I am asking the Haines Borough power to change its modus operandi. In order to properly serve its constituency, this entity need to take the time to solicit input from the affected parties rather than assuming they know what is best or cater to the out-of-town “experts.”
Working with the affected is called “collaboration” and tends to end up in agreeable solutions. The peasants are busy working and paying taxes and do not have time to decipher the borough meeting schedules and determine what 90-second period we have to speak our needs.
The decision to pave Beach Road across the slide is another example of a decision made without input. Residents on the road don’t want this. Just two years ago the borough was adamant it was too dangerous out there to let the residents go home; now they want to encourage increased traffic; traffic which will go down the road to find no adequate turnaround. Paved roads result in costlier/more difficult future repairs.
Consider me country, but some of us peasants like living on dirt roads. I ask these groups to please consider a new collaborative process – basically reach out and then listen. It’s a small town. It shouldn’t be hard to reach out, but somehow there is a sound barrier between the decision-makers and the affected. A change in the manner assembly and planning meetings are run and information gathering is performed is in order.
Todd Winkel