Haines resident Erik Stevens said this week he has collected about 140 signatures in support of removing a section of Haines Borough code that prohibits skiing on town roads, some sidewalks and in Lookout Park.
Stevens presented the petition at a recent meeting of the ad hoc minor offenses committee, but was told by committee members Mike Case, Don Turner and Bill Thomas that the subject wasn’t within the purview of the committee.
Case said the committee was only dealing with the fine portions of the ordinance, and Turner said Stevens should go to the assembly because the committee has no jurisdiction to add or remove items from code.
Turner’s statement was correct that the committee can’t remove or add things from code; as an ad hoc committee, it only holds the power to make recommendations to the assembly. However, the committee was tasked with making recommendations to the assembly on the entire minor offenses ordinance – not just the fines. And the portion of code that establishes a fine for skiing on town roads is part of the offenses being considered.
Stevens said he would present the petition again at another minor offenses committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“I just need to present again and be a little more clear on what we are asking,” he said.
Acting police chief Josh Dryden said in an interview this week that he hasn’t personally stopped anyone for skiing on the road, and hasn’t heard of any officers doing so during his nearly two years with the department.
“I don’t have a problem with it as long as you’re not in the middle of the road with two miles of traffic behind you,” Dryden said.