Letter of Support for SE AK Discovery Center
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7a(5) T R A N S M I T T A L M E M O R A N D U M TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Lacey G. Simpson, Assistant City Manager DATE: June 24, 2021 RE: Authorizing Letter of Support of Funding Requests for Improvements to the United States Forest Service Southeast Alaska Discovery Center At its meeting of June 17, 2021, Councilmember Gage requested a future City Council agenda item regarding the City submitting a letter of support of funding requests for improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Attached for City Council consideration is a draft letter to Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart expressing the City’s support of the Forest Service’s funding requests for improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Also attached is additional information on the proposed improvement projects, which would upgrade and enhance the original exhibits and HVAC system at the Center and implement a more robust security system. As letters must be submitted by July 7, 2021, City Council direction is needed at the meeting of July 1, 2021. The City Council may wish to modify aspects of the attached draft letter and staff is prepared to proceed with the direction given by the City Council. A motion has been prepared for City Council consideration. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the motion directing the City Manager to finalize and transmit a letter of support as determined appropriate by the City Council under the signature of the Mayor on behalf of the Ketchikan City Council to Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart supporting the United States Forest Service’s funding requests for improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Recommended Motion: I move the City Council direct the City Manager to finalize and transmit a letter of support as determined appropriate by the City Council under the signature of the Mayor on behalf of the Ketchikan City Council to Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart supporting the United States Forest Service’s funding requests for improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. AGENDA – 07/01/21 – GGNB5 Robert Sivertsen, Mayor 334 Front Street Ketchikan, AK 99901 (907) 228-5603 phone (907) 225-5075 fax June 24, 2021 Earl Stewart, Forest Supervisor Tongass National Forest USDA Forest Service 648 Mission Street Ketchikan, AK 99901 Dear Supervisor Stewart: RE: Support for Funding Requests for Improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center With regard to the above referenced subject, the Ketchikan City Council is supportive of the United States Forest Service’s requests for funding through the Great America Outdoors Act for much needed improvements to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Since its construction in 1995, the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center has been an integral part of the Ketchikan community. While the Center was envisioned as an interpretive center to educate the public on the natural history and culture of the Southeast Alaska region, the Center has grown to mean a great deal to the residents of Ketchikan. School field trips, educational programs for youth and adults such as the very popular Friday Night Insights program, the Annual Hummingbird Festival, and more connect both residents and visitors with each other and with the Tongass National Forest. The proposed upgrades to the aging exhibits and HVAC system are not only overdue but necessary for the vitality and longevity of the Center. Given the building’s central downtown location, it has become an easy target for vandalism and illegal activities, which can tarnish the visitor experience and the character of Ketchikan. Upgrades to security, lighting and general safety around the building would be appreciated by facility users as well as neighboring businesses. The City and Southeast Alaska Discovery Center have developed a strong relationship and have collaborated on many pubic programs and presentations at the Center. The City looks forward to continuing this relationship and is supportive of these funding requests and improvement projects that invest in the future of the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Robert Sivertsen Mayor Cc: City Councilmembers Karl Amylon, City Manager "UNAPPROVED" June 17, 2021 K.P.U. MANAGER’S REPORT Project Status Reports of the KPU Division Managers – May 2021 General Manager Amylon provided for Council review the project status reports of the KPU division managers for the month of May 2021. Election of Telecommunications Division Manager as Alaska Telecom Association President General Manager Amylon attached for Council review a memorandum from the Telecommunications Division Manager, the Alaska Telecom Association (ATA) has elected Mr. Cushing as President for a two-year term. He said he concurred with Mr. Cushing’s assessment that serving as an officer of ATA provides KPU with significant opportunities to affect policy both at the state and federal levels. CITY CLERK’S FILE – None CITY ATTORNEY’S FILE – None FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Councilmember Gage informed the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center is looking for a letter of support from the City Council for two enhancement projects they have coming up; installing a new security system and upgrades for the exhibits and the HVAC. She indicated their deadline is July 7, 2021, and requested this as a topic for Council consideration on the agenda for July 1, 2021. MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Bergeron said he is almost done with his work in Petersburg and cannot wait to come home. He thanked everyone for their patience as he worked through some technical difficulties. Councilmember Gass congratulated Police Chief White on a great career. He feels mayor proclamations are better suited for retiring employees, but for issues that are more political there should be Council debate and a vote. Councilmember Gage said that on June 16th the federal government voted to make Juneteenth a national holiday. She stated this correlates with Pride Month as communities work towards working full equality to all community members. She said she is thankful for this Council for their votes and their support for the different community members within this community. Councilmember Kiffer congratulated Police Chief White on his retirement. He congratulated Ed Cushing on being Alaska Telecom Association President again. He thanked Mr. Cushing for the gift. Councilmember Bradberry thanked Police Chief White and his family for all they have done for our community. She said it will be a huge loss not having them out on the baseball fields or basketball courts. She said there has been a lot of ticketing of expired tags and it has been difficult to get into the DMV right now. She asked if there is anything the City or Council can do, such as sending a letter to the State explaining how the community needs these services. 7 Lacey Simpson From: Janalee <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2021 11:26 AM To: Karl Amylon; Lacey Simpson; Mark Hilson Subject: Discovery Center Needs our help Attachments: image002.png; 2023 R10 Unfunded Project List_Input Needed (2).pdf; NR_Public invited to share input on future Great American Outdoors Act projects in Alaska.pdf CAUTION: External Email This email originated from a source outside the City of Ketchikan. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. This past weekend, Leslie at the DIscovery Center reached out to me, she is needing help to get the Discovery Center funded. I know that we depend on them for access to bathrooms, as well as programs for both the community and tourists. I believe this would be a huge loss to us, and another empty uncared-for facility is not good for business. Here is what is needed; The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center needs letters and online support to receive Great America Outdoors Act (GAOA) funding for 2 improvement projects. Attached are two documents to help with any discussions. Our projects are listed in the Unfunded Project List. We are seeking community, statewide and national support for these 2 projects. We need formal (with letterhead) letters of support from the City of Ketchikan, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the Chamber of Commerce, Ketchikan Indian Community, Ketchikan Fire Department (security project), Ketchikan Police Department (security project) etc. to be addressed to: Earl Stewart, Forest Supervisor 648 Mission Street, Ketchikan Alaska 99901 An example letter: The City of Ketchikan is in full support of the Forest Service proposed improvement projects at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is an integral part of the community. These projects will improve the visitor experience and understanding of the community and continue to demonstrate how the natural and cultural resources of the area have shaped life here for generations and continues to do so today. 1 Go to: Alaska Region Outdoor Projects (arcgis.com) Click on Tab: Submit a 2023 Comment Choose: Southeast AK Discovery Center Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (SEADC) Enhanced Visitor Experience and Comfort: Exhibits at Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (SEADC) are the same as when the building opened in 1995 and are severely outdated. This project would plan and implement a fresh interpretive vision that is engaging, interactive, and experiential. The obsolete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system would be upgraded as part of the exhibit redesign to improve air quality, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency. Directional signage to the public entrance would be added. With these improvements, SEADC can become a high-profile center of natural and cultural resource education. Go to: Alaska Region Outdoor Projects (arcgis.com) Click on TAB: Submit a 2023 Comment Choose: Discovery Center Security Southeast Alaska Discovery Center Security Design and Implementation: Over 100,000 people visit Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (SEADC) in downtown Ketchikan each year.