The Haines Borough Assembly discussed the burying of people and pets.

Assembly member Heather Lende proposed amending the borough’s animal code to allow people to bury non-euthanized and non-diseased animals on their private property.

“I’m going to vote for this,” assembly member Tom Morphet said. “I think it does raise the question of why we now prohibit burial of human bodies. Conceivably you could bury a giant malamute here that’s twice the size of an infant on your property.”

The amendment passed unanimously and was included in updating the borough’s animal code, which the assembly adopted Tuesday.

Before the amendment, borough code required a person to pay $40 for an animal control officer to dispose of a dog. Code prohibited people from placing “any dead or fatally sick or injured animal upon any public or private place.”

Haines police, in conjunction with Haines Animal Rescue Kennel, serve as the borough’s animal control officers, borough clerk Alekka Fullerton told the CVN. Fullerton said HARK never typically assisted with animal disposal.

The discussion then moved on to the borough clerk’s recommendation to increase burial fees from $350 to $600, and charging $100 to reserve a plot.

Volunteer medical technician Cindy Jones objected to the increase. “I’m on the ambulance crew that picks up a person for free and I’m also one of the people that prepares bodies in town for burial for free,” Jones said. “To raise it this much I think is really excessive and I would really like to see you folks revisit this.”

Lende said she’d like to see taxpayer dollars subsidize burial fees. “I just feel really strongly that as a small community, the least we can do with our tax dollars is make sure if you lived here and died here, you can be buried here,” Lende said. “I see it as the ultimate reward for paying your taxes, that we’ll make sure you’ll be buried in a consecrated ground.”

Fullerton asked for guidance with respect to applications staff receive for opening a grave to add additional human remains, a service the borough doesn’t currently charge for.

The assembly moved to discuss the proposal at an upcoming government affairs and services committee meeting.

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