by Michael Armstrong

Special to The Seward Folly

Resolution 2025-121: Child care

In its title, “Establishing child care as an economic development activity, and directing administration to include child care in economic development planning and strategies,” Resolution 2025-121 made clear that child care should be seen not just as supporting families, but as crucial to economic development. The resolution aligned “City policy with state and regional initiatives that recognize early care and learning as vital infrastructure for a stable and thriving economy,” according to the resolution.

“Child Care is not merely a service for working families,” Josie McClain said in public comments. “It’s a catalyst for economic growth, workforce participation and community well being. When families have access to reliable child care, parents, especially mothers, are empowered to pursue employment, education and career advancement.”

Resolution 2025-122: Local Schools & Education

Citizens voiced equally strong support for Resolution 2025-122: “Supporting local schools and directing the development of partnerships and collaborations that enhance student learning, civic engagement, and workforce development opportunities.”

“It’s time that together, we as a community, create schools that provide our learners a richly connected educational program that meets the needs of our youth and the future of this community,” said Kirstie Willean. “I’m asking that you take the first step in making sure, once again, the place of recognized excellence in education by voting yes on this resolution.”

Jennifer DesErmia also spoke in favor of Resolution 2025-122.

“This resolution affirms something many of us already believe, that education is a core value of our community, and that our city has a meaningful role to play in supporting student learning, civic engagement and workforce development,” she said.

Council Members Lori Draper and Casie Warner co-sponsored the resolution. Warner spoke about how when she ran for Seward City Council, she considered education one of her top issues.

“I think this is a good first step to start aligning with the schools and bolstering up the curriculum that we that we can offer our kids here, because we deserve better,” Draper said. “Our kids deserve better.”

Warner spoke about those potential partnerships.

“I think this is a great first step in showing that we as a community, value our youth, we value our schools, we value our education system here, and we need to, we need to bring in all the amazing entities and organizations that we have here in Seward, all those individuals that work at those places, and bring them in front of our youth, provide them with opportunities, exposure and partnerships,” she said.

On an amendment, she asked to include the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area to that list of groups. That amendment passed without objection.

Planning & Zoning Commission Appointment

In appointing a Planning & Zoning Commissioner to take the seat of Carol Griswold, the council selected candidate Andrew Wilder. The council held a secret ballot to choose from three candidates: Wilder, Randy Wells and James Michael Taylor. Wilder and Taylor submitted applications after Dec. 10. Wilder received six votes and Wells one vote.

In other actions, the council passed individual votes on these resolutions:

• Resolution 2025-117: Adopting the 2026 City of Seward pay plan; 
• Resolution 2025-118: Authorizing the City Manager to accept the proposal from Electric Power Constructors (EPC) for the rebuild of the Lawing Substation in an amount not to exceed $5,200,000;
• Resolution 2025-119: Authorizing the City Manager to purchase advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Meters, Network equipment, and software from Landis+Gyr for citywide electric meter modernization in the amount of $766,389, plus a 10% contingency and appropriating funds, and
• Resolution 2025-120: Authorizing the City Manager to accept the Proposal from National Metering & Technical Services to perform commercial and industrial meter audits in the amount of $37,005 plus a 10% contingency and appropriating funds.

On the consent agenda, the council passed these resolutions:

• Resolution 2025-123: Authorizing the City Manager to accept funds from the Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod Federal Fishery Disaster Relief through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in the amount of $9,438.15;
• Resolution 2025-124: Repealing Resolution 2025-064 and Authorizing the City Manager to accept an adjusted loan amount from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Clean Water Fund for $740,000 with loan forgiveness of $740,000 for planning and design of Lowell Point and SMIC Lagoon effluent disinfection and completing and implementing a required wastewater/water utility Rate Study, and
• Resolution 2025-125: Authorizing the City Manager to purchase water meters from Anchorage Well & Pump Service, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $201,471.72.

Renewal of the AMCO retail marijuana store license and on-site consumption

Also on the consent agenda, the council found no grounds to protest the  renewal of the AMCO retail marijuana store license and on-site consumption, for the Tufted Puffin at 408 Port Avenue and the renewal of the AMCO retail marijuana store license for the Tufted Puffin at 216 Fourth Avenue.

Executive Session

The council also went into executive session on two issues, discussion with the city attorney regarding the facts and litigation strategies regarding Sayler v. City of Seward and facts and litigation strategies regarding Afognak Construction & Excavating, Inc., related to subdivision public improvements at Forest Acres and Forest Acres Afognak Addition for a potential code enforcement action.

Under Alaska’s Open Meetings Law, governmental bodies can go into executive session to discuss specific matters covered by attorney-client privilege.

The next Seward City Council meeting will be held on Monday, January 12, 2026, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

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.