Two tour permits approved
The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously voted to grant new commercial tour permits to Uncruise Adventures and SEAK Expeditions.
Uncruise’s permit allows guided hikes on the Mount Riley Trail, Battery Point Trail and Mount Ripinsky Trail. The tours are part of an all-inclusive package and will not provide sales tax income. Uncruise proposed a per-head tax of $5 to make up for the lack of sales tax. Several community members spoke in support of the move, including Joe Ordonez, owner of Rainbow Glacier Adventures, Leslie Ross, former Haines tourism director, and Andy Hedden, owner of Haines Rafting Company.
SEAK Expeditions’ permit is for sea kayaking and stand up-paddle boarding along the coast of the Lutak Inlet and guided hiking along Seduction Point and Battery Point trails.
Assembly asks for local trooper hire
The assembly voted to direct the borough manager to write a letter to the Alaska Police Academy asking that a recent graduate of the police academy from Haines be posted here.
Assembly member Heather Lende made the motion to write the letter. She originally asked to name Michael Fullerton, who graduated from the academy on Sunday, but Morphet motioned to not specify Fullerton in the letter. Assembly member Brenda Josephson and Sean Maidy opposed the motion, citing that the request proposed a conflict of interest because Fullerton is the spouse of borough clerk, Alekka Fullerton. The assembly approved the motion, 4-2.
Assembly pledges funds to Chilkat Center kitchen
The assembly voted unanimously to pledge $90,000 to the kitchen remodel project at the Chilkat Center for the Arts. The remodel will upgrade the kitchen to commercial standards, which would allow the Center to host more events and provide additional capacity as an emergency shelter. The Center will pursue additional funding from other grantors.