By Karen Garcia

Haines Borough Assembly members wrestled with words Tuesday, as some claimed a letter to the state about ferry service reductions was too timid.

The letter, drafted by Marine Transportation Advisory Board chair Robert Venables and tourism director Leslie Ross, contains language about the borough’s “sincere understanding” of the state’s current fiscal situation and its appreciation of the time and effort that has gone into the ferry scheduling and budget process.

Assembly member Margaret Friedenauer, who was seated for her first meeting Tuesday, wasn’t satisfied with the letter’s tone, calling it “way too nice.”

“It’s the legislators’ fault, mostly, that we’re in this position, and I’m not going to be nice about it,” she said.

Friedenauer particularly objected to a passage in the letter stating the borough understands there will be cuts and other cost-saving measures coming into effect soon, including rate increases.

“When it comes to the marine highway, I think we need to be a lot more forceful insofar as it’s such an imperative service that I’m not willing to assume anything yet, especially rate increases,” she said.

“I think the only way we are going to move things and get a little bit of what we’re asking for is to ask for more than we want, right? So I’m not willing to say just yet I’m willing to go for rate increases when they aren’t even on the table yet.”

New assembly member Tresham Gregg agreed with Friedenauer, calling acceptance of rate increases “totally inappropriate.”

“If they choose to raise the rates, well, then at least it’s not in our laps for having suggested it,” Gregg said.

Assembly member Mike Case said he thought rate-increase language was merely expressing the reality of the situation. “If we want to get certain things, we’re going to have to pay for it. I think we are going to have to have an increase, and I think we should have an increase,” Case said.

Assembly member Diana Lapham said she had no problem with the letter’s tone.

“I can read this letter and I’m not put off,” Lapham said. “As we all well know, we get enough mail and written word that immediately when you start reading it they’re combative and it puts you on the defensive and there’s a wall that starts being built up.”

“I don’t want to come across and be demanding ‘You should, we should, this must, and that must,’ for fear (the state) can say, ‘See ya,’” she added.

Assembly member George Campbell said Haines already is known by the Department of Transportation for being “the angry child pitching a fit.” Campbell said he favored “a subtle letter.”

“We’re not in a good position here and we have to remember that the Railbelt holds the votes,” Campbell said.

Manager David Sosa said he’s learned from MTAB chair Venables that legislators aren’t receiving a lot of understanding comments about the tough fiscal choices they are having to make.

“What they’re not seeing frequently is an understanding from the people contacting them that they do recognize the state is in a precarious fiscal situation. It’s just letters coming from the public saying, “We don’t like this. Change it,’” Sosa said. “Our understanding is that there is a great deal of appreciation when it is demonstrated that the people writing letters clearly show that they understand the nature of the situation and that they are looking for some changes, but they also recognize that we can’t go back to business the way it was.”

The point is not to make the letter-writer happy, but the recipient, Sosa added. “What we want to see and what we want to read is not relevant. What resonates with the target is what’s relevant.”

The assembly voted 4-2 to remove “including rate increases” from the letter. Assembly members Diana Lapham and Mike Case were opposed. A motion by member Ron Jackson to slightly strengthen the letter’s wording, like changing the word “should” to “must,” was defeated 4-3, with Lapham, Campbell and Case opposed and Mayor Jan Hill breaking the tie.

The letter, with an accompanying resolution, will be sent to the Department of Transportation, the legislature and Gov. Bill Walker.

“The Haines economy is extremely dependent on the marine highway as a transportation link for commerce, tourism as well as a necessity for medical and personal issues. The Alaska Marine Highway provides a means of economic development for the region, reaching into the entirety of Alaska. The northern Lynn Canal is one of the most important links to commerce with the Yukon and Northern Alaska – transporting freight, tourists, and truckloads of fish via highway to the Lower 48. The 2016 schedule should provide capacity to attempt to capture as much of this revenue as possible,” the letter reads.

The proposed 2016 summer schedule includes no service on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and three weekly sailings by the ferry LeConte. This compares to five weekly sailings by the Malaspina, a larger ship, in recent summers.

Under the schedule, the Malaspina will be either laid up or overhauled May 25 through September. The ferry Taku will be tied up for the entire summer, as will the fast ferries Fairweather and Chenega.

The schedule includes Monday service by the Columbia from Bellingham, Wash. and Thursday service by the Matanuska from Prince Rupert, B.C.

The deadline for public comments on the proposed schedule is Nov. 3. Comments may be faxed to 907-228-6874 or emailed to [email protected]. Written comments should be mailed to AMHS, 7037 North Tongass Highway, Ketchikan AK 99901.

A teleconference on the proposed schedule originally set for Nov. 4 has been postponed, though a new date hasn’t yet been decided.