Joe Parnell, a longtime resident of Haines, first arrived in town in 1996. Originally from Tennessee, though raised in Ohio, Parnell describes himself as someone who was “born to look around.”
“I lived in Hawaii for a year. I built a house on the beach in Mexico in my 30s. I’ve been from Tasmania to Norway and from Greece to Alaska,” he said.
Ultimately, Parnell chose to settle in Haines. He said he was drawn by its small town vibe that set it apart from larger areas in the state like Juneau, where he lived for several years before moving to the Chilkat Valley. He got his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts at the University of Alaska Southeast.
In Haines, Parnell became known as “Pizza Joe”after he opened a pizza shop on Main Street during his first year in town. When he’s not working, Parnell said he likes to kayak, fish, snowmachine and make art – including crafting benches and felting. One recent creation, the Incredibench, shows up in various iterations all over town, including one in the Chilkat Valley News office.
“I just started making them and I just kind of like making them and they help give people a place to sit and talk about things,” Parnell said. “It’s my contribution to society.”
Parnell’s civic engagement includes running for local office before, an experience he called “educational.” Now, he’s focused on one of two seats available on the planning commission motivated by his desire to address what he sees as a growing problem of derelict buildings in town.
“Someone needs to stand up for the work that was done to build those buildings,” he said. “It’s tragic to see that work go to waste.”
For much of the past four years, Parnell has been campaigning informally to push for enforcements of Haines code, which calls it unlawful to maintain buildings in a state of disrepair or deterioration. He believes the buildings are a blight on the town and said the local government, including the planning commission and assembly, has not done enough to address the issues.
If elected to the commission, Parnell said he plans to take action by making motions to have certain buildings declared nuisances which, in turn, could lead to a long process involving votes from the planning commission and the assembly, as well as possible appeals from the property owner.
“It’s a long process,” he said. “But it has to start somewhere, I believe. If people want to see someone try to do something about the derelict buildings, then they should put a check by my name.”
In addition to his focus on derelict buildings, Parnell said he’s cautious about the town’s growth and doesn’t want to see the urban sprawl and traffic that he sees in other communities.
If elected, he said he’d work to be fair, reasonable and diligent in studying the issues that come before the commission, ensuring that he bases his decisions on the town’s code and comprehensive plan.
“I’m for the people, the environment, and intelligent use of our resources,” Parnell said.