Since the resignation of the Haines Borough Planning Commission chair Don Turner III in April, the working relationship between the planning commission and the assembly has been uneasy. The relationship has been problematic for a long time, according to the commission’s new chair, Sylvia Heinz, but the problems have become more pronounced since Turner resigned.
In a meeting on Thursday, Heinz asked, “What are we to the assembly?”
“The planning commission is an advisory board. If we knew how the assembly wanted to use us we might be able to do our advisory job better,” said Heinz.
In her chairman’s report, Heinz made recommendations for ways to strengthen communication between the planning commission and the assembly. Heinz proposed joint meetings and a letter to the assembly, asking them how the commission should proceed. Planning commissioners were frustrated on Thursday, and said the assembly was wasting their time. “We need to do our job, whether the assembly wants us to or not,” said Heinz.
“I have no interest in playing the blame game, but we can all do better. What I’ve seen happen over and over again is pointing fingers. ‘Well, the problem is the assembly never listens to us. Well the problem is that the commission doesn’t understand that they’re not elected.’ It’s the easy way to go but it doesn’t come to any solutions. We all have a role to play in a system that’s not working,” said Heinz. She looks at the situation as an opportunity to improve.
At the meeting, commissioners wondered if they should attend more assembly meetings as they draft ordinances. Commissioners struck down the idea.
“I would think that if they had a question, they would be able to ask that of the liaison. It seems to me that’s why we created the liaison position,” said Lee Heinmiller.
The assembly liaison to the planning commission, Heather Lende, was present and spoke on Thursday: “I think that the assembly is able to get almost all or most of our questions answered in any meeting through the planning department. We rely pretty heavily on the staff,” she said.
For borough planner Holly Smith, this dynamic can pull her between the two bodies.
“As planner, it can certainly feel like I serve many masters. The commission is a super important part of my job and I rely on them a great deal for guidance, just as they rely on me. However, at the end of the day, the only master I serve is the Haines Borough Manager,” said Smith.
Lende portrayed the problem as one not of miscommunication between the commission and the assembly, but of disagreements between the two bodies, and final decisions are made in the assembly.
“The assembly is pretty well up to speed on a lot of it. Sometimes they just don’t agree,” said Lende.
Heinz said disagreement is not what she takes issue with. “Disagreement is valuable. I would not want that to go away,” she said.
“I feel like every single meeting I hear assembly members comment on ordinances, and (they) don’t appear to fully understand the ordinances. They will make comments that are inaccurate. I think that the system should allow for assembly members to have as much access to information that they can get. If they don’t wish to use that information, that is their right.” said Heinz.
Heinz said that her problem is with the status quo. “I think that changes are needed and we at least need to have the conversation. Just because improvement doesn’t happen overnight doesn’t mean we can’t do better, or that we shouldn’t try” she said.