The next Homer City Council meeting on Oct. 26 will see one new face and one familiar -- but absent -- face. After being sworn in at a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, council member-elect Kevin Hogan joins the six-member body next week. Monday night, retiring council member Dennis Novak banged the gavel for the last time as he adjourned his last meeting as mayor pro tem.

"It's been a very challenging and learning experience just sitting in this chair," Novak said.

On the council's agenda is electing a new mayor pro tem, the member who runs meetings in the mayor's absence. On Oct. 26 the council won't be missing a leader when Mayor James Hornaday returns after taking a medical leave the past two months. Hornaday is doing well and returns to Homer on Oct. 23, City Clerk Jo Johnson announced Monday night.

In a marathon session running until almost midnight, the council took these actions:

* Approved the appointment of Robert Burns and Coletta Walker to the Advisory Planning Commission and Todd Hoppe to the Economic Development Advisory Commission;

* Approved adding definitions related to overslope, or surrounding city land, in the Homer Small Boat Harbor;

* Accepted $63,000 in a Scenic Byway Grant from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and appropriating $31,000 in in-kind services to design and plan the Homer Spit Trail extension;

* Accepted a $11,779 federal grant with a local match of $5,000 for police active shooter training, and

* Adopted its 2010-2015 Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Project Legislative Priorities for 2011, and

* Passed a resolution expressing the city's displeasure with Enstar Natural Gas Company's decision not to extend natural gas to Homer.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.