City of Seward

Seward will soon have a second recovery housing facility for people struggling with substance abuse. The city approved a conditional-use permit for SeaView Community Services last week. 

But it comes with a condition — that the planning and zoning commission can review the permit each year. The clause was added after the commission heard an earful from residents who are concerned about the placement of the facility.

Seward is no longer requiring masks in public buildings. Its city council voted to let its mask mandate expire Monday night.

The city has been the only one on the Kenai Peninsula to adopt a mask mandate during the pandemic. The mandate didn’t have teeth and there was no penalty for those who didn’t comply.

The city manager of Seward, Scott Meszaros, was fired by the city council at its meeting Monday night. 

Mayor Christy Terry motioned to terminate Meszaros following an executive session on the city manager’s performance. The motion passed 5–2.

Meszaros, who was city manager for 18 months, was not up for a performance evaluation this month.

Terry would not say exactly what spurred the council to terminate Meszaros from his position, citing employee confidentiality.

The abandoned residential school in Seward where the first Alaska flag flew will come down after the Seward City Council voted to demolish it.

The Jesse Lee Home, which has been abandoned since being damaged in the 1964 earthquake, has long been a source of contention in Seward. On the one hand, it’s where Benny Benson lived—the Alaska Native teenager who designed the state’s signature flag—and a piece of Alaska’s history. On the other, the building is a wreck, and efforts over the years to renovate it have never produced results.

 The Seward City Council approved an emergency ordinance last night in response to the rash of cases in the community in the last week. Masks are now required in all buildings open to the public, city-owned campgrounds are limited to 50 percent capacity, and public gatherings are limited to less than 20 people. Restaurants, tour operators and religious organizations are limited to 50 percent capacity or 10 people, whichever is more.

The new restrictions are set to last 30 days. The mask mandate applies to anyone older than four years old but don’t have to be worn when social distancing is possible, when the group is family members only, or when eating or drinking. People with medical conditions or breathing trouble that prevent them from wearing a mask are also exempt.