light-handed and it compromise.

[2:31:57] I do not like mandating anything, I hate it, but this is to protect children and to protect those who are most vulnerable.

[2:32:06] I think that, and I did, I'm going to take some time because I've been listening for a long time.

[2:32:14] See, this is what I'm talking about, this is what I'm talking about.

[2:32:17] I want you to listen to me.

[2:32:21] Please show some respect.

[2:32:23] Nobody's trying to talk you down.

[2:32:33] I'm the parliamentarian, Valerie.

[2:32:38] So when people are not being respectful,

[2:32:43] can't you do something about it?

[2:32:46] I honestly, I mean, I can ask people to be respectful,

[2:32:50] But that hasn't happened tonight.

[2:32:53] Okay, thank you.

[2:32:55] So, I'm going to move on, make this, kind of make it more succinct.

[2:32:59] I agree that the CDC, after you're looking, done a little research, the message they have said is just the PR, the way they message it is that we're going to be doing this forever.

[2:33:10] They've made a lot of mistakes, and I think it has a lot of people concerned that we're going to be masking forever, and then all these other things are going to happen.

[2:33:18] I'm not, I can't control what might happen in the future.

[2:33:21] All I'm saying right now for this ordinance is for a masked mandate when we are in high status.

[2:33:28] That's it.

[2:33:29] I'm not asking for all these other big picture things to happen.

[2:33:34] I'm sure most people who spoken don't agree with me.

[2:33:38] And I just, I'm flustered because of the way this has gone.

[2:33:45] And I really, what Blossom said really touched me.

[2:33:48] You know, this is not the sit-cut that I have grown to love.

[2:33:55] And I don't think this mandate is the tyrannical thing that people were saying.

[2:34:00] And by the way, there also is legal precedent for mandates and more.

[2:34:05] And this is not – we're not asking for more.

[2:34:10] I have more to say, but I'm just going to stop.

[2:34:14] Anybody else?

[2:34:16] Crystal.

[2:34:16] So this is the third time that we've come here to discuss this mandate.

[2:34:23] Mr. Moser mentioned this is very similar to the two previous emergency that passed.

[2:34:28] And I bring that up because I try not to be repetitive.

[2:34:32] The first time that I was here, I brought expert testimony.

[2:34:36] So basically in the lead up, I approached physicians, public health officials saying,

[2:34:41] is this something that will help the community and the numbers that we're facing.

[2:34:45] The second time that I spoke, I came with numbers and I came with data.

[2:34:51] I talked about ICU beds and I'll cover that very briefly tonight.

[2:34:57] But I'm going to go in a more of a personal direction tonight, and so bear with me.

[2:35:05] January 2020, I was starting a new job.

[2:35:09] It was with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, they're based out of Anchorage.

[2:35:13] they're one of the larger hospitals up there and I was super excited and then in

[2:35:20] the course of two months of just trying to learn this brand new position COVID

[2:35:25] happened and when that happened things changed tremendously and I see

[2:35:31] exhaustion I see exhaustion in this room and I see it with the workers at A and

[2:35:39] I especially see it in the ICU units where people are trying to ventilate and keep people from passing from COVID.

[2:35:48] This is overwhelming our health system.

[2:35:51] We know that that's what we feared April 2020, and it is now upon us.

[2:35:57] So last time I went over just the three regional hospitals that we would send folks to who need to be Medevact out of CITCA.

[2:36:06] I was actually able to expand that because the numbers have changed.

[2:36:10] So I was telling you we were near capacity and we were closed.

[2:36:14] That was the Anchorage facilities.

[2:36:17] I actually brought in that to all of South Central.

[2:36:19] And again, this is from the dashboard that I went to last night as I was preparing to come here.

[2:36:25] So Alaska Native Medical Center, their adult ICU, it's closed.

[2:36:30] Alaska Regional Hospital, their adult ICU is closed.

[2:36:35] providence. That was mentioned earlier as far as the statement that they put out by Dr. Edwards.

[2:36:41] They are near capacity. Elmendorf Hospital, so on the base there, it is closed. Central Peninsula Hospital, ICU is closed.

[2:36:53] Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, and let me talk about this one. I didn't bring it up because we don't send patients to Fairbanks.

[2:36:59] When we came together the last time to review this, they were open, fully open.

[2:37:07] No concern there, and I was looking at that thinking, what is Fairbanks doing differently from us?

[2:37:12] Well, things have changed from that point until now.

[2:37:15] Anchorage Daily News, they put out an article you could find it, just Google it.

[2:37:20] Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, they are reconfiguring their conference rooms to accommodate more beds.

[2:37:26] They are near capacity, and they're anticipating that growing.

[2:37:32] And so when we're talking about people who are hospitalized, of course we don't know who

[2:37:36] it will be in this room.

[2:37:37] We can all come down with COVID, and we're going to handle it differently based on things

[2:37:41] like vaccination status, based on comorbidity, so underlying health conditions, immunocompromised.

[2:37:50] All of those things factor into who will or will not handle COVID effectively.

[2:37:57] I agree.

[2:37:59] Most people who come down with COVID, they're going to come through it okay.

[2:38:06] But we also know personally in this town, people who have passed away from it.

[2:38:12] And we know people who are really struggling in the hospital at this point in time, locally.

[2:38:20] something that has come up since the last time we were looking at this is the stance on booster shots.

[2:38:27] And I'm not going to get into the science of it, I'm not a scientist and I don't pretend to be.

[2:38:32] But I know that's a real conversation that is happening.

[2:38:35] I know that we started rolling out vaccines here in Sitka around January timeframe open to the community, mostly February March.

[2:38:43] Trying to get folks who wanted the vaccination in.

[2:38:45] Now, the only reason I bring that up is because we're now in that period of time where they're possibly recommending a booster so that we could increase our effectiveness, which means that folks like immunocompromised search has been taking them in out of concern that with the spread in our community, they may not fare well.

[2:39:05] We have to keep that in mind and that's something that develops since the last time we came together.

[2:39:09] Now, let me bring it more personal.

[2:39:12] I'm going to reference a quote from Liz Medicine Crow.

[2:39:15] I don't know her well.

[2:39:16] I know that she's a community leader.

[2:39:19] And I know I saw her at a keynote address when she said,

[2:39:22] if everyone older than us is an elder.

[2:39:26] And if everyone younger than us is a youth,

[2:39:29] then everyone should be taken care of.

[2:39:32] That's from her value system.

[2:39:34] That's from my value system.

[2:39:36] So, basically one year ago there was an election going on and I basically had to spend 10 weeks showing you who I am.

[2:39:44] I had to put my values on display for you and I had to ask you to put me into this position to cast this vote when it comes to COVID.

[2:39:53] I showed you what my values are and I stand by that.

[2:39:57] So when I talk about concern for children, we know that as of today, 12 and under still cannot be vaccinated.

[2:40:06] Which means if you can think facts to November of last year, they were talking about the possibility of a vaccination, but none of us in this room were vaccinated.

[2:40:15] And that was really scary.

[2:40:17] That really adjusted our behaviors within the community.

[2:40:20] Well guess what, our kids don't have that luxury.

[2:40:23] We now come and go as we please because we feel the sense of, I'm okay, I'm vaccinated.

[2:40:30] We still have to wrap our arms around our children just like doctors think reminded us to do.

[2:40:35] Until they are approved and we don't know when that's going to be, we have to show up for them.

[2:40:41] Now COVID affects your breathing and I bring that up because I have an elder in my community who was hospitalized not too long ago.

[2:40:50] And that really affected me.

[2:40:51] I stop breathing, not because of COVID, but out of concern for him.

[2:40:57] Why? Because we know looking at historically, elderly populations are not doing as well with this and he was fully vaccinated and he has since recovered, thank goodness.

[2:41:08] But those are the type of things that I'm taking into consideration when I come before you and cast a vote.

[2:41:14] So I am still a yes on that.

[2:41:16] I wanted to give you data and I wanted to give you expert testimony.

[2:41:21] But tonight I'm just, I'm speaking personally.

[2:41:24] I appreciate all of the testimony that came up here and I hear you loud and clear I truly do.

[2:41:30] Mr. Moser said that this is an indefinite thing and that was our goal.

[2:41:36] We had it so that this would drop off when we leave high status.

[2:41:40] But like he said, we're showing up meeting after meeting and trying to keep it on the book.

[2:41:45] This was a solution to that.

[2:41:46] If we're not in high, you don't have to wear the mask.

[2:41:50] If we start to see numbers increasing, let's put it back on.

[2:41:53] It seemed like a simple solution to it.

[2:41:56] Although I still weigh very heavily the concerns that you guys brought before us.

[2:42:03] So I appreciate you listening to my concerns, to the things that I've been considering as I come to the table.

[2:42:10] And I really appreciate folks who let us know whether it was through the course of email,

[2:42:17] whether it was from approaching us on the street, or whether it was testimony here tonight.

[2:42:23] I respect that people are weighing into the process.

[2:42:26] And I think those are my thoughts for tonight.

[2:42:29] Gunak Chish.

[2:42:30] Thank you, thank you.

[2:42:33] So I'm going to keep it brief here, not a whole lot new to say on anybody's front here.

[2:42:43] Just going to repeat that masks mainly are to protect others from you, not you from them.

[2:42:48] So saying people can wear masks if they want, kind of mask help depending on the type of

[2:42:55] mask protect you, but really they protect other people from you.

[2:42:59] So if you were infected and you don't know it, as has been said, children can't be vaccinated

[2:43:06] and the still significant part of our population, there's decided not to be vaccinated.

[2:43:12] Also needed the protection.

[2:43:15] And we're not just talking about people dying of COVID.

[2:43:19] We're talking about clogging up our hospitals.

[2:43:22] Right now, if you have a cardiac event in Anchorage, we're here in Sitka and you need to be

[2:43:27] of act of anchorage, there's nowhere for you. Seattle is coming close to that because

[2:43:33] they're being hit from all the surrounding states because so it's not just people dying,

[2:43:40] it's people getting very sick and people as as Dr. Brula said, people are going into the

[2:43:46] hospital for a lot longer because people, frankly they're better at treating it but it means

[2:43:51] that they're younger and so people are going in for three or four weeks which means that's a

[2:43:59] bed that somebody who has a cardiac event or somebody who has some other medical condition. It

[2:44:04] isn't there for them. So is this perfect of course not? There's no such thing as perfection but it

[2:44:10] is another way to mitigate the numbers and lower it some hopefully protect our numbers. We are doing

[2:44:17] better and sicker than when we first brought this up a lot I was very disappointed to see the

[2:44:22] floor that went up on the board today. I kind of hope we might get below this by this meeting but

[2:44:29] we haven't and I my very much hope that we do get below soon and this is not an issue but I think

[2:44:37] this is the right thing to do and Crystal said she didn't want to go in the numbers but if you look

[2:44:43] at our email it is very full and I would say 95% plus crystal did the numbers

[2:44:50] last time it gave me the extra percentage we're asking us to enact this so I am

[2:44:56] done does anybody else want to speak from the assembly

[2:45:01] We're back. Yeah, I've been thinking about what to say. I've been shaking for three hours. And part

[2:45:17] of why I'm shaking.

[2:45:22] Please let her speak. My students don't speak over me.

[2:45:29] Man, please show the same way. Nobody up here interrupted you. Please let her speak. Part of why almost

[2:45:39] didn't speak is because I didn't want to invite what just happened. Part of why I've

[2:45:48] been shaking for three hours is I have a lot of respect for what I'm hearing in

[2:45:53] this room and the people in this room. I want you to know that. There is no way

[2:46:01] day to do this halfway. There's no half mandate. There's no half way to do this.

[2:46:12] I will

[2:46:13] go to my school tomorrow, and I'll take a rapid test every day for the next week because

[2:46:19] of the exposure I've experienced tonight. I am wearing my school mask.

[2:46:28] I have a duty to

[2:46:29] the children I teach, but I have a duty to my community for the three years that I get

[2:46:34] that to serve as your assembly person.

[2:46:35] For that reason, all of you who are saying that I can't possibly believe what I'm saying,

[2:46:44] I humbly ask you to believe me.

[2:46:46] When I say, I have heard you.

[2:46:57] Anything else from you, Assembly?

[2:47:02] Sarah?

[2:47:07] Okay, the motion before you is to prove this ordinance on first reading.

[2:47:12] Ms. Nelson?

[2:47:15] No.

[2:47:17] Mr. Knox,

[2:47:24] Mr. Hemshoot, yes, Mr. Duncan, yes.

[2:47:29] Mr. Moser?

[2:47:30] Yes.

[2:47:32] Mr. Christianson?

[2:47:33] Yes.

[2:47:34] The motion passes for two on first reading, second reading, will occur on September 28th.

[2:47:41] All right, let's take a five minute break.

[2:47:47] Okay, let's get back to the rest of the agenda.

[2:48:01] We on to our normal business here.

[2:48:03] Can I get a motion for item G, I believe is where we are at.

[2:48:09] I move to approve.

[2:48:14] I move to approve ordinance 2021-31 on first reading of any title to administration of the stick of general code by deleting chapter 2.12.

[2:48:24] City and borough of Sitka Hospital Board, chapter 2.14, historic trust board, and chapter 2.64, seafood processing, economic development committee.

[2:48:33] an updating chapter 2.16 library commission.

[2:48:38] Second.

[2:48:39] Sarah, can we get a brief overview of why we're doing this?

[2:48:45] Sure.

[2:48:47] So, staff has been reviewing this section of our code.

[2:48:52] And this is kind of the first step as a housekeeping ordinance.

[2:48:57] And these boards, commissions, they are inactive and have been for quite some time.

[2:49:07] In fact, on one of them, I don't recall at the moment I couldn't find out when they had ever convened.

[2:49:15] With regards to the Library Commission, that commission used to be a five member board.

[2:49:23] and so therefore the quorum requirement or the vote needed to pass an action item would be a vote of three.

[2:49:33] When that commission, their membership changed to seven members.

[2:49:40] We overlook changing the quorum requirement and the vote needed to take action and so that is four.

[2:49:50] So that's a code cleanup in that section.

[2:49:53] So basically housekeeping.

[2:49:55] Okay, thank you for that recap.

[2:49:58] Would anybody from the public like to speak to this?

[2:50:03] Bring it back to the assembly.

[2:50:10] Seeing none, Sarah.

[2:50:14] Okay, on the motion to approve this ordinance on first reading, Mr. Moser.

[2:50:19] Yes.

[2:50:20] Ms. Nelson?

[2:50:22] Yes.

[2:50:23] Mr. Knox?

[2:50:24] Yes.

[2:50:25] Mr. Prischenson?

[2:50:26] Yes.

[2:50:26] Ms. Dupin?

[2:50:27] Yes, and Ms. Hemshoot?

[2:50:29] Yes, the motion passes 6-0 on item G.

[2:50:33] On to item 8.

[2:50:35] I move to approve ordinance 2021-33 on first reading, making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2022.

[2:50:42] IT slash approval of a new position.

[2:50:45] Second.

[2:50:47] So Melissa, do you want to or you want Grant to?

[2:50:51] Sure, I can do a brief introduction if we need any details we can have Grant come up.

[2:50:56] But this is basically during the budget process.

[2:51:01] We identified the need for additional IT support.

[2:51:05] We originally had it in our FY22 budget as contract services.

[2:51:11] As we've been doing recruitment for other positions, we're seeing that there's really a pool of qualified candidates in SICA.

[2:51:20] And so we would rather be able to bring someone locally and have this position in house.

[2:51:31] It would having a physical person here would be ideal.

[2:51:36] And then it also makes sure that the money stays here in Sitka.

[2:51:42] It's important to note that this appropriation is just changing the flavor of the funding,

[2:51:48] It's shifting from contract services to personnel and it is adding a position into the IT fund.

[2:51:55] Thank you.

[2:51:57] Anybody from the public should speak to this.

[2:51:59] Mr. Wien?

[2:52:08] Richard Wien.

[2:52:10] In reviewing this, I find this very interesting and I have to kind of call admission creep because this is adding a new FTE.

[2:52:19] And it's $120,000 that you're going to be shifting from contract to personnel.

[2:52:27] My notion is with the advancing in software and so forth,

[2:52:32] that the need for contract help is very, very real because of the complexity of the various systems that are out there.

[2:52:40] And so my notion is this will be a creation of a new FTE, but will it get rid of the notion of

[2:52:49] If requiring contract needs, and I think that that is very important.

[2:52:55] Anyone from IT knows that no man is an island and you have to call out, especially with

[2:53:05] complex coding issues, and so I view this as just another FTE, there may be good reasons

[2:53:13] to have another personnel here, but I think it is disingenuous to think that you will not

[2:53:18] meet contracts and I can imagine if I take my lucky eight ball and see what the future is,

[2:53:24] it will come up and say IT appropriation for contract or else you'll bury it in the budget

[2:53:31] somewhere and get it without seeking approval as can be done with budget manipulations.

[2:53:39] So this is kind of an oddball thing. You may need it on the one hand, but to cover it with the notion

[2:53:46] that it's like cost-neutral again, I think is disingenuous, and I have a feeling the future will be interesting on this issue in IT.

[2:53:57] It's only going to get more complex in IT, it's not going to get any easier, and I don't think that no matter who we hire here.

[2:54:05] Well, I understand Bill Gates is a free and easy guy, maybe he wants to come down and do some programming.

[2:54:11] But there needs to be a little more explanation to this and how it will truly be cost neutral in the future.

[2:54:20] Thank you.

[2:54:22] Anyone else from the public on this?

[2:54:27] Back to the assembly?

[2:54:31] Rebecca?

[2:54:33] Thanks, I'm 100% in support of this.

[2:54:35] So anything that I say next, I don't want people to think that I'm saying I don't support this.

[2:54:40] I do support what's been suggested here, this shift of existing funds.

[2:54:47] At the same time, I think it would be remiss if I didn't point out that there are parallels to be drawn between the IT load on the sick school district and the city and the district functions with far fewer personnel.

[2:54:59] So when we come to district budget time, let's bear in mind, they do have a revenue stream to help with internet cost, but not much else as far as their IT budget.

[2:55:07] So when we look at budgeting for the district down the road, let's bear in mind where resources go.

[2:55:14] So, I support improved services to the community through just shifting this to a different,

[2:55:27] not different pool, but different way of spending the money.

[2:55:30] Thanks.

[2:55:31] Valorant?

[2:55:34] I have consistently voted against legislation, adding new positions, and I'll vote for

[2:55:43] I'll do this on first reading, but since I'll probably still be on the assembly for second reading, I'll be more hesitant and I will have some questions for the administrator.

[2:55:53] Thank you.

[2:55:55] Anyone else?

[2:55:59] So, I'm going to support this because it's a net zero impact financially.

[2:56:06] Just a kind of a side question for Grant maybe, so I know that sometimes Sarah has, you know,

[2:56:13] she's trying to be the clerk and then she's trying to deal with ID stuff and would just,

[2:56:19] will this help us with that, like to have a little bit more support at meetings and things

[2:56:22] like that?

[2:56:24] Yeah.

[2:56:25] Grant or an IT director?

[2:56:26] Yes, that would be one of the general ideas of it and kind of the main real reason for

[2:56:33] this is, as has been stated before, yes, IT needs are going to grow from here on out.

[2:56:40] They're not going to get less, and the disparate department needs get only wider apart with

[2:56:47] what the different systems they need and all that.

[2:56:50] From that aspect of it, having more people being able to focus on the specific needs of each

[2:56:56] of the departments as they come up, this position will allow that to happen.

[2:57:01] Okay. Thank you. That's the only question I had. I don't know if anyone. Anybody else?

[2:57:09] I had a couple of questions. Okay. So it's going to add the job description and it felt

[2:57:16] like it summarized it as like a frontline type position. So not introductory to the part,

[2:57:24] the department, right? Were we going to contract for $120,000 to do frontline type duties

[2:57:30] And I guess that kind of goes to the question that was asked.

[2:57:35] Does this then do we no longer need to contract or?

[2:57:39] Well, those are two different things actually.

[2:57:42] Yeah, so originally the plan was to have this be the help desk support from a contracted service.

[2:57:50] This role would be essentially that same thing just done by an individual.

[2:57:54] instead the systems that we would need to call out in support for, we have support contracts

[2:58:03] in place with them aside from that budget item already.

[2:58:08] We have maintenance and support plans with each of our primary vendors that we then use

[2:58:14] for their expert support when it's needed.

[2:58:17] So this has no impact on any of that sort of support.

[2:58:20] It basically just is taking the, my monitor is not turning on or my passwords broke in, or any of those sort of standard front line support issues transferring them from an 800 number to a person at a desk that can help you know at your work station.

[2:58:39] So when, um, and this is just me trying to think to the next budgeting period so we're

[2:58:44] going to add an FTE into the department and then we're still going to have a light item

[2:58:48] for contractual services, are we balancing it somehow?

[2:58:53] Yes, but we increased that line for contract services by $120,000 this year so it will be less

[2:59:02] next year.

[2:59:03] There will always be contract services, though.

[2:59:05] Okay, and then I was looking at the comparative chart that's on the city's website in I see January 2021

[2:59:12] It was recently updated. I assume it hasn't changed much and we're still much lower than the other municipalities

[2:59:17] So I factored that into as I was coming here too, but thanks for that information

[2:59:25] I would just say that

[2:59:28] There's a couple of things I like about this first of all I'd like the idea of paying someone instead to rather than India

[2:59:34] or wherever our tech support would come from.

[2:59:38] I'm sure they would do a good job.

[2:59:41] But the other thing is that there's just no substitute

[2:59:45] for somebody in the building who can actually lay hands

[2:59:48] on keyboards.

[2:59:50] And so if you've ever gone through coming through

[2:59:54] tech support off site, tech support while they can be good

[2:59:57] and they can take over your computer,

[2:59:59] no matter how much you're doing.

[3:00:00] How nervous that makes you? It's not nearly as effective and especially because then they can notice that it's really not plugged in and then it's fixed. So anyway, I will be supporting this.

[3:00:16] Okay, sir. Until we else. Okay, on motion to approve ordinance 2021-33 on first reading, Mr. Christianson. Yes. Mr. Knox. Yes. Ms. Nelson. Yes. Ms. Himschut.

[3:00:32] Yes, Mr. Duncan?

[3:00:35] Yes, and Mr. Moser?

[3:00:36] Yes.

[3:00:37] The motion passes 6-0, first reading on item 8.

[3:00:40] Okay.

[3:00:42] Somebody wanted.

[3:00:43] I move to approve ordinance 2021-35, making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2021 school bond at refunding expense.

[3:00:51] Second.

[3:00:53] And Melissa, you want to give us a quick overview?

[3:00:55] you? Sure. This one, we did that, do we want, what motion did we just, sorry.

[3:01:06] We should be on item 5.

[3:01:08] You know, I thought of your receipt of item 5.

[3:01:11] Yeah.

[3:01:14] Yeah, you're right. I was a little confused there too.

[3:01:19] Probably to try again or should I just turn my mic on?

[3:01:21] No worries.

[3:01:25] So we're on.

[3:01:26] And am I?

[3:01:26] Okay, and I'm back to the wrong one again.

[3:01:32] Sorry.

[3:01:33] I moved to approve ordinance.

[3:01:34] I moved to approve ordinance 2021-34, making supplemental appropriations for fiscal

[3:01:45] year 2021 IT fund expense.

[3:01:49] Second.

[3:01:52] Okay, let's try that again.

[3:01:54] Okay, this is our FY21 budget for the IT fund went over budget.

[3:02:03] So this is a essentially request to put the appropriation in place.

[3:02:10] The reason for this is partially because the way some of the cares funds that were spent on IT type things like Zoom were spent out.

[3:02:20] they were spent from the IT fund, the IT fund was then reimbursed for that, so bottom line is zero there.

[3:02:28] But we still need that appropriation.

[3:02:31] In addition, we under-budgeted for telephone expenses.

[3:02:36] And we also recorded 13 months of telephone expenses in FY21 rather than just 12.

[3:02:43] We got the last one from FY20 in there.

[3:02:49] Thank you for that.

[3:02:50] Anybody from the public who should speak to this?

[3:02:54] Mr. Wayne.

[3:03:01] I apologize, but in going through the packet, I didn't note that I didn't exist.

[3:03:09] So it was somewhere hidden, but the bottom line is the

[3:03:21] amount of money that IT is going

[3:03:23] to be obtained, requiring in the future, will be very important to keep an eye on.

[3:03:31] And I just hope that budget predictions will improve.

[3:03:38] Thank you.

[3:03:41] Anybody else want to speak to this?

[3:03:45] Back to the assembly,

[3:03:49] Rebecca?

[3:03:49] I'm going to, yeah, I know which item we're on now.

[3:03:52] I'm sorry, it's just that they were flipped on the agenda.

[3:03:54] I want to, I guess basically commend staff for

[3:03:58] budgeting for what you think you need rather than patting the budget.

[3:04:01] I think that's going to result in this kind of thing occasionally coming up.

[3:04:06] And as long as, you know, as long as it's fairly minimal and it's something we can handle,

[3:04:09] I think it's better to budget for what's actually needed than to put numbers out there that are above and

[3:04:15] beyond in order to make your job easier.

[3:04:17] So I guess I'm thanking Melissa for this budgeting technique.

[3:04:21] Thanks.

[3:04:24] Anybody else?

[3:04:27] Sorry, go ahead, sorry, I just have a quick question.

[3:04:30] And so, and I think you explained it, but as I was reading the memo, it was that second part which said we did get reimbursed, right?

[3:04:37] So that was a wash.

[3:04:38] It was basically 50,000 for the phone and then that extra month that we paid that brought it up to the 50,000.

[3:04:45] Yes, well, we in general under budgeted, even if there would have only been 12 months, we did under budget for telephone last year.

[3:04:54] Okay, thanks.

[3:04:55] Yeah,

[3:04:58] I would just make a comment that the budgets are always an estimate and kind of crystal ball and I'd say more often than not, we wind up spending less than we expect, but this is to be expected.

[3:05:13] All right, any other comments, Sarah?

[3:05:17] Okay, on motion to approve ordinance 2021-34 on first reading, Mr. Knox.

[3:05:24] Yes.

[3:05:26] Yes.

[3:05:26] Ms. Duncan.

[3:05:28] Yes.

[3:05:29] Ms. Nelson.

[3:05:31] Yes.

[3:05:32] Mr. Moser.

[3:05:33] Yes.

[3:05:34] Ms. Hemshoot.

[3:05:35] Yes.

[3:05:36] And Mr. Christensen.

[3:05:37] Yes.

[3:05:38] Okay, the motion passes 6-0 on item I and that's for first reading.

[3:05:43] Item J.

[3:05:46] I'm afraid to now.

[3:05:48] I move to approve ordinance 2021-35, making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2021.

[3:05:53] We won school bond debt refunding expense.

[3:05:56] Second.

[3:05:57] Hi, it's me, Maiden Seconded.

[3:05:59] Melissa, do you want to give us a quick rundown?

[3:06:01] Sure, so for this fund, we generally know to the penny what we're going to spend because we have an amortization schedule we've had for years.

[3:06:10] We budget to the penny.

[3:06:12] This year, we refunded a number of our older school bond issuances.

[3:06:21] It's great news, it's going to save us $650,000 in debt service over the next seven years, but it costs to refund.

[3:06:32] So this is kind of another clean up ordinance where there's closing costs that need to be covered.

[3:06:43] Anything from the public, Mr. Wayne?

[3:06:51] Refunding is wonderful, and I'm very happy that these things can be done whether it's with school bonds or with the dam bonds.

[3:07:04] Those dam bonds, one thing to note is that the school bonds, the majority, are from the PAC, from the performing arts center.

[3:07:15] So, we're paying this off, and of note is that the building doesn't even seem to be under city control per se,

[3:07:26] though I do understand its value, it is bonded with a lot.

[3:07:33] Now, in the quarterly report, which was presented in our packet, they were talking about deferred maintenance for schools,

[3:07:43] and apparently it's going to be state no pay, and the general fund will have to pay.

[3:07:49] And it's going to be an enormous problem when you add all of this up.

[3:07:56] So the pack is going to turn out to be a burr under the saddle, a very big burr,

[3:08:03] 10, 12, 14 million dollars at its outset.

[3:08:06] But without state funding, this will be a topic that will come up again and

[3:08:12] And again, and that's why the assembly needs to think about revenue, really, and make good deals, because this stuff is going to come back in spades, so thank you.

[3:08:26] Anything from me or someone,

[3:08:30] sir?

[3:08:33] Okay, on the motion to approve this ordinance on first reading.

[3:08:38] Mr. Christianson?

[3:08:39] Yes.

[3:08:40] Mr. Moser?

[3:08:42] Yes.

[3:08:43] Mr. Hemshoot?

[3:08:45] Yes.

[3:08:46] Yes, Mr. Knox?

[3:08:48] Yes.

[3:08:48] Ms. Duncan?

[3:08:49] Yes.

[3:08:50] And Ms. Nelson?

[3:08:51] Yes.

[3:08:52] Motion passes 6-0 on first reading.

[3:08:55] Okay, on to item K.

[3:09:01] I move to resolution 2021-18 on first and final reading, supporting the development of the new public UC plain base at the preferred location, North End of Jopansky Island, SITCA, Alaska.

[3:09:19] Second.

[3:09:23] Okay.

[3:09:23] Mr. Harmon, you want to give us a quick rundown before we take public comment?

[3:09:42] Evening, Deputy Mayor and Assembly Member Michael Harmon, Public Works Director for the record.

[3:09:48] This is the next phase, long time plan phase for the SICKA C Plane Project for the FAA funding.

[3:09:58] We had to complete all the environmental assessments before we were eligible and also get a commitment

[3:10:05] from the Department of Ed and early development that they would be willing to sell us the property that is proposed for this project.

[3:10:15] So all positive movements on those fronts been through the process, now we're eligible to go to the design phase of the project and also the land acquisition phase.

[3:10:27] And as noted in the memo, this is a, it gets us past the planning stage in which this is a strong commitment from the city to follow through on this project when we accept these grants, FAA is expecting us to build the project and it doesn't mean that the project has to be as conceptually designed right now but they do expect the funds from this point forward to lead towards construction.

[3:10:56] So they're looking for a strong commitment from the community and the assembly.

[3:11:01] The very positive news on the on the funding front.

[3:11:05] We believe it will very likely that we will receive 0% match requirement on this stage.

[3:11:13] So we don't have to come up with the match right now.

[3:11:16] Maybe that will continue through the whole project, which is an unanticipated change for us in the positive direction.

[3:11:24] but as you will note we structured the resolution to provide the standard 6.25% match in case as we as this develops they go back to the standard match we still have a resolution that works and we can continue forward either or so so so we're asking for that level of commitment tonight in case that's where it lands.

[3:11:54] but even since we've written this memo, we're getting much, much more positive feedback

[3:11:59] that we got our grant submittals in and time.

[3:12:03] We submitted those early to meet the deadline to give us a chance for the 0%

[3:12:08] that now we will likely be positioned well for that.

[3:12:14] So thank

[3:12:17] you for that.

[3:12:19] All right.

[3:12:19] Does anybody from the public wish to speak to this, right there?

[3:12:23] Good

[3:12:35] evening.

[3:12:36] My name is Annette Becker and I'm speaking as a citizen of Stitka against the proposal location of the sea pulling base at the north end of Japanski Island.

[3:12:47] The search Ravensway program is a residential adolescent substance abuse treatment program, providing services to approximately 40 to 55 at risk Alaska news each year for the past 32 years.

[3:13:00] This program provides a safe environment where youth have the opportunity to practice and integrate healthy life skills in a supportive setting.

[3:13:11] Ravensway is a healing place for youth who are unable to control the use of illegal drugs.

[3:13:17] Many youth who are enrolled in the Ravensway program have experienced trauma, have difficulty managing strong emotions,

[3:13:24] are failing school and have gotten into trouble with the law.

[3:13:29] The proposed C-plane base located on the north end of Jeponsky Island is adjacent to the Ravensway residential treatment program.

[3:13:38] The current last building on Surid Avenue is a sick of school district classroom and therapy offices.

[3:13:45] This will have significant negative impacts on the ability to provide necessary effective and beneficial treatment services for youth and their families.

[3:13:54] The C-plane operations are estimated at a rate of 21 one-way trips with up to 136 one-way trips during peak seasons per day.

[3:14:07] An increase in C-plane noise, foot, and vehicle traffic related to C-plane operations is expected.

[3:14:15] My concerns include significant interruptions and academic instruction and psychotherapy services.

[3:14:24] Interruption in phone and virtual communication services for

[3:14:28] dreamy meetings, family therapy sessions, behavior health assessments, screening, and intake operations.

[3:14:36] Increased risk for relapse due to exposure or potential contraband items left in vehicles or

[3:14:42] dropped along the sidewalk or parking lot.

[3:14:45] Increased noise, foot and vehicle traffic will reduce the ability to facilitate outdoor therapy.

[3:14:52] academic, cultural, and recreational activities in a calm,

[3:14:57] distracted, free environment.

[3:15:00] And proposes a risk to client confidentiality. Ravensway provides an essential substance

[3:15:07] abuse treatment services to youth and their families at the end of Subert Avenue since 1989.

[3:15:13] This program is the only one of its kind that provides a specific service in Southeast Alaska,

[3:15:20] and only one of three programs in the state of Alaska. I urge the city to move the proposed

[3:15:26] C-plane based to an alternative location that has been identified.

[3:15:32] Thank you for your time, support, and consideration.

[3:15:37] Anybody else on the public wish to speak?

[3:15:39] My board.

[3:15:51] Good evening.

[3:15:52] My name is Dave Gordon.

[3:15:54] I'm a C-plane owner and a current user of the existing facility.

[3:16:00] I'm also on the Porton Harbour's Commission, but I'm here speaking on behalf of myself.

[3:16:05] I've been involved with this issue for going on 10 years participating in the public process for determining the need, site selection, and facility design.

[3:16:15] C-plane operations in the SICKA channel has been happening for many decades and is in the central part of SICKA's transportation needs.

[3:16:23] This is not a new thing.

[3:16:26] Numerous small communities, hatcheries and remote lodges that surround SICA are reliant

[3:16:31] on sea planes for almost all of their personal transportation, goods and services, and access

[3:16:36] to health care. Certainly, there is the economic benefit to SICA if SICA remains as a hub

[3:16:43] to these surrounding communities. And this was recognized by this body in 2018 with the

[3:16:54] 18-22. Sighting studies looked at all options on the

[3:16:59] CICRA road system and found only one workable location that met the standards for sea

[3:17:04] plane operations and standards of FAA grant funding. That site is on the north side of

[3:17:10] Dupontsky Island. I understand there are concerns regarding increased noise levels at the

[3:17:17] knee location. I will point out that sea planes while taxing on the water do not make much

[3:17:23] noise or while landing and that is the takeoff where there's a short period of of louder

[3:17:31] noise that the new site would not really affect the current way that sea planes use the

[3:17:39] takeoff lanes in the channel.

[3:17:45] Seaplane operations are highly seasonal and seaplane activity becomes

[3:17:50] was minimal beginning mid September through mid May, about eight months out of the year.

[3:17:57] And in regards to, I mean, I think a facility, I wasn't able to take anything else because

[3:18:04] I didn't have a pen, but listening to the previous person, I think there would be security

[3:18:09] around this facility and would not be access for the people to get into this facility and

[3:18:17] to the parking lots to get into whatever the fear is

[3:18:21] that they would get into.

[3:18:22] And finally, I wanted to summarize

[3:18:25] that the current dilapidated condition

[3:18:29] of the existing facility,

[3:18:31] if we do not move forward with this project,

[3:18:34] SICKA and a few short years

[3:18:36] will be without a C-plane facility.

[3:18:40] I urge the assembly to continue to support this need

[3:18:42] a project and move forward to the next step

[3:18:46] by supporting this resolution.

[3:18:49] Thank you, you must have timed that.

[3:18:53] You will write it three minutes.

[3:18:56] All right.

[3:19:00] Welcome.

[3:19:01] This is not actually why I came to the assembly meeting tonight.

[3:19:05] My name is Keith Nitray, and I used to be on the Port Harbor's commission for nine years.

[3:19:11] Having a C-plane base is really important to the economics of this community.

[3:19:15] And I support Raven's way totally.

[3:19:19] Please don't get me wrong on that.

[3:19:22] What they're doing in this community or for this community is extremely valuable.

[3:19:26] But as the previous gentleman just said, the taxing from a place is not the noise.

[3:19:33] No matter where a sea plane base is based, the taxing, the noise of taking off or

[3:19:38] landing is going to be in the channel, no matter where it's located.

[3:19:42] And I just wanted to say, we need a sea plain base.

[3:19:47] We need to have a permanent place that we can add to our tourism and our sea plain.

[3:19:57] We've talked about this for 12, 15 or more years.

[3:20:02] And we don't have one that we need, and we need that in this town.

[3:20:06] And again, I appreciate what the previous speaker from Ravensway was saying.

[3:20:10] But most of the sea planes occur in the summertime and

[3:20:19] the noise from the takeoff and landing occur in the channel no matter where they're based.

[3:20:24] And I support having this go forth.

[3:20:29] Thank you.

[3:20:30] And I said I did not expect to be here tonight to say that.

[3:20:34] Anyone else like to speak to this?

[3:20:37] That's somebody coming up from behind you right now.

[3:20:44] Frederick Olson, Jr., resident of Sitka, and like the previous gentleman, I was not coming here to speak at all, but like on the previous items, I feel compelled to speak.

[3:20:58] I do speak as myself, I am on the Sitka tribe of Alaska tribal council, but I am not authorized to speak for the tribe, and I'm not doing so tonight.

[3:21:13] The reason I'm compelled to speak is I'm surprised that this is on the agenda because we had had meetings with the developers, if that's the right word, you know, the Travel Council and the Travel Council is very supportive, of course, of search, and besides Ravensway, the new hospital is going to be there.

[3:21:35] very close to this facility and there's sound issues, there's traffic and there've been

[3:21:43] respectful consultation, you know, I'm talking about this issue at the tribal council meeting.

[3:21:51] And then I thought they were going to, we were going to have more of these discussions and

[3:21:56] work out some of these details but now I see this and so I'm not sure what to think.

[3:22:05] I think, I guess I would support development, but there are problems with that location.

[3:22:12] But maybe things can be worked out with, that location could still be there.

[3:22:16] But sound could be worked on at the hospital.

[3:22:20] Maybe some of the funding for this sea plain base, some there be funding for

[3:22:26] the base that would protect the hospital sound, et cetera.

[3:22:33] So I'll yield the rest of my time, but I'm more surprised, but kind of concerned that this is coming out without being fully worked out with the search hospital and the tribe.

[3:22:51] Thank you.

[3:22:54] Anyone else?

[3:23:04] Richard Wien, I'll say the best for last, the important thing about this project is that

[3:23:14] it has been going on for a very long time, the discussion.

[3:23:18] And because of people's inability to make a decision about it, we went from zero cost

[3:23:26] to this from the FAA, to now a 6.25 match, which represents $1 million, and so that is an important commitment.

[3:23:40] The important thing is that we must remember that we live on an island, and that there are many smaller communities out there which actually would depend on us for supply material movement, personnel movement, whether it's through the hatcheries or so forth.

[3:23:55] But because of issues related to the development or lack of development of the sea plain base

[3:24:01] Those entities actually went through Juneau and we lost substantial amounts of money

[3:24:07] The bottom line is it's people are going to be landing in and out of the channel no matter what whether the sea plain base is there

[3:24:14] The important thing here is is that it needs to move forward

[3:24:20] These things were vetted publicly with many public meetings.

[3:24:25] We spoke about it quite often at the assembly.

[3:24:29] I was happy to say I was on the assembly at that time and voted for it, because it's an important piece of the puzzle for Sitka to develop.

[3:24:38] And this needs to go forward.

[3:24:41] We have voted here on the assembly for many resolutions just to show support.

[3:24:48] Well, this process has already gone on for quite a bit of time, and there's been a lot

[3:24:54] of work put into it.

[3:24:56] Not the least site surveys, which really just came up with this one single site.

[3:25:05] It is not as though you can move it.

[3:25:07] My suggestion is that search has the finance and the capability that if this is a big issue

[3:25:14] for Ravensway. God bless them. Find another location. If this is truly what the issue is.

[3:25:23] I wish them a good luck on this, but the C-plane base has to move forward and you really need to

[3:25:33] vote it. We are in an island. We service communities. The best way to service a lot of these

[3:25:39] These communities are seaplanes if we are even have a chance to grow.

[3:25:43] We need to have these type of entities develop and flourish.

[3:25:51] Otherwise, try to get the port protection in a kayak.

[3:25:58] Anybody else from the public,

[3:26:01] back to the assembly?

[3:26:04] Tor, I have six individuals to call.

[3:26:08] Oh, I think you do.

[3:26:10] Sorry.

[3:26:18] That was on the right page of the agenda and see that.

[3:26:42] Hi, John.

[3:26:43] This is Sarah calling from the Assembly Meeting.

[3:26:45] We're taking public testimony on the C-plane base.

[3:26:48] It's my understanding that you wish to testify.

[3:26:50] If you can state your first and last name for the record and then your three minutes will begin.

[3:26:55] Yeah.

[3:26:55] My name is John Raj.

[3:26:58] Go ahead.

[3:27:00] Thank you, everybody.

[3:27:01] Thank you for making some time for this.

[3:27:03] But I just wanted to express my opposition to the location.

[3:27:08] I know that a lot of talk about rape into what is happening, but there's also mental

[3:27:13] health and behavioral services that are all amongst the three.

[3:27:17] And I think that it would be helpful to reconsider the location given the amount of relocation

[3:27:27] that may need to happen, that's one aspect.

[3:27:29] But also for the people whose voice, who can't be represented tonight, which are those people who do receive services at these locations.

[3:27:37] Not only Ravensway, but inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment for substance use, as well as just community mental health services in general that happen on super straight.

[3:27:48] And I want to encourage the board to or the assembly to take some time to reconsider the fact and even if it doesn't change mine.

[3:27:59] I think that it would be helpful to take that into consideration when identifying this location and not that's what it's going to have an impact on the citizens of Zipzica as well as people who fly in from all over Alaska to get this kind of help.

[3:28:13] I, for one, do work in one of those rotations, and I know for certain that be taking off

[3:28:19] and landing a plane, do disrupt sessions, conferences, and with an increase in that, I cannot

[3:28:28] imagine being able to function well in that environment.

[3:28:34] Thank you for your time, and I appreciate all that you do.

[3:28:38] Thank you.

[3:28:39] Hi,

[3:29:09] Ryan.

[3:29:10] This is Sarah, calling from the assembly meeting.

[3:29:11] We're taking public comment on the C-plane base.

[3:29:15] If you could state your first and last name for the record, and then your three minutes

[3:29:18] will begin.

[3:29:21] Once again here.

[3:29:26] Hello.

[3:29:27] This is Ryan for the opportunity to discuss my sentiments around the construction C-plane

[3:29:30] base.

[3:29:31] As indicated by resolution 2118, I need to urge against any support for the resolution and

[3:29:36] the construction of the base.

[3:29:38] That's particularly a location that the base itself, but the location.

[3:29:42] I know that people have talked about the noise issue.

[3:29:46] I just want to speak from experience, because my classroom is 20 feet from where it's going to be built,

[3:29:51] that when playing taxi takeoff or land, we have to completely help the program

[3:29:57] and wait for this place to pass on that.

[3:30:05] The other piece is I was a little bit perplexed why the Department of Education and the Alaska Department of Education would sell this parcel since there's a class right next to it and it occurred to me this evening that they don't know that our school is there because I'm paper. It looks like I'm my program are in fact part of the DO or part of the high school. So I'm going to have to run medical change to communicate.

[3:30:28] I really believe that they would have gone a different way if they had known that.

[3:30:34] The other piece is, I know a lot of my friends here are talking about the mental impact

[3:30:40] and the, as I mentioned before, the noise issue.

[3:30:44] One other piece I want to kind of bring up is that there are, of course, the Ravens, excuse

[3:30:51] me, there are families that live in that area, including Coast Guard housing and some of

[3:30:57] the families that live within the buildings and the area where our program is located

[3:31:01] that I know that would affect them.

[3:31:06] Additionally,

[3:31:09] if you were to enter the buildings that we utilize, you will notice that each building

[3:31:12] has a red handprint in each corner.

[3:31:15] Our buildings were blessed by elders and set apart a sacred space for the healing of the sick

[3:31:19] and the afflicted in our community and throughout the communities of Alaska.

[3:31:23] People with extensive trauma, intergenerational trauma, physical abuse trauma, sexual abuse

[3:31:28] trauma, co-occurring disorders and displacement trauma, those are the kinds of people that

[3:31:33] come into our program.

[3:31:35] And having that kind of influence around that space can be very detrimental.

[3:31:40] My co-workers and I work earnestly and fever sleep combat, one of the terrible bi-products

[3:31:45] of colonization.

[3:31:47] And in this context, some species disorders and all the experiential kind of damage that

[3:31:52] I believe that the construction of C-plane base in that location would have a detrimental

[3:31:59] effect on the patients and the students that attend our program.

[3:32:04] Congratulations and thank you.

[3:32:11] Ryan Hill.

[3:32:52] Well.

[3:32:53] Hi, Leanne.

[3:32:54] It's Sarah calling from the assembly meeting.

[3:32:56] We're taking public testimony on the C-plane base.

[3:32:58] If you could state your first and last name for the record and then your three minutes will

[3:33:02] begin.

[3:33:05] Okay. My name is Maria and I'm speaking on my half of myself as a citizen of Sitka. I would like to

[3:33:15] express my concerns about the proposed public UC playing base at the preferred location at the

[3:33:21] north end of Japansky Island. I'm not opposed to a new UC playing base. However, I do have concerns

[3:33:28] about this specific location on the north end of Japansky Island. Specifically, this location

[3:33:35] is within a very close proximity of the Ravenslay program has been noted earlier tonight.

[3:33:42] But before this point of time, I don't believe that it was a fact that was very well known.

[3:33:48] This is an important program that runs year-round, and it also provides

[3:33:52] a residential substance abuse treatment for at-risk use to sick care and around the state

[3:34:00] of Alaska.

[3:34:01] A seaplane base in this area would pose significant disruptions to therapeutic, academic, and daily

[3:34:08] living for use that engage in this program.

[3:34:13] There was the Dowell Environmental Assessment Report, and in that it did note that there would

[3:34:20] be 136 estimated, one-way trips during peak season per day.

[3:34:27] And I believe this would pose significant difficulties to engagement and therapy and

[3:34:31] at school, both of which occur on site and in post-proximity to that base, an environment

[3:34:40] that is free from frequent,

[3:34:47] scary, frowning growth and healing.

[3:34:50] I would urge you to consider a different location for the SIGA C-Planet base.

[3:34:56] It would not pose a disruption to these vital services.

[3:35:00] Thank you.

[3:35:33] Hello.

[3:35:35] Hi, Jeremiah, this is Sarah.

[3:35:37] Calling from the assembly meeting.

[3:35:38] We're taking public comment on the C-Planet base.

[3:35:40] If you could state your first and last name for the record

[3:35:42] and then your three-minute or time limit will begin.

[3:35:47] Oh, yes. My name is Jeremiah Craig.

[3:35:52] and I speak for myself. The citizen is so good but I'd like to express my opposition to the

[3:35:59] location and the plain base I understand. The need transportation needs but the location has

[3:36:08] me concerned. I already expressed my concern about noise pollution and I work on sewer

[3:36:19] avenue, my office is there and I can tell you from experience that the noise is substantial

[3:36:29] whenever a plane lands or takes off in the channel.

[3:36:35] If I'm on the phone I have to wait for

[3:36:37] to pass. I'm talking to someone in the office, I have to wait for it to pass. And I am 100

[3:36:42] feet away.

[3:36:46] And that is with the traffic we currently have. An increase in traffic would

[3:36:51] be extremely detrimental to everybody on that street.

[3:37:01] We're able to program,

[3:37:05] you know,

[3:37:06] Ryan mentioned, there's people out there, I know the superintendents, houses on that

[3:37:13] street.

[3:37:17] I've heard the concerns about, you don't know where else to put it.

[3:37:21] You guys should move, but that seems like a pretty cold thing to say, is you're already

[3:37:29] there while you're moving in.

[3:37:32] Just

[3:37:35] like to see another location found, Dr. Wien says, you know, search has money, move

[3:37:43] Ravensway.

[3:37:45] Well, it's not just Ravensway, everything, and I don't know where that money is going to

[3:37:49] come from.

[3:37:53] I guess that's all I have to say.

[3:37:55] Thank you.

[3:38:09] Sir?

[3:39:04] Hi, Christine.

[3:39:04] It's Sarah, calling from the Assembly Meeting.

[3:39:06] We're taking public testimony on the C point base.

[3:39:08] If you could state your first and last name for the record and then your three minutes

[3:39:12] will begin.

[3:39:14] Okay.

[3:39:15] I'm a 40-year resident of Sitka, Alaska.

[3:39:21] I'd like to thank the assembly for its operator's speak and I'd like to seek tonight

[3:39:28] against the proposed sea plain-based location.

[3:39:32] It's location is very close to an active patient's treatment area for mental health and substance use.

[3:39:40] Noise levels traffic. I'm quite concerned about the noise level, which I hear from many people of Sitka

[3:39:49] and in this meeting that, you know, the noise levels can't be helped no matter where the sea plane base is.

[3:39:56] But I'm of the belief that if there are several locations that can be looked at besides this one right on this location on Japan's ski island, noise level and traffic are important to the treatment of people who this therapeutic environment that we've created over there can be disrupted by lots of traffic.

[3:40:24] And at this level of care, privacy and confidentiality are highly important or for people to get the treatment they need.

[3:40:33] I would encourage before anybody made a decision on this is to have assembly members drive over to the location and take a look at how close the proposed area is to the school buildings and the therapeutic areas that the kids will be using.

[3:40:51] And of course, as said earlier, that this isn't just for children, it's also an adult treatment

[3:40:57] area.

[3:40:58] So, you know, I want to thank the assembly for allowing me to speak tonight and appreciate

[3:41:04] your time.

[3:41:05] Thank you.

[3:41:48] Hi, Kevin.

[3:41:48] It's Sarah, calling from the Assembly Meeting.

[3:41:50] We are taking public comment on the seed plain base.

[3:41:53] If you could state your first and last name for the record, and then your three minutes will

[3:41:57] begin.

[3:41:57] Yeah,

[3:42:00] so you come, so I'm going to jump here and it might be broken and mine is 9.568.99.

[3:42:11] But do you hear me okay?

[3:42:14] Yes, go ahead.

[3:42:18] Okay, you know, we, the portal here and I am a C-plane operator.

[3:42:27] And I would like to say that that's C-plane based and that we've been for close to

[3:42:36] peers in our community and portal depends on search for our health needs.

[3:42:50] If the search is going to control the medical facilities,

[3:42:58] you know, sea planes provide access.

[3:43:02] It's true, SICKA, if for Port

[3:43:15] Walts,

[3:43:20] Armstrong, Port, and Protection.

[3:43:24] If you

[3:43:28] were to get it to

[3:43:32] provide, they have the obligation.

[3:43:35] And search has the obligation to provide to our small communities.

[3:43:40] And the places that it's just, we've come to the end to get finished.

[3:43:50] I know the noise issue and all those things that everybody talks about.

[3:43:56] The benefits out way, the detriment of it,

[3:44:07] we've come too far and trying to put this together.

[3:44:10] And, you know, it's just something that needs to be, it needs to happen and we need to go forward with this.

[3:44:23] And there's a lot more of places outside of SICKA that need SICKA for help.

[3:44:31] You know, for our access, we live in these remote areas.

[3:44:40] and we need to be able to get to SICKA.

[3:44:43] And SICKA and Port Alexander are part of AAS,

[3:44:46] which is our system,

[3:44:50] it's part of our expectation.

[3:44:52] And we need SICKA for our materials,

[3:44:55] our medical needs,

[3:44:56] mental health,

[3:44:58] groceries.

[3:45:00] And so I just really supported and I know that the noise issue is something but mental health

[3:45:10] and the health and stability of the remote community center are very important too. And that's

[3:45:18] all I said, I really support that. I appreciate all the work that's been done and all the

[3:45:24] work to make this happen so far and I appreciate everybody's help and everybody's

[3:45:31] worked so far.

[3:45:34] It's just there's no perfect cure for everything but there's

[3:45:38] we live in a fragile lifestyle. So you know can you wrap it up please? Okay that's

[3:45:48] all I have to say thank you. Thank you. Anybody else Sarah?

[3:45:54] Okay somebody else

[3:45:55] from the public. That's fine.

[3:46:08] Good evening. My name is Tom Gimel. Thank you to the assembly members

[3:46:12] and bringing whoever bought this resolution forward. I decided to come down to the most compelling

[3:46:19] part of the evening was when a member who was speaking on his own but is also a member of the tribal

[3:46:24] council noted that this was a discussion item that should be thoroughly discussed as a government

[3:46:32] to government relationship,

[3:46:35] honoring that relationship goes beyond the meeting table and beyond the

[3:46:39] handshake agreement. It goes beyond the land acknowledgement to the extent some of us should

[3:46:46] be given a brown card to be given free parking in some of these places you guys are renaming.

[3:46:52] Some of us who can say we've been here for thousands of years might say you know what?

[3:46:57] that sea plan base right there is on a historical site.

[3:47:02] The leader of the historic preservation commission

[3:47:05] might even be able to attest to something

[3:47:06] that she heard from a tribal elder once in her lifetime.

[3:47:10] And so what you're reading before you tonight says

[3:47:15] preferred location.

[3:47:18] And what I'm hearing tonight is a finding of no significant impact

[3:47:22] I have to disagree because

[3:47:24] as the witnesses in the room can hear

[3:47:27] with their own ears and see with their own eyes

[3:47:31] that there are findings of significant impact.

[3:47:34] There are sounds, there are noises, there are sites,

[3:47:37] there are people, the environmental assessment

[3:47:40] that was completed should have been able

[3:47:42] to identify these things in the first document.

[3:47:45] Now, I didn't go to school for these things,

[3:47:48] but I was educated at the National Park.

[3:47:51] I installed at a federal park, a totem pole.

[3:47:55] I installed at a federal park.

[3:47:58] My bronze plaques, you guys only get to go visit in the middle of a field.

[3:48:03] Somewhere out in the middle of the forest,

[3:48:05] I installed a bronze plaque for the forest service.

[3:48:08] So I'm pretty well aware of the process that's used when you decide you have a preferred location.

[3:48:15] But where are the alternative locations?

[3:48:20] That's not being discussed tonight, so as a former tribal council member, a former president

[3:48:26] of the Alaska River Head, a current resident of this community, and an indigenous man,

[3:48:35] I'm going to say I disagree with the location.

[3:48:39] I disagree with the process.

[3:48:41] I'm requesting that this city through whoever is the acting mayor tonight to go back to meet

[3:48:48] with a sick tribal Alaska, you know, asking a brotherhood and the indigenous people of the land.

[3:48:55] They're excited. They're children and they're grandchildren because what you're about to change

[3:49:02] isn't for profit. It isn't about money and it isn't about access. To be told, I'm going to take 10 more

[3:49:10] seconds. I can travel to New Mexico or even Mexico for that matter, for the amount that

[3:49:19] I get charged to go to June, Alaska. So if you think I'm stalling a C plane base it's

[3:49:25] going to lower my fare so I can get to Juneau to represent my people when you guys don't.

[3:49:33] I'm going to pay whatever I need to to get there. Thank you for your time.

[3:49:38] Anyone else that want to speak state

[3:49:51] your name, please, before you start?

[3:49:54] Did

[3:49:58] she play an aerodrome?

[3:50:03] The propellers break the sound barrier.

[3:50:07] They create a sonic boom, really.

[3:50:12] It scares the birds, but the jet planes land.

[3:50:18] It's like you're looking at a potential difficulty.

[3:50:26] I see it over my head.

[3:50:29] The tip of the propellers break the soundbearer.

[3:50:32] It's a sonic boom and it scares the birds and they fly over the other airport area.

[3:50:38] So it has it to aviation.

[3:50:41] Thank you.

[3:50:45] Anyone else who needs to speak to this?

[3:50:48] Back to the assembly.

[3:50:52] Kevin?

[3:50:56] Go ahead, Valerie.

[3:50:57] All right, go ahead if you want to go.

[3:51:00] Well, I just wanted to say it looks like, you know, this isn't like time critical that we have to do it today. And I'm not sure when the tribes next meeting is, but in light of the questions and concerns that I've received by email and the testimony I've heard tonight, I would entertain a motion to put this off until

[3:51:24] So what would it be unfinished business at the meeting of September 28th or maybe a special

[3:51:31] meeting?

[3:51:32] But I do believe that we, if we are honoring our MOU with the tribe or MOA, that this needs

[3:51:41] to be discussed with them.

[3:51:49] We can talk about that if you like.

[3:51:52] I think it might be worth a little bit of a round of discussion here before we do that.

[3:51:57] I don't know if that's okay.

[3:51:59] Kevin?

[3:52:05] Well, yeah, I am sympathetic to, you know,

[3:52:09] ensuring that we have all the discussions

[3:52:12] that we need to have around this item.

[3:52:16] I'd also like to point out that there's been

[3:52:20] an extremely exhaustive process around looking for a site

[3:52:27] for the redevelopment of our C-plane base.

[3:52:32] The SICKET channel has been used as a C-plane aerodrome for

[3:52:38] better than 75 years.

[3:52:41] This is not a new thing.

[3:52:44] Obviously, we've had our current base in its current location

[3:52:47] for a little over 50, I believe it is.

[3:52:54] And, you know, the relocation of this has been quite extensively studied both in 2012

[3:53:03] and 2016, citing studies were done, and it wasn't a – it was an exhaustive process.

[3:53:13] It wasn't anything that was taken lightly.

[3:53:15] of locations all over, as it was mentioned, on the road system, James Town Bay, Silver

[3:53:23] Bay, Stargavin, across the channel over by the old C-plane haul-out, James Town Bay.

[3:53:36] I can't remember all the different ones, but it was exhaustively studied, and there were

[3:53:43] significant problems with all of the other locations and it was determined

[3:53:49] that remaining, you know, the arrow drone remaining in the channel was really

[3:53:55] the only alternative and this location was the only real viable spot for the

[3:54:05] new base to be developed. The current location has upland problems, it has

[3:54:09] congestion problems. So it couldn't be redeveloped in that same spot. The traffic or the noise issue

[3:54:20] remains the same because the takeoff channel was in the same spot.

[3:54:27] But again, this has been

[3:54:31] something that's been out in the public for quite some time. I was a part of the call that

[3:54:37] That took place between some of the tribal council members and search representatives.

[3:54:46] We had a good conversation about some of the issues and concerns that were brought up.

[3:54:56] We weren't able to come to conclusion on all the issues, but it felt like when we had left

[3:55:03] that conversation that we had, you know, had a good conversation.

[3:55:12] I don't know if postponing this does anything to our application.

[3:55:17] It may start to indicate to the review, the grant review team that maybe we aren't as

[3:55:28] strong a position as they would like to see us and it could set us back but I haven't been

[3:55:35] in a part of any of those conversations, so I would lean back to staff to get their opinion there.

[3:55:47] I just, was that, sure, go ahead.

[3:55:53] So, at this point, the risk I would see right now, there is a grant agreement that is ready for signature.

[3:56:04] They want to push this through so that we can get the 0% match, that grant agreement does have a 0%

[3:56:11] So I think that would, at this point, be our risk further delays could have other issues.

[3:56:19] Rebecca.

[3:56:21] I feel like I'm being a dead horse a little bit after what Kevin said.

[3:56:24] But can I check with Mr. Harmon about, I mean, has there been consultation?

[3:56:29] It's been a long process, and I read months ago one of the reports.

[3:56:35] Yeah,

[3:56:39] I appreciate the question there.

[3:56:43] There has been consultation, and in always, when you have consultation, it doesn't mean

[3:56:48] that everyone got the answers they were hoping for, and maybe the solutions weren't quite

[3:56:55] fully developed to where they would like to see.

[3:56:58] So the consultation's not over.

[3:57:01] The consultation under certain stages of the environmental document are done, but to move

[3:57:07] on to many of the specific questions, for instance, that the tribe had.

[3:57:12] Those are best handled through the design phase.

[3:57:15] We need to develop more details on that.

[3:57:19] So we have worked through and agreed upon their involvement.

[3:57:23] And FAs have been heavily involved.

[3:57:25] It's their funding and making sure this program follows all the proper of federal process.

[3:57:31] And they've been involved with the tribe as well to negotiate that process all the way through to construction because the tribe would very much like to be involved if it reaches that stage, the cultural significance and what could be found if you're digging and those sorts of things.

[3:57:50] So an agreement is getting worked on to have them involved throughout.

[3:57:56] And I thought we were in a good place with that was my understanding, but if that's not the case, that's not something, you know, it doesn't go, I guess the clear message is this hasn't gone without good effort and Mr. Leach has really tried to make a good

[3:58:16] effort to, and we had a number of meetings to start heading down this path in FAAs making

[3:58:23] a special consideration to add some of these processes that wouldn't normally necessarily

[3:58:30] need to be there per the federal rule. So it feels like everyone's trying to come to

[3:58:36] the middle there to make sure there's involvement to a limit. And this is somewhat what I've

[3:58:44] talked about at the process is if we need to lack of a better word or term, but

[3:58:52] synchronize this to make it feel right for SICKA to assert.

[3:58:57] You cross a certain line where FAA is not going to participate in that.

[3:59:02] So it becomes our project and we need to fully fund it and do those mitigation things that aren't necessarily

[3:59:08] warranted in the technical world that we work by and they work by to justify the federal

[3:59:15] funds. So noise is a big one. The thresholds aren't going to be anywhere close to the

[3:59:20] FA standards. They deal with airports. Their standards are based on long-term sound. These

[3:59:27] are very short bursts of sound. You're not going to come anywhere close. They actually

[3:59:32] went above and beyond to study it further than they normally would knowing just trying to show

[3:59:40] more data on it, but they knew it would come, would definitely not exceed those standards.

[3:59:46] So they can't fund and move any further on those sorts of things.

[3:59:50] So if Sitka wants to take that on, we're gonna have to fund that locally and really create this

[4:00:00] Those kind of levels that aren't defined in engineering standards, and we're kind of making

[4:00:06] our own path at that point. Okay. Can I help clarify? Also get clarification. We see we're

[4:00:13] going to be using the same channel. I may need a pilot to help me with this, but we have

[4:00:20] restrictions on flight times. Is it daylight alone that determines when planes can fly? Because

[4:00:25] I know how loud they are used to live in a place where I'd hear them taking off.

[4:00:30] And so, what controls are already in place for sea plains?

[4:00:35] So again, those controls are regulated by FAA and they do not have, and

[4:00:44] Kevin can probably speak to this better than I can, but they're not going to regulate that to the degree that we received comments on.

[4:00:52] And they don't have justification to do so in their standards.

[4:00:57] So that's another example of some of the requests we're seeing.

[4:01:01] And I look at it and quite frankly, don't see it going anywhere.

[4:01:06] But it's hard to say that because people want to see it developed and

[4:01:10] talked about and not just said no, we can't do that.

[4:01:14] But I really see those type of regulations very hard to move forward.

[4:01:20] it again it would be something that SICKA would have to step in and somehow

[4:01:27] Ray Uley above and beyond FAA and I don't even know if they would allow us to

[4:01:31] do that so we'll be treading new waters once again on some things like that look

[4:01:37] at Kevin as a pilot to help me on that guys if I can I'm going to break in here

[4:01:43] because we are getting dangerously close to turning into pumpkins and I'm

[4:01:49] wondering if we kind of the will of the body, if you guys want to try and go

[4:01:54] late, we have quite a bit of work left. We probably would be at least an hour, or we

[4:02:00] could pick up tomorrow, same time, same place. So kind of will the body here. What

[4:02:09] do you want to do?

[4:02:11] How about Thursday, that gives Sarah that's fine, can either nights fine.

[4:02:21] We've done it both ways in the past.

[4:02:23] I do.

[4:02:23] That's fine.

[4:02:26] Do we want to complete this one and then I don't know if we can in ten minutes.

[4:02:32] Well, we can extend for 15.

[4:02:34] Yeah, why can't we just extend it for a little bit, just finish this and then we'll get

[4:02:37] to the rest.

[4:02:42] Well, just as a short on the question that you have,

[4:02:50] noise compliance or noise abatements

[4:02:53] are generally voluntary, but they have actually been shown to be very successful in some

[4:03:00] places where noise is of concern having hours of operation or asking pilots to keep

[4:03:10] takeoff power to a certain level, different things like that, that bring noise levels down.

[4:03:16] But they are in general voluntary component.

[4:03:19] I guess that's what I'm looking at is, could we put a couple of markers out there and say you will be at your lowest

[4:03:26] noise producing our hands, whatever, until this point and then you're welcome to take off.

[4:03:33] I mean, there's a way that we could limit where the noise is to some degree probably.

[4:03:38] Yeah, it gets noted in charts and other directories, not so much on the water.

[4:03:46] Okay, and then if we say yes tonight, is there any way to back out later if something comes to light that we can't live with?

[4:04:02] I really encourage that it's important that we make the vote tonight that the intention is to build, and that's really what FA is looking for at this stage.

[4:04:13] If we don't build something, we re-risk needing to return all the funds, and that's not just our match funds, so a lot of money is you go into design here.

[4:04:26] and so we, it's designed that we're committed at this point as been mentioned

[4:04:33] tonight and the process has been very long on this.

[4:04:39] We're pushing 10 plus years.

[4:04:41] It started before my time.

[4:04:43] I've been here 13 years, exhaustive sighting studies.

[4:04:46] I mean, the whole point to where we were at when the assembly made this a top priority,

[4:04:53] The top of initiative for staff to push forward was that the siding was done and the FAA has

[4:04:59] put out a lot of money on that, so they're not going to be interested in continuing for

[4:05:07] SICKA to keep going back and forth on that.

[4:05:12] You know, and they would look at the documents and say, when we were doing siding analysis,

[4:05:17] We got a lot of feedback from the entities that said we don't want it where it currently is, we support the current location, you know, where it is now is right outside the office of the tribe and we got letters saying we support this.

[4:05:34] So it's hard when that money is being made at that time to make those decisions and then it changes.

[4:05:40] And so, they're struggling with sick fury on us right now and we're on a fine line of a very long journey of it's time to make the hard decisions it really is.

[4:05:55] Thank you.

[4:05:56] Can I get a motion to extend for 15 minutes from somebody?

[4:05:59] I move to send the meeting until we complete item K.

[4:06:02] Second.

[4:06:06] Is there a, there's not to be it on this, is there?

[4:06:10] No, there will be, we need a unanimous vote to make that extension.

[4:06:16] What's that?

[4:06:17] We need five or six?

[4:06:18] We need six.

[4:06:20] Okay.

[4:06:23] Ms. Nelson?

[4:06:26] Yes.

[4:06:27] Mr. Moser?

[4:06:28] Yes.

[4:06:29] Ms. Duncan?

[4:06:31] Yes.

[4:06:31] Ms. Hemshoot?

[4:06:32] Yes.

[4:06:33] Mr. Christianson?

[4:06:34] Yes.

[4:06:34] Mr. Knox?

[4:06:35] Yes.

[4:06:35] Okay.

[4:06:35] The motion to extend until the completion of item K passes.

[4:06:40] All

[4:06:46] right. You want to add more? I'm here to help if you need me to add more. I really

[4:06:53] get it's uncomfortable that I'm getting to the point of advocating that I'm trying

[4:06:58] to be the voice of FAA and some of the things that we're hearing. So I really want to be

[4:07:06] a neutral party, but it's got a long history to it.

[4:07:11] So

[4:07:15] I had a couple of questions coming in and then we got so much testimony and that did show up in the emails as well, but it brought me in a new direction so bear with me as I try to translate this into questions for you, but I'm just thinking back to things that came up like historic preservation commission, I do remember there are presentations was it in February, and we talked about like an exhaustive process that's been over years. I'm new to this and so that was

[4:09:14] So in February when it came before Historic Preservation Commission was not for feedback, that was a presentation to basically explain the design, and that was done also a public meeting, was that when the tribe was brought in at that point in time or where are these conversations happening?

[4:09:32] There are many different points of public meetings where the tribe, and it's hard for me to remember them all, where they engaged.

[4:09:43] The most recently they engaged with concern about the process, I think it started with the search letter and

[4:09:51] then was quickly followed up with the tribe in support of search about the process.

[4:09:57] And, you know, me having a longer history and it was a very different engagement from the past, so that was challenging to pivot like that, but we want to be respectful of that.

[4:10:12] So I thought we had some very fruitful initial discussion with the tribe about it and then that continued again with FAA getting more involved in the meetings to make sure they would support a process.

[4:10:27] that would continue to engage with them through design all the way into construction.

[4:10:33] So many different points in which tribe could have engaged in the different public processes.

[4:10:43] And I just don't have those facts for you tonight to nail down each one of those.

[4:10:55] Okay, I'm just going to formulate my thoughts a bit more so.

[4:10:58] If I can, I mean I have been involved with this not since the last time I was on this

[4:11:07] family but the time before that and I was elected the first time over 20 years ago.

[4:11:18] We have had more meetings, I mean I'm sure that we could go through the history but it's

[4:11:24] It's got to be over 20, that we've had this, where we've had plans up, where we've discussed

[4:11:30] various sites.

[4:11:34] We've had, they've been very much open to the public, advertised, plans in the newspaper.

[4:11:42] And I know we've been to the tribe before, multiple times with this, I know we've been to search.

[4:11:48] We have letters of support from both older, of course.

[4:11:56] And essentially, we need to decide if we want to see plain base.

[4:12:04] Because we have been through the war is trying to find a different spot.

[4:12:11] And honestly, if we put the see plain place there, the noise doesn't change from what it is now.

[4:12:16] because it's the same take-off spot, exactly.

[4:12:23] And if we decide, okay, we don't want it here,

[4:12:27] then we're deciding we don't want one.

[4:12:28] And that's unfortunate, but it's literally,

[4:12:33] at least 15 years, but I think it's been more like 20 plus.

[4:12:37] We have been trying to find a solution to this.

[4:12:42] And like anything, it's not perfect.

[4:12:46] But there never is going to be, and so it comes down to this is if we're going to have

[4:12:55] a sea plane base or not.

[4:12:56] If we decide no, then we take the lumps to go with that, but that's the decision we'd

[4:13:01] be making.

[4:13:04] So anyway, Rebecca?

[4:13:06] Yeah.

[4:13:06] I just have one more comment.

[4:13:08] I'm going to support this.

[4:13:09] I mean, it's been a long process, and so I'm going to vote yes on it.

[4:13:13] But I'd like a message to get to the administrator since when we have a long run out process like this,

[4:13:18] if we have a current sitting STA tribal council member who's unaware of the past,

[4:13:23] I think the burdens on us to make sure that we're communicating as a government to government communication

[4:13:31] when things like this come up. Like it's been a long time. Yes, we've talked about it.

[4:13:36] Now it's on our agenda again. Let's proactively reach out

[4:13:40] about what we're doing and the steps we've followed.

[4:13:43] So the similar communication that we get in our packet,

[4:13:46] I would like to see that go to the tribe.

[4:13:48] I don't know if that's too burdensome

[4:13:51] but it feels fair to make sure that we're operating

[4:13:59] as parallel entities.

[4:14:00] So anyway, I'm gonna vote yes on this.

[4:14:02] Thanks.

[4:14:09] Anyone else?

[4:14:10] Kevin?

[4:14:11] I was paying a quick.

[4:14:12] I appreciate everyone's input and kind of like history helps me.

[4:14:17] It appears to me just from listening to everyone that it's just, yeah, I'm going to support

[4:14:25] it.

[4:14:25] It's one of those, what Tor said, it's not perfect by any means, and it's just a difficult

[4:14:33] situation.

[4:14:34] I do think that we need one and I think that from what it sounds like, we're going to

[4:14:38] still continue to be working with the tribe on a development to respect some of the site

[4:14:45] facts. But as far as the sound, I don't know that there's a lot we can do about that.

[4:14:50] So I do think that it's important to do this so we can get one with the money we're getting

[4:14:55] from that layer.

[4:15:00] I know it's been going on forever, but that doesn't mean that it's right to go back on our word with the tribe. And if I remember correctly, when we signed the MOA or MOU, I was mayor or acting mayor, and I signed one of those agreements, and I need assurances that I understand it's not, it's not, it's not going to be right anywhere. Nobody wants it in their backyard. Nobody wants the noise. Nobody wants anything.

[4:15:30] And I'm not saying we don't need one, but I don't feel I can vote yes and go against

[4:15:36] what I feel.

[4:15:37] We've promised to the tribe and I'm sorry I can't support it.

[4:15:48] So I'm going back in time trying to retrace the search letter from February, so this is

[4:15:54] after the presentations occurred.

[4:15:56] And then I'm just trying to think did search reach out because I know they have on other things

[4:16:02] within the community that they felt strongly about so mask mandates. We toppled that tonight.

[4:16:07] They came forward a couple of meetings ago in support of masking in public. And so I'm

[4:16:13] just wondering, the timeline of this, I know that we're rushed because the grant, we submitted

[4:16:19] it and we have to pull it if you don't get the support. So I'm just thinking, am I missing

[4:16:24] something else that came via the tribe saying, we have these concerns, please consider

[4:16:31] this and again it's a long night so I'm like trying to go back in time and

[4:16:37] remember the different outreach that we got including search things for that

[4:16:41] reminder I went back to that email and but when it comes to the tribe did we

[4:16:46] have anything formally come from them yeah we did and then the city had a

[4:16:52] formal response back and then we had a number of meetings after that to go

[4:16:58] through that, and since our response in the meetings, we have not received any indicators

[4:17:06] that, and it's unfortunate, if the case if we are still in a bad spot, that certainly

[4:17:11] isn't the intention. We're thinking we're aligned with the code that Miss Nelson's referencing,

[4:17:18] which I think is important, and if somehow that got off, I think that is very unfortunate,

[4:17:24] And if that's where we're at, and that's not the intention here.

[4:17:29] And there's a staff to staff relationship that happens and

[4:17:34] where it goes from there is always going to be a challenge.

[4:17:38] So if the staff's having these discussions, does that go out?

[4:17:43] In their organization to the council members and how well does that translate?

[4:17:50] There could be some delay in that.

[4:17:52] I just, it's very hard to speak to it at this time

[4:17:55] because I wasn't aware that we weren't in a good place.

[4:18:01] There, I am very aware of that search.

[4:18:05] I don't believe is comfortable with this project,

[4:18:08] and I don't think we ever got there with them.

[4:18:13] Michael, just to be clear, you were saying that

[4:18:17] if we did hold off until after the next tribal meeting,

[4:18:24] and that that would put the project in jeopardy.

[4:18:29] No, I you know what I guess I'm speaking the most concern towards is voting to move forward but

[4:18:38] maybe not meaning it. I think that's the most dangerous path really. I think we'd be better off

[4:18:45] to delay. Yes, we could be risking the 0% match for this phase, but a positive project

[4:18:56] and good relations, I get it. That's all really important. So you can weigh those things

[4:19:01] and those risks and move accordingly, but I'd really caution against the move forward and

[4:19:08] And maybe not, I think we're going to follow through because we've done a lot of that through the history of that is the viewpoint that people have about it, you know, that are trying to fund us and it's just a dangerous place to be and it's time to

[4:19:27] Yeah, when at this stage, and it's really the intent of this stage, the planning's done.

[4:19:34] You're meaning to move forward and build, so.

[4:19:38] When is the next tribal?

[4:19:41] Tomorrow night.

[4:19:42] Tomorrow night.

[4:19:43] It's not on their agenda, though, so I don't know how to discuss it.

[4:19:47] Could it be impossible, do you think, to get it on the agenda for them tomorrow night,

[4:19:52] or no?

[4:19:55] Well, there's a problem over here, we could ask for it.

[4:19:59] So point being, I think we need to make, if we want to go that route, I think we could do that.

[4:20:06] I don't know, do they meet by monthly or monthly?

[4:20:11] I think it's monthly.

[4:20:13] Monthly, okay.

[4:20:17] Because whatever we do with that or not, we need to realize that we have gone so far down looking for other things that this is it.

[4:20:25] is, and I think that we need to make it clear if we do go to the tribe that, okay, we have

[4:20:33] a seed playing base here, or we don't have one. And it's not like we haven't spent 20 years

[4:20:38] trying to find another place we have.

[4:20:43] So, and that's fine if that's the will of the body.

[4:20:46] I don't, again, I don't know if we can tell the to Woody and see if he can bring it up, or

[4:20:51] I think if we can wait another month, if that's too long, Michael, is that too long?

[4:20:58] Well, again, the risk is losing that 0% match.

[4:21:02] I hate being in a force, and I don't want it to be as a force choice.

[4:21:06] But I feel like it's my job to say that is at jeopardy as we delay.

[4:21:12] We just don't know if they're going to fund that program in the next funding cycle.

[4:21:17] and we're right September's the time frame where it's transitioning to the next one.

[4:21:22] Maybe it will still be there and we're fine, but I just can't tell you that at this point.

[4:21:30] So that's the risk.

[4:21:34] B6.25%.

[4:21:40] Well, what's the will about it? Do you guys want someone who want to make a motion to delay?

[4:21:46] Call for the question.

[4:21:46] Okay,

[4:21:53] on the motion to approve resolution 2021-18 on first and final reading, Ms. Hemshoot.

[4:22:00] Yes.

[4:22:04] Sorry.

[4:22:07] I'm sorry.

[4:22:09] Ms. Hemshoot, yes?

[4:22:10] Yes.

[4:22:12] Mr. Knox?

[4:22:14] Yes.

[4:22:15] Ms. Duncan?

[4:22:21] Yes.

[4:22:23] Mr. Moser?

[4:22:24] Yes.

[4:22:25] Ms. Nelson?

[4:22:27] No.

[4:22:28] Mr. Christensen?

[4:22:29] Yes.

[4:22:30] Yes. The motion passes 5-1.

[4:22:33] Okay, so we have five minutes left. Thursday, Wednesday or Thursday?

[4:22:37] Thursday.

[4:22:39] Thursday?

[4:22:40] And then if I can just add a little bit on process, so if you choose to meet on Thursday night, so the appropriate motion would be to, I move to adjourn to that date and time that you choose.

[4:22:50] I was trying to just figure out what people's will was before I asked for a motion.

[4:22:55] I move to move the rest of this meeting to Thursday, the 16th at 6 p.m.

[4:23:01] 7?

[4:23:02] Oh.

[4:23:03] 7 p.m.

[4:23:04] 1,536?

[4:23:06] No, no.

[4:23:08] 7 p.m.

[4:23:09] Is that better for you?

[4:23:10] We have three items left.

[4:23:11] I don't care.

[4:23:13] It doesn't have to be.

[4:23:14] That's what the public is used to.

[4:23:16] Assembly meeting.

[4:23:17] 6 p.m.

[4:23:17] Okay.

[4:23:18] The 6 p.m.

[4:23:20] Second.

[4:23:24] Is that a debatable motion?

[4:23:28] It is not debatable.

[4:23:30] Okay, let's go.

[4:23:31] Mr. Moser?

[4:23:32] Yes.

[4:23:33] Ms. Nelson?

[4:23:36] Yes.

[4:23:37] Mr. Knox?

[4:23:38] Yes.

[4:23:38] Mr. Christensen?

[4:23:39] Yes.

[4:23:40] Ms. Duncan?

[4:23:41] Yes.

[4:23:42] Ms. Kimschut.

[4:23:43] Yes.

[4:23:43] A.V. Assembly will adjourn at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

[4:23:49] I don't recall, September 16th, to finish the agenda.

[4:23:55] See you on Thursday.

City and Borough Assembly on 2021-09-14 6:00 PM

Agenda

Transcript