Assembly appoints public safety members
The Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday appointed three new public safety commissioners.
Chuck Mitman, Pat Hefley and Paul Rogers will fill seats left by members who resigned from the commission over the fall and winter.
The appointments come after commission meeting postponements and disagreements about who should be appointed.
The Public Safety Commission in February recommended Mitman and Hefley. Several assembly members wanted to replace Hefley with Rogers, but a stalemate forced the vote to be postponed. In the meantime, commission chair Michael Fullerton resigned, opening up a third seat.
Rogers worked for 30 years as a police officer and 911 dispatch director in Michigan.
Hefley is the administrator of the SEARHC clinic.
Mitman is a long-time resident and member of the Haines Volunteer Fire Department.
At the recommendation of police chief Heath Scott, the public safety commission last year voted to rebrand itself by adding ex-officio members from SEARHC, Lynn Canal Counseling and the Haines School. The advisory board also wanted to change its name to The Public Health and Safety Commission in an effort to expand its scope.
The assembly rejected those recommendations. Some assembly members felt that those experts could be utilized as issues arise, but that changing code for one issue was inappropriate.
Assembly runs out of time to approve contract
The assembly was set to enter into contract negotiations for borough clerk Alekka Fullerton, but ran out of time Tuesday. The assembly must vote by 9:30 p.m. to extend their meetings past 10 p.m., according to borough code. The assembly voted to end the meeting by 10 p.m. and ran out of time to address the issue. The assembly regularly runs against the 9:30 p.m. deadline and often extends the meetings, which sometimes last for more than four hours.
Fullerton officially began as the borough clerk on March 1.