10 years, 11/27/2014
Leaders explain support, opposition of power rate increases
Haines Borough officials said this week that information that can’t be disclosed led them to vote in favor of a settlement with the Alaska Power Company to increase electric rates by 11 percent.
Assembly members Mike Case, Diana Lapham and George Campbell voted to accept the settlement offer. Assembly members Ron Jackson, Dave Berry and Joanne Waterman opposed it. Mayor Jan Hill broke the tie.
Alaska Power Company, the energy subsidiary of Alaska Power and Telephone, initially requested an 18.12 percent across-the-board rate increase for its customers in Haines and other small communities.
The Haines Borough and five other communities that filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska as interveners in the rate case recently voted to accept an 11.12 percent settlement instead of pursuing an RCA hearing.
Acceptance of an 11 percent increase rate irked some residents, including former Mayor Stephanie Scott, who pointed to an attorney general’s expert witness who testified APC should get no more than 5.1 percent.
Mayor Jan Hill said she voted for the settlement because of confidential information revealed during the assembly’s numerous closed-door meetings with its attorney. “I received enough information that made me feel this was the best option that we were afforded.”
Hill called the 11 percent the “middle of the road” option. “I’m not a gambler. Let’s put it that way. I’m especially not willing to be a gambler with things involving the borough.”
Hill said she feels she made the “right decision by the community,” but said residents have approached her about it. “I understand what it means when your light bill is going to go up, because so is mine. It’s not like I made this decision in a vacuum.”
Assembly member George Campbell also said there was information he couldn’t reveal that led to his vote. “No, I don’t like it, but I also recognize that there are a lot of very experienced people who were working on this situation. There’s a lot of information out there, way more than people are referring to.”
Campbell said if the borough rejected the settlement, he saw the chance of being stuck with an even larger increase at the hearing. The issue also would continue to cost the borough attorney fees, he said.
Regarding the lack of public input and the assembly’s refusal to talk about the settlement openly before accepting it, Campbell said doing so would have compromised the borough’s legal strategy.
“Part of strategies and negotiations is keeping your hand close to your chest and not letting people know what you are thinking so you can get your desired results,” Campbell said.“We vote in people to represent our community and we ask them to do that. Sometimes you have to trust your officials. That’s why it’s important to go out and vote.”
Assembly member Dave Berry, who voted against settlement, called the 11 percent increase “horrendous.”
“I just had a hard time swallowing that high of an increase, so I voted for the people who are going to have an extremely hard time paying it,” Berry said.
New assembly member Ron Jackson said he voted against the settlement because the assembly wasn’t provided information about the economic impacts of the increase and what it would mean financially for the community.
“During the discussions I wasn’t able to get good answers for that. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do,” Jackson said.
Jackson also wanted to know why the attorney general’s expert witness and his recommendation of a maximum 5.1 percent increase wasn’t being taken more seriously. “I wanted to know what was it in all the discussions they had that invalidated the 5.1 (percent) and there wasn’t any answer for that, either.”
Jackson said he has heard more concerns about the closed-door discussion and lack of a public hearing than he has about the increased rate. Jackson said there were things discussed in executive session that likely could have been discussed in public.
“I think I would question that a little more thoroughly, yes,” Jackson said of voting to go into executive session. “I would also want to really make sure after we got through that we took some time to explain what we could. You can’t tell everything, but we could at least talk about some things.”
After the assembly voted Nov. 12 on the settlement, former Mayor Scott sent assembly members and borough staff a plea for more information to be released. Scott said she was “heartbroken” by how the group shut the public out of discussions.
“Their job is to reach out to the electorate and tell them what is going on, and they did not do that. And when they realized that they didn’t do it, they should put the brakes on,” Scott said. “They need to wake up the people, not take advantage of sleepiness.”
Scott also said she never thought becoming an intervener in the case, a move she pushed, would result in an attorney largely calling the shots.
“I never for a moment imagined the person we were placing at the table would become instrumental in forging a settlement, especially without including the community in this agreement,” Scott said.
The RCA usually approves settlements, said Sam Cason, assistant attorney general for the Alaska Department of Law’s Regulatory Affairs and Public Advocacy department.
25 years
CVN launches web site
The Chilkat Valley News is now on the Internet.
The website “www.chilkavalleynews.com” features full-text versions of the top news stories published each Thursday in the print version of the paper, as well as classified advertisements and archives of stories and editorials. Readers can also write back to the newspaper staff via electronic mail.
Editor Bonnie Hedrick said the website will help the local paper do a better job. “It will make us more effective at disseminating information. We’ll be able to reach more people and get a broader cross-section of feedback,” Hedrick said.
The site also opens up opportunities for advertisers. “(Broader readership) will be good for our advertisers, too,” Hedrick said. “It’s not my expectation at this point that it will be profitable. We’d like to get to the point where it will support itself, but its life won’t hinge on whether it’s profitable.”
The site was created by local website designer James Alborough. Chilkat Valley News staffers spend an average of two hours a week updating the site. New electronic editions go online Friday.
50ish years Nov. 21, 1974
Un-Classified Ads
WANTED Caretaker for house, apartment house, hotel, etc. E. Homstad, General Delivery, Haines.
FOR SALE 12’ x 64’ 1970 Fleetwood mobile home and 12’ x 12’ wannigan $7800.00 and/or 1 acre with double garage and unfinished 24’ x 36’ A frame $15,500. All for $22,000. 766-4511.
FOR SALE Small breed puppies. $1.00 each. Have some Pomeranian in them. Available in 2 weeks. Pick ‘em now. 6-4964.
WANTED One 5-gallon aquarium; silk scarves to dance with and perhaps some sashes and fancy dancing skirts; table for play house “tea parties.” Kiddie Kare – the nursery school. Call 6-3280 mornings (except Friday) or 6-3591.
FOR SALE 19’ wooden boat with trailer $150. Van truck $550 or make offer. #3 ½ Spruce Grove Trailer Ct.
FOR SALE 1964 Rambler station wagon $500. New short block. New tires, shocks, steering column, transmission. #3 ½ Spruce Grove Trailer Ct.
WANTED Baby food jars for math games at Primary School. I can pick them up. Call 766-3911 Stephanie K. Scott.
FOUND Bicycle bearings and money in brown paper bag in S&W parking lot. Call 766-3147.
FOUND The requirements for attaining Peace of Mind and Peace on Earth. Inquire at Baha’i firesides: Thursdays, 8 p.m., Horn’s, 2 Mi. Small Tract; Sat., Nov. 30, Haisler’s 7:30 p.m., Union St. Between 2nd & 3rd.
WANTED Lead – used, any kind, any amount. Craig McCormick, P.O. Box 352, Haines, AK, 99827,
FOR SALE Beautiful white original wedding dress – only one like it. Call 766-3629.
WILL BABYSIT anytime, day or night. Phone Jean Thompson at 766-5267.
FOR SALE USed metal shower stall with fixtures. Fair condition. Nearly new shower curtain. $25.00. Will throw in a free bar of soap. See Bill Hartmann or phone 6-4381.