A clerical error could result in the city having to issue refunds to dock users. In June, city council may have unintentionally lowered moorage rates when it approved the 2012 schedule of fees and charges for city services. The ordinance was only supposed to raise PCR fees, but the packet that council received -- and which has been published online since then -- may have changed the ports fees too.

Ports director Peggy McLaughlin explained at Tuesday's city council meeting that since the department didn’t know about the changes, it continued billing dock users at the old rates, which in some cases are about 15 percent higher than the rates in the published document

When fish processors are busiest in Unalaska, the city’s water supply takes a hit. Previous studies have shown that the city would need an additional 2 to 4 million gallons of water a day to meet demand during those peak periods. To get that water, the city would have to drill new water wells.

The Seattle-based environmental consulting firm Shannon & Wilson has researched prospective well sites around town, including Pyramid Valley, where most of our drinking water is produced. Tonight, they’ll present their findings to city council.

In March, council set aside $42,000 for a study of alternative energy resources in Unalaska. Mike Hubbard, a consultant with the Financial Engineering Company of Maine, presented that report to city council at their meeting Tuesday night.

Hubbard examined the feasibility of wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal energy, along with liquid natural gas. His conclusion? None of them are ideal for Unalaska.  

At a meeting Tuesday night, city council will revisit some budget amendments that failed to win support earlier this month.

A $15,000 grant for public safety and a public works request for $32,000 are back on the agenda in the same budget package – along with a much-discussed grant for renovations at the Museum of the Aleutians.

At the last council meeting, the museum’s $75,000 grant was the sticking point that caused the entire budget package to fail. This time, the grant amount is increased to $202,000. That’s the full amount that the museum needs to hold onto the outside grants they’ve already secured, and start building their designs.

Unalaska Public Works Director Nancy Peterson was recently recognized as the Alaska Municipal League’s Employee of the Year. City Manager Chris Hladick says she got a standing ovation from the crowd when the award was announced.

“They read a little bio, and so they lead up to who the person is without saying who they are or where they’re from. And Nancy was very surprised by it.”

In Unalaska, two-thirds of city council has to vote yes to pass an ordinance. That proved a challenge Thursday night, as council rejected a funding package by a 3-1 vote.

The $125,000 budget amendment included money for public safety grants and new power transformers, plus a controversial grant for the Museum of the Aleutians. But while the measure failed, it might not be dead yet.

At tonight’s meeting, city council will take a final vote on a controversial funding package.

If approved, public safety will get $14,000 for their emergency planning program, and the city will have $32,000 to spend on new power transformers. But more than half of the $125,000 in the budget package would go to the Museum of the Aleutians.

The museum needs $75,000 to help fill a big gap in their construction budget, for a new permanent exhibit. They’ve been working on that design for eight years. And they’ve reached out to the city for extra funding, outside the normal nonprofit cycle.

Unalaska’s assistant city manager resigned suddenly on Friday. According to human resources manager Kelly Stiles, John Fulton’s resignation is effective immediately. Neither Stiles nor city manager Chris Hladick would comment on his departure, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters.

Fulton was originally brought in as a consultant in January 2008. He was then hired as Unalaska’s city planner and eventually transitioned to the assistant city manager position. 

Hladick will be taking over his responsibilities at the city until the position can be filled. 

Fulton is the second prominent city employee to resign suddenly in the past two months - city engineer Tyler Zimmerman gave notice in early September.

During Tuesday’s meeting, city council tackled big topics in work session. Utility rate increases and revisions to the sales tax code generated significant discussion.

Utility rates will rise at least 50 percent
Mike Hubbard, of the Financial Engineering Company, teleconferenced in to talk to council about paying off massive overhauls of three utilities. He’s given a similar talk before. But this time, Hubbard provided a clearer picture of what the new utilities might cost consumers.