Petersburg Borough: Assembly Meeting

I'd like to start the 11:30 meeting with— assembly is going to sit as sitting as the Board of Adjustment to consider an appeal filed by the Central Council of the Hunkp'nahida Indian Tribes of Alaska. And with that, would the clerk please call the roll? Mayor Lynn? Yes, here. Vice Mayor Stanton Gregor?

Here. Member Martin? Here. Member Muci? Here.

Member Newman? Excused. Member Schwartz? Excused. Member Valentine?

Here.

We have 5 members present sitting at DOS today. We have 2 members that are excused. And with that, Mayor Lynn, I believe we have Member Schwartz on Zoom. Let me just check and make sure he can participate. Okay, Rob, can you hear me?

Rob, just checking audio here. Can you hear us okay?

Try again.

Okay, Rob, just checking in. Can you hear us okay?

I will try communicating with him via chat. Bob, we can go ahead and continue. Okay. Oh, he's calling me. Hold on.

With that, uh, I need a motion to approve the meeting's agenda for this session. So moved. Second. Okay, moved by Member Muchu, seconded by Member Stanton Gregor. Um, and with that, um, are there any changes to that agenda?

Hearing none, would the clerk please call the roll on the approval of the agenda as presented? Vice Mayor Stanton Gregor? Yes. Member Martin? Yes.

Member Valentine? Yes. Yes. Member Mucci? Yes.

Mayor Lynn? Yes. With that, uh, do we have Member Schwartz, or is he—. Um, he just called me and said he is having some trouble with his audio. Um, and Member Schwartz, you could also try, um, calling in on the phone number that's associated with the meeting.

Um, and I can see you, that you are here, but we cannot hear you.

Um, perhaps, uh, let me try texting with him and see if we can. Sure,. Get this open. Okay, looks like he's trying to reconnect now. Yeah, I'm here now.

Oh, great, Rob. Okay, thank you. All right, we will mark you down as present. Thanks for your patience.

Okay, with that, we have one item on the agenda under new business, and that's to consider the appeal filed by the Central Council of Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska under PMC 18.36.030 from the Platine Board's denial of its application for minor subdivision related to a portion of US Survey 1168. And with that, the— it was— the clerk had published, and I believe was also online, the Board of— the Board— sitting in as a Board of Adjustment— the application and all the findings of the board at this time. Do I have a motion? And in that, there in front of you, there are 2— we have 2 options there, and I'm not sure where the assembly wants to go with those options. Mr. Mayor, I would move to grant the appeal, approve the application, and to adopt Draft A findings of fact and conclusions of law as the board's decision in this matter.

Is there a second? For discussion, second. Okay, with that, it's been a motion made by Member Stan Gregor, seconded by Member Valentine. A discussion?

Okay, Member Stan Gregor. I'll briefly lead out, um, give me a second as I walk through my packet. Um, Richard Peterson, the president of Tlingit Haida, sent us his appeal form, and I think he addressed Uh, why the denial was made in error. You said the Commission did not apply the controlling minor subdivision criteria, uh, which I agree with. And, uh, the finding one rested on the possible future development concerns and not evidence that the land is unsuitable for subdivision.

It's all in our packet. I think they addressed the things very clearly, and I think that, uh, several of the commissioners addressed that during the meeting itself. Those are not adequate criteria for rejecting applications. So I think it is our job to grant the appeal to Clinton Haida and move forward with the minor subdivision.

Other comments, questions from the assembly? Member Martin?

Yeah, I enjoyed having the transcript in the appeal packet, and, uh, I found Commissioner Floyd's testimony especially well prepared and thought out. And he kept it focused on the issue of subdivision, and I appreciated that. And I also appreciated Secretary Fine-Walsh's comments, and one of her quotes was that the Planning Commission is not an appeal board for the assembly, and I think that should be taken to heart here.

This is kind of going in the wrong direction, and I thought the, uh, Tlingit and Haida appeal form was Very well reasoned, and I agree with it, so I'll be voting to override that. Thank you. Other comments from assembly members? Member Valentine,. Just echoing what Mr. Martin said, I agree with what he said and basically what I was going to say.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, any other comments from the assembly? Would the clerk Please, please call the roll on the motion as presented.

Member Meechie? Yes. Mayor Lynn? Yes. Member Martin?

Yes. Vice Mayor Stanton-Gregor? Yes. Member Valentine? Yes.

Member Schwartz? Yes. Thank you. With that, the motion to, to move to grant the appeal, approve, approve the application to adopt Draft A, Finding of Fact, Inclusions of Law, as the board's decision in this matter, is approved. Was approved unanimously by the assembly.

And with that, do I have a motion to adjourn? So moved. Second. Okay, it's been moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.