On Sept. 22, the borough assembly voted to pass the minor offenses ordinance. Three assembly members voted “yes” to pass the ordinance. Mayor Jan Hill was not in Haines for the meeting; however, she voted “yes” via teleconference. During the meeting, members of the assembly acknowledged that the ordinance contains substantial flaws. The final vote was promoted by members of the assembly and administration with sentiments of “pass it now and we will fix it later” and “trust us.”
Important information received by the clerk regarding this ordinance was not included in the assembly packet. The clerk stated during the meeting that she “had not received any recommendations” when asked about commission meetings. That statement was not correct and documentation exists that confirms the fact the information was provided and not forwarded. Public processes required in both Haines Borough Code and Alaska Statutes were not followed prior to voting.
The opportunity for the borough assembly to address this issue, correct errors that occurred, and do what is in the best interest of the community is at hand. Haines residents have filed a petition with the Haines Borough Assembly requesting the minor offenses ordinance be returned to the public process. Thank you to everyone who signed the petition. If you have not yet signed the petition, the forms are located on public bulletin boards around town and also at Bigfoot Auto.
Please encourage our assembly members to do the right thing and invalidate the vote that occurred on Sept. 22.
Brenda Josephson