Mediation could cost $50,000
A $780,200 settlement offer from Pacific Pile & Marine was rejected by the Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday. Instead the group voted to enter non-binding mediation.
The company originally sought $1.1 million last summer in additional funds for increased labor time and wear on its equipment, claiming the ocean floor was harder than described in contract documents. After months of discussions, the borough and PP&M are at an impasse.
Mediation, where attorneys from both sides will negotiate with a third party, will cost the borough about $10,000 a day, borough manager Debra Schnabel said. Schnabel told the assembly the process will take “five or less days” and nothing about the negotiations is binding.
Should mediation fail, a lawsuit would be the next step, Schnabel said.
Seven firms seek attorney RFP
The assembly will discuss hiring new legal representation at a special meeting on Tuesday. The assembly voted to look at other legal options in April, meaning it might drop current firm Boyd, Chandler & Falconer. Some assembly members expressed skepticism regarding Brooks Chandler’s past decisions.
Assembly member Sean Maidy told the CVN he disagreed with Chandler’s interpretation of borough code. Assembly member Tom Morphet said he was frustrated by Chandler’s handling of the settlement with Bill Seward, a former borough manager fired by the assembly. Assembly member Heather Lende said she wants an attorney who has more experience with land-use issues. She also said she disagreed with how Chandler validated grounds for recall against her, Morphet and assembly member Tresham Gregg.
Seven firms submitted proposals. Boyd, Chandler & Falconer suggested the borough switch to Bruce Falconer as borough attorney.
Budget amendments include pay jumps
The Haines Borough Assembly advanced a host of budget amendments at its Tuesday meeting.
The amendments, proposed by borough manager Debra Schnabel and advanced by the assembly, include increases to museum director Helen Alten’s salary by $4,376 along with $11,730 to a library technology coordinator position that was in the past funded by a grant.
Members of the museum board and Alten lobbied for her raise during public comment.
The assembly also approved a motion to allocate $5,000 for a community celebration, at a date yet to be decided. “The community yearns for peace and reconciliation,” Schnabel wrote in a memo to the assembly. “What better way than to gather together in feast and fun.”
The borough also received an additional $13,393 in state community assistance revenue than was budgeted.
The assembly also advanced a proposal to spend $253,000 to refurbish the plumbing in the pool shower rooms and replace the flooring in the locker and shower rooms, and pool deck. The bulk of the funds were already budgeted, but an additional $6,000 was added to combine elements of the project for an earlier start date.
The assembly also heard from Foundation of the Chilkat Center for the Arts vice-president Lorrie Dudzik who asked the borough to provide $90,000 in matching grant funds to remodel the Chilkat Center kitchen. The total cost of the remodel is estimated at $250,000, Dudzik said, and the foundation has raised about $30,000. The assembly scheduled a special meeting to discuss the issue.
The assembly will give final approval to the budget at its June 12 meeting.
Jones Point rezone decision postponed
The assembly voted to postpone a confirmation of the Haines Borough Planning Commission’s denial of two Sawmill Road businesses’ petition to rezone their property from heavy industrial to rural residential.
Takshanuk Watershed Council and Professional Property Management owners applied to rezone all or a portion of 61 acres of heavy industrial land along South Sawmill Road. The majority of the planning commission denied the petition, citing concerns over losing heavy industrial zoned land and mixing uses.
The Conservation Fund, a national non-profit, negotiated and financed the purchase of the land from Klukwan Inc. in 2015. As a condition of that financing TWC implemented a deed restriction to protect the land’s aquatic resources. TWC can’t currently develop the land, which includes building trails, in heavy industrial zoning.
Professional Property Management owner Sean Gaffney’s property is split in half by two different zoning designations. He stores tour equipment and vehicles, and operates an office on the land. He said he’d prefer to have his land fall into one zoning category more in line with its current use.
Planning commission chair Rob Goldberg said he would push to rezone the land to light industrial, which he said would accommodate the needs of the property owners.
The assembly voted to postpone any decision until it hears back from the planning commission on that discussion.