The Haines Borough Assembly last week appointed Thom Ely to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, over objections by assembly member George Campbell.
Assembly members rarely object to committee or board appointments, which are volunteer positions. Committees and boards are also notoriously hard to keep filled; eight are currently operating below capacity and looking for new members.
Campbell, however, voted against putting Ely on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. “I’ve thought a lot about this and this is one time I am not going to vote to confirm a person,” Campbell said.
Campbell said he believes the board should represent a wide variety of recreation, including motorized use, and that he has seen Ely stand up at multiple meetings and “argue against people and their ways of recreating.”
Ely is a vocal critic of the heli-skiing industry and spoke out against Campbell’s 2014 proposal to create an ATV park near town. He also opposed a 2014 ordinance that permitted ATV use on borough streets and highways.
Assembly member Diana Lapham said while she has “agreed to disagree with (Ely)” on some issues, she would support his appointment to the committee. “I am going to look at this as I do with anyone sitting on any committee or board representing the borough: That they are there with a neutral stance (and) that they are not there to promote any agendas. And I truly believe Mr. Ely will convey that.”
At the end of the meeting, Ely stood up during public comment to respond to Campbell’s remarks, stating that very day he had been up the Kelsall Road on a snowmachine setting track for skiers and grooming the road for snowmachiners.
“I’ve always advocated for balanced use of recreation in our valley,” Ely said. “I believe everybody has their place. There should be some places where people can go and have non-motorized recreation. There can be multiple-use areas like the Kelsall Road that we share. And I really think it’s about respecting people and getting along and compromising, which is what we need more of in this community.”