By Jake Dye

For the Homer Independent Press


Homer voters will decide in November whether the city should continue the Homer Accelerated Roads and Trails Program, including an associated sales tax, for the next 20 years. An ordinance placing that question on the ballot was approved unanimously by the Homer city council Monday.

The so-called HART program was initially approved by voters in October of 1987 and re-approved in 2006 for an additional 20 years. It levies a 0.75% sales tax to provide for construction or restoration of city roads and trails. 

City Manager Melissa Jacobsen told the council that staff will bring them a plan at their next meeting for a public information campaign “to get the message out to voters.”

Also on Monday, the council opted, after lengthy discussion, for a six-month renewal of its health insurance contract for city employees rather than an 18-month renewal. 

Council member Bradley Parsons said that the 18-month renewal would have increased out-of-pocket expenses for city employees in what “would essentially be a wage decrease,” he said. The six-month option, on the other hand, keeps the status quo at least for a short while.

The move means that the council will again consider what to do about health insurance for city employees within six months.  

“Health insurance is a wild, awful space,” Lord said. “It seems like the amount of economic activity that would be unleashed by a less painful health insurance landscape in this country would just be mind-boggling, staggering. But, it is what we have.”

The council also approved, without debate, an increase to the rate surcharge for city water and wastewater rates from 15% to 20% and a policy dictating the use of generative artificial intelligence tools by the council and by the city’s boards and commissions.

The new AI policy says that in the use of AI tools to generate content for a document or other publication, elected and appointed officials “shall provide appropriate disclosure of that use.” Disclosures are not required when the uses are “incidental,” with examples provided including editing, formatting, research or drafting. The elected or appointed officials are “solely responsible” for the content of materials they submit.

“It is not acceptable to enter into the public record any AI-generated information that has not been verified, reviewed and determined to be accurate and appropriate for official use,” the text of the policy reads.

Ahead of Monday’s meeting, a worksession examined a set of lots along Homer Spit Road that became a hot topic when a preliminary idea was raised at the Port and Harbor Advisory Commission to replace businesses there with more Spit parking. The leases are set to expire in April 2027, with no built-in renewal option.

Jacobsen said the council directed her to contact current lessees and offer them “the opportunity to apply for a lease for that property.” The lessees would need to respond by September.

Video of the meeting and other documents can be found at cityofhomer-ak.gov.