Homer City Council preview

Council to consider building code change, funding allocations

Cities around Alaska are busy dealing with the fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and working to get CARES Act funds out to their communities, but regular city business continues as well.

Here’s a look at some work the Homer City Council has on its agenda for its next meeting this coming Monday.

On the list of ordinance to be voted on at Monday’s meeting is a measure that would appropriate more than $7,000 for “traffic calming improvements” on Kachemak Drive. The funds would be taken from the Police CARMA Fund.

Also on the docket is an ordinance that would exclude elevator shafts from the city law regulating building heights. The measure would exclude elevator shafts from the actual measuring process when coming up with the building’s height. Building height is regulated by Homer City Code.

This ordinance has garnered debate at previous council meetings. Council member Joey Evensen has voiced opposition to the ordinance, saying that Homer has so few building codes as it is that he would be loathe to make exceptions to the building height code.

The council will also consider an ordinance that would appropriate $45,000 from the HART Trails Fund to be used to complete the Poopdeck Trail, which connects Pioneer Avenue to Homer Bypass Road.

Additionally, the council will vote on whether to introduce an ordinance that would create a medical zoning district within the city. City code, zoning districts and zoning maps would all be amended to include the new district type. If introduced Monday, this ordinance would be up for public comment at the council’s Sept. 28 meeting.

There’s also a worksession before the regular meeting at 4 p..m, as well as the committee of the whole meeting at 5 p.m. The council will discuss the most recent Capital Improvement Plan for 2021-2026 at the worksession, as well as Fiscal Year 2022 legislative requests for funding. The city’s Capital Improvement Plan organizes large capital projects and improvements to city infrastructure in order of priority over a five-year span. The city makes requests to the Alaska Legislature for funding certain projects may be eligible for.

For information on how to participate in council meetings and give public comments, visit the city website at cityofhomer-ak.gov and click the “Stay Connected with City Council” tab on the main web page.

Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.