The Homer City Council introduced a new police officer and recognized a community member for years of volunteer work in addition to its regular business on Monday.
Mayor Rachel Lord kicked off the meeting by reading a legislative citation recognizing Robert Archibald for over 40 years of volunteer service in the community. Police Chief Scanlon introduced incoming police officer Benito Ramirez-Torres, who just completed training in Sitka and has begun field training in Homer this week.
Then the council adopted its consent agenda, which introduced an ordinance that would set aside $8,000 from the general fund and approve staff time for work on public information on a ballot proposition 1. It asks voters whether to continue a sales tax that funds the city's roads and trails program, commonly known as the HART program. The item will return next month for a final reading and public comment.
The consent agenda also approved several resolutions. One awarded the contract for prisoner meals at the Homer Jail to Homer Senior Citizens and set prices. Another re-established an agreement between the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the city, allowing equipment sharing and joint administration of elections.
Others set property tax Mill rates in Homer and selected a cleanup alternative option for the Homer Education and Recreation Complex property. It means demolishing the smaller of the two HERC buildings and not pursuing cleanup efforts on the larger, more accessible building.
Councilmembers put forward several items for public hearing. The first ordinance accepted over $8,500 in grant funding and another roughly $950 from reserves to buy 16 emergency response pagers for the Homer Fire Department.
The council also updated its FY26/27 operating budget. They adopted three amendments to the item before passing it, including putting $12,000 to Kachemak Bay Broadcasting Incorporated for airing council meetings and emergency communications. Another amendment puts $20,000 to the Kachemak Swim Club for operating the Pool at Homer High School following the school district's decision to end pool funding. Lord said South Peninsula Hospital also committed the same amount to the club. She said the appropriations are pending the approval of the school district and borough assembly. The final amendment puts $3,000 to city lobbyists. The council adopted the amended ordinance.
Next, the council approved amending the capital budget for mid-biennium adjustments. They also amended the ordinance with $50,000 from the Port and Harbor reserves for fencing to meet federal security requirements and $30,000 to improve access to the city hall from Pioneer Avenue to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Then the council postponed amending the city’s water and wastewater rates to the next meeting. Members say the underlying financial calculations changed and needed to be rechecked before making a final decision.
No one from the public commented on the ordinances.
The council declined to introduce an ordinance that would have set aside $378,000 for planning and design of a new loop trail above Karen Hornaday Park. Council members shot down the proposal in a five-to-zero vote after learning the engineering costs came in at more than double what was originally budgeted. Randall Wiest, one of the citizens who originally helped buy the land, testified that the study alone would cost three times what they paid for the parcel and urged a lighter-touch approach. Council member Jason Davis proposed dropping the amount to $190,000, but the amendment failed.
The next regular Homer City Council meeting is June 8.
