I have been the following developments involving the harbor expansion project. I’m delighted to see some Alaskans actually thinking about the notion of cost recovery in capital projects. The days of fully funding efforts such as this through state legislative and federal grants is coming to an end. The same quiet death that earmarks suffered will surely be matched as the Alaska Legislature faces the reality of a single-source revenue stream.
When I worked for the Haines Borough as harbormaster I was embarrassed to tell my colleagues what the annual moorage fees were in the harbor. They were (and are) the lowest fees I’d ever been forced to charge. There are several models created by the West Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers to help planners set fees based in economic reality. PND and Northern Economics have been through this drill many times.
I know I wasn’t everyone’s favorite idea of a harbormaster during my time there. Then again, the borough staff structure, the bothersome position of facilities director screwing communications up and the incredible abuse my staff suffered from “some harbor customers” wasn’t my idea of anyplace where anything could ever get done. Until Haines Borough is willing to pay reasonable salaries and wages and can begin to treat the workers with a little respect, you will continue to have management vacancies. Until enterprise funds are at least cost neutral, expect more of the same.
Ed Barrett