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Manager report: $300K telecom overtime transfer approved; parade drone, library termination notice, and hospital review highlighted
Summary
Council approved a $300,000 intra‑department budget transfer for KPU telecommunications overtime. The manager also announced police drone use for parade overwatch, received borough notice to end the library services agreement, and scheduled hospital lease review steps and data requests.
The council approved a budget transfer to cover $300,000 of overtime in the Ketchikan Public Utilities (KPU) telecommunications division: $240,000 moved from regular salaries and wages and $60,000 from health insurance to the telecommunications overtime account. Telecom staff said the overtime covered equipment installations, emergency callouts and work to bring 10‑gigabit service online; staff argued overtime preserves revenue and reliable service.
City manager briefed the council that the police department will fly a pre‑authorized drone along the parade route as overwatch for special events, with state and federal authorizations and training completed. Manager also reported receipt of formal notice from the borough manager regarding termination of the library services agreement; the council discussed scheduling cooperative meetings and work sessions to respond and consider options.
On hospital matters, councilmembers asked staff to assemble both sets of financial reports required by the lease for the upcoming review, requested call‑volume logs showing transports and emergency calls (daily/weekly/monthly), and signaled interest in executive‑session discussions ahead of the formal lease review. Staff also noted a trial bus route over the bypass ahead of parade closures and confirmed trash‑pickup scheduling for the holiday weekend.
