NOME COMMON COUNCIL— The Council passed the emergency authorization into second reading.

Council to extend COVID emergency ordinance

By Diana Haecker
At last Monday’s regular meeting the Nome Common Council approved in first reading the extension of the Emergency Ordinance that “authorizes the Nome Common Council to direct the City Manager to take necessary actions to reduce the impact and spread of COVID-19.” The current emergency authorization sunsets on Sept. 27 and with the adoption of its extension, the ordinance would expire on January 31, 2022. The ordinance will go into second reading and public comment during the next Council meeting on Sept. 27. Councilman Doug Johnson asked whether the emergency declaration is still necessary. “Yes,” said City Manager Glen Steckman. “It’s nice to have just in case.” Steckman said the city’s message is to encourage booster vaccination shots and testing at the airport. However, rapid tests are hard to come by due to the explosion of COVID cases in the rest of the nation. Tests take about 72 hours to be analyzed as they are sent out to the state lab. Testing at the airport is no longer mandated but optional for travelers arriving in Nome.
In other actions the Council voted on a resolution declaring four properties fire hazard and nuisance properties. One property has been abated by owner Kevin Fimon, but the other three are condemned and will be demolished or removed by the city if their owners Duffy Halladay, Fred Larsen Sr. and Randy Burns will not do so by Oct. 1.
The Council removed from the agenda approval of a resolution brought by the Public Safety Advisory Commission that recommended to pursue national accreditation for the Nome Police Department. The Council will meet on a work session to discuss the matter.
The Nome Chamber of Commerce petitioned the Council with the request to remove the 2 percent increase of the seasonal sales tax. Council member Mark Johnson was curious what the mechanism would be to move forward with such a reduction. The seasonal sales tax increase was instated after a voter referendum in 2016. The question is to be clarified by the City’s attorney, said Steckman.
The Council will meet in a work session on the issue, which also is to address other sources of revenue for the city.  
In other business, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing a finance note in the amount of $3.8 million for Nome Joint Utilities to purchase diesel fuel. Mayor John Handeland said that the fuel delivery is scheduled for Sept. 17 and that the note would be sold to Wells Fargo at an estimated interest rate under 1 percent.
Before the Council was a resolution to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with port design contractor PND to begin work to desing local services facilites and to satisfy the 35 percent cost share with the Corps of Engineers in the amount of $150,000. In an amendment, the amount was increased to $200,000 and the Council voted to approve the resolution.
In the audience at the meeting was the City’s Washington  D.C. lobbyist Jay Sterne, who works to promote the port expansion at the highest level of government.
Also, Mayor John Handeland recognized NPD  Sergeant Alex Le for keeping a level head when a juvenile pointed  a hand gun at him and containing the situation without resorting to firing his service weapon.  
The Council is scheduled to meet next on Monday, Sept. 27.

 

The Nome Nugget

PO Box 610
Nome, Alaska 99762
USA

Phone: (907) 443-5235
Fax: (907) 443-5112

www.nomenugget.net

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