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The KUCB Newsroom provides newscasts Monday through Thursday at noon and 5 PM on KUCB Radio. You can find many of our local news stories here.

City Council: UniSea Tidelands Lease and Liquor License Renewals

The city council met Tuesday for its last session of 2015. With a relatively light agenda, and no controversial hearings or ordinances in the line up, council members breezed through the meeting in less than 40 minutes. 

The council approved an ordinance to allow local bars to start serving food at 8 a.m. on Sundays.

On the consent calendar was a vote on a new method for divvying up next year's shared fisheries business tax program.

Under new business was the first reading of a new local law that would give a five-year tax break to land owners who subdivide their properties into three or more parcels.

The council approved the first reading of a new 30-year lease between UniSea and the city, who owns tidelands property next to the large seafood processing complex.

UniSea pays the city $10,340 a year to lease the tidelands - or underwater land - where UniSea's G-1 dock is now. The company plans to expand that dock, which sits at the far southeastern edge of UniSea's complex, closest to the bridge between Unalaska and Amaknak Islands.

The company's rent won't be going up under the new lease agreement. Over the 30-year term of the new agreement, UniSea will end up paying the city $310,200. That figure is not taking into account any increased tax revenue the city would receive if the G-1 dock is expanded and enlarged or that area further developed. 

Finally, the council also voted in favor of renewing all current local liquor licenses. There are nine businesses in town that sell liquor and whose licenses will be up for renewal in the coming year.

Along with taking into consideration if the businesses are behind in tax or utility payments, the council looks at the number of public safety calls are made from each business on a yearly basis. According to the city clerk, in 2015, the top destination for police was the Harbor View Bar, with 159 calls. The Norwegian Rat had half that amount, at 81 police calls.  Alaska Ship Supply had 45 police calls over the past year. 

The next city council meeting is scheduled for January 12. 

Greta Mart worked for KUCB in 2015 and 2016.