Joe Parnell is a lot of things: a world traveler, a writer who has covered everything from dream interpretation to sports, a state pickleball champion, a felt artist – and he’s also a longtime Haines resident who desperately wants to see the town improve its image. 

This is Parnell’s second year running for planning commission on what is – essentially – a one-issue platform of addressing the growing problem of derelict buildings in town. 

“I think it’s sad that the old buildings in town have been neglected and are becoming real hazards. It’s bad for a town to have dilapidated buildings and the borough is not doing anything about it,” he said. “I’m just trying to bring attention to the problem.” 

If elected, Parnell said he’d make a push to get some of the rotting buildings declared nuisances, paving the way for action to tear them down or auction them off. That could lead to a long process involving votes from the planning commission and the assembly, and potential appeals from the property owner. 

And, while it’s a long process, Parnell said he thinks now is the time to tackle it. 

For many years, Parnell has been showing up to planning commission and assembly meetings and having private conversations with borough staff about the number of deteriorating buildings in town. He often points out that planning commission or borough staff are not willing to enforce borough code. 

“There are some hard-core financial liabilities attached to large dilapidated buildings,” he said. 

At their core, Parnell said he thinks one of the reasons people in town tolerate blight is that they have a normalcy bias, which causes them to underestimate the impact of a crisis. 

“We’re accepting decay as if it’s normal,” he said. 

Parnell would like to see the borough sell the buildings to someone who would take care of them, or tear them down. 

“There’s one over there on Oslund Avenue that burned down 15 years ago. It’s just weird and gross,” he said. 

While he has a driving issue motivating him to run, Parnell said if elected he would also like to take on some of the other planning commission work – particularly in making decisions on permit variances or conditional use permits or cellphone tower regulation. 

Parnell has a degree in general studies – with some journalism and English training –  from the University of Alaska Southeast.  He’s also been traveling for most of his life and said, if elected, he’d bring that experience with diverse perspectives into a group work setting. 

“I just listen and then try to be informed, so that when you vote you’re doing something reasonable and not just out of the blue or emotional,” he said. 

All of that travel has also made him highly aware of what he has in Haines. 

“I’ve seen third world countries and abject poverty and we have it really good here in Haines. We have a pool and a library and parks and an art center and a beach and a boat harbor and we have lots to be grateful for,” he said.