The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously approved at its Tuesday meeting the Haines Chamber of Commerce’s request for $3,000 and declined to discuss a $20,000 request from the Alaska Avalanche Information Center.
Prior to the meeting, both organizations had submitted funding requests for assembly consideration.
The chamber has lost revenue with the loss of its pull-tab operation due to COVID-19, said assembly member Jerry Lapp, who introduced the motion to approve the chamber’s funding. Lapp said the chamber has been serving as an important resource for businesses impacted by the coronavirus. He said $3,000 is not a big ask and is something the assembly can do to support the chamber during a difficult time.
Assembly member Paul Rogers linked support of the chamber to support of businesses and, by extension, increased funding for the borough in the form of tax revenue.
It’s possible that money for the chamber could, ultimately, come from a portion of the CARES Act coronavirus relief funding the borough is expected to receive, borough manager Debra Schnabel said. She said she was 87% positive borough support for the chamber would be able to count as a direct coronavirus-related expense.
Assembly member Brenda Josephson said her vote was based on assurances that the funds would be reimbursable from the state or federal government.
Before the vote, assembly member Gabe Thomas disclosed that his partner, Tracey Harmon, is the chamber’s executive director. He asked whether he should recuse himself and was told by Mayor Jan Hill a recusal was unnecessary.
Assembly members left unaddressed the avalanche center’s $20,000 funding request. The Alaska Avalanche Information Center is a Haines-based non-profit with the stated goal of supporting and promoting avalanche forecasts, education and research.
In February, the Haines Borough Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the assembly provide some level of funding after two residents were killed in an avalanche.
“I was surprised the assembly did not discuss our request,” avalanche center director Erik Stevens said. He said the request does not necessarily need to receive full funding, but “I really hope the borough considers it before next fall, for the sake of public safety. I am worried about the possible consequences of this for those recreating next winter.”
In an interview after the assembly meeting, Lapp said he, too, was somewhat surprised no one on the assembly raised the issue, but he said that was probably a factor of the length of the meeting and the size of the funding request. $20,000 is a significant request, especially given the level of uncertainty about potential revenue this year, he said.
Rogers said he’s unlikely to approve the avalanche center’s funding request based on the budget climate and because it’s not the government’s job to fund safety assessments for people who choose to engage in high risk sports like backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
“It’s their responsibility to know the hazards and accept the risk, not the government’s responsibility to fund those things and provide for their safety,” Rogers said.
Lapp said he thinks it’s likely the assembly will consider the request at a later date, likely when it takes a look at the budgets for specific borough departments.
Last December, the assembly denied a similar $20,000 funding request for the center. Previous borough assemblies have provided between $1,500 to $5,000 for the Alaska Avalanche Information Center since 2015.