Mayor Stephanie Scott has appointed Danny Gonce to the Haines Borough Planning Commission seat previously filled by Pete Lapham.
The seat was vacant since Lapham’s death last summer. The Haines Borough Assembly approved Gonce’s appointment Tuesday, and re-appointed Andy Hedden and Donnie Turner to the commission, all to three-year terms. Other planning commissioners include Rob Goldberg, Lee Heinmiller, Roger Maynard and Robert Venables.
Gonce, a utility power manager, is a 10-year Haines resident and has served on the Energy Sustainability Commission and Haines Volunteer Fire Department.
His letter of interest for the appointment referred to a background “that deals very closely with development of private properties and development of the community” and requires “a general understanding of property and land issues.”
“While I am certainly not an expert in these things, the knowledge that I do have would assist me in making informed decisions for the citizens of the Haines Borough,” Gonce wrote. “Additionally, lessons and objectives learned from the strategic and operational planning required from management in the private sector would assist me in conducting planning duties for the Borough.”
He also referred to the importance of following code, writing “in all things, the United States and Alaska Constitutions and Haines Borough Code must be upheld.”