by Michael Armstrong

Special to The Seward Folly

After introducing two ordinances related to city employees at its last meeting, on Monday night the Seward City Council passed both ordinances unanimously and with little debate. Ordinance 2025-12 amends city code to include a paid parental leave policy for city workers and Ordinance 2025-013 makes clarification in city code to allow non-exempt employees who are members of a collective bargaining unit the option to not pay union dues while still letting the union represent them.

The council also passed Ordinance 2025-011, a revision to the Developer Incentive and Reimbursement Program (DRP) that would allow developers to submit applications even when there isn’t money available.

Ordinance 2025-012 provides paid leave for a “qualifying life event,” defined as “the arrival of a biological or adoptive child or placement of foster children,” according to the ordinance. The ordinance does not stipulate how much paid leave would be granted, but in a laydown City Manager Kat Sorensen submitted a draft policy she said is similar to the City of Soldotna’s parental leave policy. Soldotna offers up to 240 hours of paid parental leave to full-time employees.

“So, one of the things that this ordinance does allow is for administration to create a paid parental leave policy, which is a very open-ended item.”  

-Kat Sorensen, Seward City Manager

Shane Hand, President of the Seward Public Employees Association, spoke in favor of the parental leave policy. Hand said parental leave can help in recruiting and retaining city workers, especially when seen in the context of other benefits that help new workers build careers and make homes in Seward.

“We will support you in that, and then also support you in building your roots here, i.e., a family,” Hand said.

Council Member Casie Warner sponsored the parental-leave policy ordinance. In closing comments she thanked the council for passing it.

“I am excited that we as a governing body have decided to invest in one of the city’s biggest assets, our employees, and them, if they’re choosing to grow their family, which will (have a) ripple effect throughout our community, lay groups here, the next generation of Sewardites as well as help support our schools,” she said.

Ordinance 25-013 clears up some confusion about a U.S. Supreme Court decision that let public employees opt out of paying union dues or agency fees in collective bargaining units, explained Human Resources Manager Ashleigh Lipsey.

“It does not change the union’s obligation to bargain or negotiate on behalf of everyone in the bargaining unit, so you’re not in or out,” she said. “You have the option to pay dues or not, but the bargaining unit negotiates on your behalf, and everybody is governed by the collective bargaining agreement.”

Hand, again speaking on behalf of the Seward Public Employees Association, spoke in favor of the ordinance.

“What this clarifies is that we as a collective bargaining agreement represent the whole, as a union represents the whole collective bargaining unit that would be a due-paying member or a non-due-paying unit,” he said.

Hand said that with a favorable administration the clarification might not be necessary, but there could be “some potential manipulation to where we the union in good faith could negotiate with the city and then be counter, and then have counter offers to non-union paid members by the same administration, sort of undercut the negotiation, undermine them,” he said. “… I think this is a step in the right direction, as far as having secure, safe space and a working relationship with our employer and the city and my member base.”

Ordinance 2025-011 also passed unanimously and with little debate. Under the Developer Incentive and Reimbursement Program, or DRP, the changes to that ordinance allow for potential developers to let the city know of their plans and submit applications even when the program is closed. According to an agenda statement by Assistant City Manager Jason Bickling, the changes will:

• “Demonstrate program demand and indicate when to open the program;
• “Consider applications based on community need, as determined by council and administration;
• “Initiate council work sessions with developers to create a collaborative process to determine funding for projects;
• “Require legislation to be brought forward in the form of a resolution to disburse funds and to set up an improvement district, if required.”

“Instead of it being on the city manager to make those decisions, it will be a collaborative decision that you guys basically get a lot of input for us to bring back a resolution to you,” Bickling said. “And it will be a collaborative one where you can hear from the developers what their plans are and evaluate those plans in order to make your decisions on how you want to fund those.”

-Jason Bickling, Assistant City Manager

The council also passed resolutions to improve city infrastructure or add new equipment. It appropriates these funds:

• Resolution 2025-080, accepting a loan from the Department of Environmental Conservation Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund for $600,000, with loan forgiveness of $600,000, to fund the Seward Marine Industrial Center Water Pumphouse Addition Hypochlorite Generator Project;

• Resolution 2025-081, authorizing a $797,600 contract with Prism Design & Construction, LLC for the construction of the SMIC Water Pumphouse Addition and Hypochlorite Generator Project;

• Resolution 2025-082, authorizing a $156,518 purchase of blower equipment for the Lowell Point Lagoon;

• Resolution 2025-083, authorizing the $179,200 purchase of two Chevy Tahoe Police Interceptor vehicles with police specific equipment additions; and

• Resolution 2025, approving a $251,064 proposal from KC Corporation to build a three-sided shelter in the Seward Electric Department Laydown Yard.

Michael Armstrong is a retired Homer News reporter and editor. Reach him at wordfolk@gmail.com.

The Seward Folly publisher Robert Barnwell is a current member of the Seward City Council, but he did not participate in the editing of this story.