The most debated issue at this week’s city council meeting wasn’t on the agenda. A 2012 ordinance that prohibits truckers from driving with their fifth wheel in a raised position resurfaced. Councilor Dennis Robinson asked the city manager to revisit the rule, saying it was taking too much time for truckers to constantly adjust the wheel.

"The guys that are driving the trucks are going to stop and they’re not going to go until that fifth wheel is down," Robinson said. "And with a 700-move ship, you do the math -- five minutes a piece."

Skip Southworth, a crane operator and former city councilor, commented that the rule slows his production and makes offloading slightly trickier.

"That means I’m going from 36 moves an hour down to 24, because it takes me three or four tries to hit because [the truck] is flat," Southworth said.

Southworth said he wanted council to change the rule so trucks could drive with the fifth wheel raised on dirt roads only.

Robinson suggested a slightly different approach, which is a flat exception for empty trucks. Councilor Zoya Johnson responded that the original rule came after research and testimony from stakeholders, and she said she was not willing to consider changes without more input from industry.

Robinson introduced a motion to start researching exceptions to the ordinance for empty trucks, but the motion failed by a vote of 3-1, with Johnson voting no, and Roger Rowland absent. Robinson said he would bring the issue back to the public at a future meeting.

Early in the meeting, council unanimously passed a $5 million budget amendment. That money will help pay for capital projects including repaving, and the construction of a new wastewater plant. Council also approved a $34,000 contract with PND Engineers, Inc., to evaluate the high mast and dock lighting systems at the city’s ports, and suggest fixes. That contract was revised from the original estimate of $91,000, since the ports department decided not to seek design or bid support from PND right away. PND designed the city’s original dock lighting systems, which have corroded over time.

Council adopted a list of budget goals drawn up by city manager Chris Hladick. As city staff start writing the budget for fiscal year 2014, they’ll use the list to guide their work. According to the list, the city will try to limit increases on non-personnel spending to 3 percent to keep up with inflation. They'll plan the budget around upgrades to three of the city's utilities.

Mayor Shirley Marquardt also introduced two visitors from the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference. Economist Erik O’Brien, and Andy Baker, a clean energy consultant, were in town to gather information for an energy study.

City council’s next meeting is scheduled for March 26.