The borough’s GASC committee recommended the assembly require one year of residency before serving on empowered government boards, such as the planning commission. The motion, created by Debra Schnabel and seconded by Gabe Thomas, will be reviewed by the assembly next Tuesday.
Schnabel suggested the one year rule work in tandem with additional efforts to familiarize commissioners with roads, neighborhoods and the community as part of their training.
“We need to be careful of placing a higher value on residency than we do on actual knowledge of familiarity with and commitment to the community,” Schnabel said.
While the suggestion was initially directed toward the planning commission, Mayor Doug Olerud suggested the one year rule apply to all boards and commissions. Borough code currently requires 30 days of residency before applying for any board and commission.
Resident Tom Morphet says he intends to distribute a petition titled “Shall the members of the Haines Borough Planning Commission be elected by voters of the Haines Borough and serve three-year terms?”Morphet says the petition is currently under review by the borough and he plans to release it upon the borough’s “approval of the language.”
A CVN survey of Sitka, Juneau, Petersburg, Skagway, Angoon, Hoonah, Wrangell, Ketchikan and Craig found that only Petersburg elects their planning commission members.
The committee’s suggestion was discussed in light of the controversy surrounding the planning commission’s Dec. 8 decision to approve a conditional-use heliport permit for Alaska Mountain Guides heliski tours. Four residents and the Chilkoot Indian Village of Klukwan (CIV) have appealed the commission’s decision, and the permit will be reviewed by the assembly next week.