The Nome Common Council worked through questions about leasing city property near the Small Boat Harbor, taxi regulations and animal vaccination records Monday, while also approving two Public Works equipment purchases and recognizing a resident who assisted a police officer during an altercation.
Here are five things to know from the council’s Sept. 14 meeting.
Council approves NSEDC lease after lengthy debate over city process
A divided Nome Common Council approved a lease with Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation after council members spent much of the discussion questioning how the city leases public property and whether the parcel should have been offered through a competitive process.
The agreement expands NSEDC’s existing lease for its fish processing facilities near the Small Boat Harbor. NSEDC Chief Operating Officer Tyler Rhodes told the council he envisions a warehouse with a small shop that would allow it to move equipment currently stored in containers.
The arrangement includes a $1 million advance lease payment that Port Director Joy Baker said will go toward the city’s $3.3 million local match for the Snake River moorage project. Baker said the project has approximately $13 million in federal U.S. Department of Transportation funding. She said the city also has received $1 million from the Denali Commission and $300,000 from an adjacent property owner toward its match.
Council member Scot Henderson repeatedly questioned whether the city should have sought competitive proposals for the property and how the lease rate was established. Baker said city staff had contacted several maritime businesses over the past four or five years about the parcel but had not found another interested user.
“I’m not questioning the benefit or anything else or the mission that NSEDC fulfills,” Henderson said. “What I’m asking is, are we complying with the process that I assume is laid out in ordinance for disposing of city-owned property?”
Council member Mark Johnson agreed that the city’s ordinances could use additional clarification, particularly as development around the Port of Nome increases.
“Our ordinances need to be shored up on the disposal by lease,” Johnson said.
City Manager Lee Smith said he’s already asked staff and the city’s attorneys to review outdated ordinances and would move the property-leasing issue up in priority.
The council ultimately split 3-3 on the ordinance, with Maggie Miller, Kohren Green and Adam Lust voting no and Johnson, Adam Martinson and Henderson voting yes. After a long pause, Mayor Kenny Hughes broke the tie by voting in favor, allowing the ordinance to pass 4-3.
City to revisit taxi, shuttle and motor bus rules
The city still plans to revisit its rules governing taxis, shuttles and motor buses after questions about how different passenger services fit into Nome’s existing ordinances.
That comes as Nome returns to zero city-licensed taxicab operators following the sudden closure of Bootz & Co. Cab, LLC. The business announced it was shutting down in a Facebook post on Sept. 10. The post cited difficulty in getting additional drivers, long working hours, and being “harassed and defamed” by another entity as reasons for the sudden closure.
Nome resident Steven Longley once again appeared before the council to request amendments to the city’s motor bus rules so he could operate a shuttle without following a fixed route. Longley said two of his three vehicles exceed the passenger limit for taxis under city ordinance and argued that his service is more appropriately considered a shuttle or bus operation.
“The only thing I am looking for you guys to do is edit the fixed route,” Longley said. “Do a, you can have a fixed route for the busses. That’s fine, but put some wording in there where it could be non-fixed, where I can go point A to point B, and I will be more than happy to get a bus permit.”
Earlier in the meeting, council member Mark Johnson questioned how the ordinance distinguishes taxis from hotel and hospital shuttles and buses operating predetermined routes. Smith acknowledged that the city’s definitions need additional work and said the issue has been sent to the city’s attorneys.
“I think we’ve got to clarify those things,” Smith said. “It’s not clear.”
While the city goes back to the drawing board on its taxicab code, Longley has continued to offer what he calls “rides for donations”. Longley has been cited by the Nome Police Department for operating without a chauffeur’s license or taxicab license no less than six times in 2026.
“I'm the only one kind of brave enough to accept the city ticket and fight the ticket,” Longley told the council.
Longley said he wants to expand his hours and eventually provide around-the-clock transportation. He also said he often transports people who have been drinking and believes expanded transportation options could help keep impaired drivers off Nome’s streets.
Animal Services raises vaccination and records concerns
Nome Animal Services Officer Emily Stotts told the council she has concerns about access to animal vaccination records and the number of unvaccinated animals entering Nome from surrounding communities.
Stotts said the newly-renamed Animal Services department needs immediate access to vaccination info when responding to incidents such as dog bites or encounters between dogs and wildlife. Knowing whether an animal is vaccinated can affect quarantine decisions, potential rabies exposure and whether other animals at the city facility could be at risk.
“City Animal Services needs 24/7, 365 day access to the vaccination and licensing information for animals licensed in this community,” Stotts said. “Delaying access to that information during regular animal service protocols is a public safety issue.”
Stotts also pointed to city ordinances requiring dogs brought into Nome to be vaccinated against rabies and parvovirus before entering the city. She said she regularly encounters animals brought from surrounding villages whose owners may not realize the animals do not meet Nome’s requirements.
“The reality is that Nome and our surrounding communities are not isolated from one another,” Stotts said. “People live, work, visit family, and travel back and forth, and their animals come with them.”
Stotts said she and Smith are working on ways to improve access to vaccination records. She said the city and PAWS of Nome are also working with community partners on education, vaccination access and compliance.
Council approves new loader and dump truck
The council unanimously approved two equipment purchases for the Nome Public Works Department, including a 2026 Caterpillar 972 wheel loader and an International HV620 dump truck. The total cost of the two vehicles, including interest, is $724,414.2
Both purchases were included in the city’s current budget, according to Smith. Public Works Supervisor Cole Cushman told the council the loader was already floating up to Nome on a barge and the dump truck was waiting at the Alaska Marine Lines terminal in Anchorage.
Council member Maggie Miller asked whether the purchases were part of the city’s effort to replace older equipment.
“Yes,” Smith responded. “Some have gotten so expensive to repair. We have to.”
Council member Kohren Green also asked whether Public Works has the personnel and technology necessary to maintain the newer equipment. Cushman said the shop has four diagnostic programs for electronic equipment and an employee receiving training on after-treatment systems.
Johnson said he appreciated the amount of supporting information included in the council packet for the purchases, saying that level of information could reduce questions during future equipment requests.
Both resolutions passed unanimously.
Police chief recognizes resident who assisted officer
Nome Police Chief Mike Heintzelman publicly recognized Nome resident Matt Mitchell for assisting a police officer during an altercation outside the Polar Bar.
Heintzelman said Officer Stephanie Syrock and another officer were dispatched to a fight in progress on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Syrock arrived first and pursued one of the people involved across the street before tackling the person, according to Heintzelman.
“At which point she was grabbed by the second suspect,” Heintzelman told the council. “And in that particular moment, she was actively fighting both of them.”
Heintzelman said Mitchell happened to be passing the scene on an ATV and stopped to help Syrock by pulling the second person away from her.
“It’s because of his actions that the officer was not hurt, or the suspect was also not hurt,” Heintzelman said. “So I’d like to publicly acknowledge him and thank him very much for his assistance.”
