Haines public facilities director Ed Coffland is stepping down from his position at the end of February after five years on the job.
Coffland did not respond to an email and multiple phone calls about his resignation, but borough manager Annette Kreitzer said he is stepping down for personal reasons.
“We will miss his professional demeanor, his dry wit and his ability to cope with the constant demands of the position of Public Facilities Director. It was with great regret that I accepted his resignation,” said Kreitzer in an email.
As director, Coffland oversaw a budget of close to a half million dollars and was paid about $100,000, according to budget documents. He was responsible for maintenance and upgrades of borough facilities and building new ones.
Before coming to the Haines Borough, Coffland worked for Coeur Alaska at Kensington Mine and for Coffland Construction in Juneau, according to a job application he submitted to the city in 2019.
Coffland had been working remotely for the past several months.
Kreitzer said the borough tries to be accommodating to employees’ personal circumstances. She said Coffland’s remote work hasn’t affected his performance.
“He has been the first call to me most of this time – anywhere from 7:30 am – 8:30 am to check in and let me know of any upcoming issues or just to see if I have any concerns. As Ed’s office isn’t in the Administration building, we spend a lot of time on the phone and emailing. His working remotely has not impacted that work,” Kreitzer wrote.
Coffland’s last day will be Feb. 29, according to clerk Alekka Fullerton.