The process for the Lutak Dock rehabilitation is severely flawed. From the last three public meetings on the topic, it appears that a minority group of residents is steering this process and overly influencing our local government. I applaud assembly members Huling and Schnabel for listening and taking actions to respond to the majority of residents who testified and sent letters.
The future of our community and valley is at stake with this project. The process to address Lutak Dock’s needs should have started with a Port Development Plan. Through meetings and public hearings these needs would be addressed and decided upon by the community it serves. Then designs would advance with more hearings and meetings.
Unfortunately, the process we’re going through is a reverse of that and is politically driven by the free enterprise proponents instead of the community. This is exactly what occurred with the small boat harbor expansion. We were told that there would be plenty of opportunity to weigh in, then shortly thereafter that it was too late to make changes.
This project needs a reset; start with a Port Development Plan then move forward with support from the community. We’re now in a position that the community has to take action through the federal and state permitting process and the ballot box. This erodes trust, cooperation or compromise and continues the dysfunction when it comes to making decisions and having a vision for what the future of Haines should be. We can do better.
Thom Ely