Haines Borough Manager Mark Earnest said he is consulting with the borough attorney on whether assistant to the manager Darsie Culbeck’s employment with a mining firm constitutes a conflict of interest.
Assembly member Steve Vick raised the issue at Tuesday’s assembly meeting and said it would probably be prudent to have Earnest check with borough attorney Brooks Chandler about Culbeck’s perceived conflict of interest.
Culbeck is currently working as camp manager for Constantine Metal Resources, a company performing exploratory work on a potential mine about 40 miles north of Haines.
Vick said he wanted “to just get an opinion on that so maybe we can lay to rest all the talk. If indeed there is (a conflict), then maybe we have concern, but if there isn’t – which I think there isn’t – we can lay (it) to rest.”
Several members of the public have testified at meetings expressing concern about Culbeck’s simultaneous employment with Constantine and the borough.
Earnest told the assembly he has already asked Chandler to look into the matter and he expects guidance by the end of the week.