The Haines Borough Assembly’s on-again, off-again manager hiring process is on again, again. At a meeting Tuesday, members restarted the discussion about the steps needed to advertise for the position. “I asked Alekka to put (the hiring discussion on the agenda). I know the Personnel Committee came up with a new manager (job) description. Where do we […]
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Posted inNews
Assembly ends heliski map committee work
The assembly voted down the heliski map committee’s request to continue work for another year. At a meeting earlier this month, the map committee voted 3-2 to ask for an extension through Sept. 30, 2021 to give members time to come up with map recommendations that balanced heliski industry needs with environmentalists’ concerns about dwindling mountain goat populations. The […]
Posted inNews
Bettisworth North will do conceptual design for new public safety building
The Haines Borough has selected Alaska-based architecture firm Bettisworth North, the same firm that worked on Skagway’s public safety building and the expansion of the Haines school, to create a conceptual design for its new public safety building. On Oct. 14, borough staff and assembly members held a preliminary meeting with Bettisworth North representatives to discuss the […]
Posted inNews
Stickler, Lapp, Kirby secure assembly seats
This year’s Haines Borough election was marked by high voter turnout, increased early and absentee voting, an above-average number of write-in votes, and a fourth seat that’s too close to call. At present, incumbent Brenda Josephson leads with 576 votes. Carol Tuynman received 566 votes and Helen Alten, 543. The Tuesday night results are still preliminary, with […]
Posted inNews
Mayoral candidates contrast leadership styles at final forum
Haines’ two mayoral candidates—incumbent Jan Hill and challenger Doug Olerud—spent much of the Sept. 25 KHNS-CVN forum highlighting their similarities. Both grew up in the Chilkat Valley, say they want to promote civil discourse in borough government and describe a vision for Haines that involves job creation through expanded resource development. Candidates differ in the main message […]
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Assembly restarts manager hiring process
After four months of inactivity, the Haines Borough Assembly took a step toward hiring a new, permanent manager, setting meeting dates for the Personnel Committee to review the job description and for a town hall to gather public input about the manager’s role. Haines has been without a permanent manager since Debra Schnabel was fired by the assembly in […]
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Candidates discuss firing, budget and cultural institutions
Questions about an ore terminal, the firing of manager Debra Schnabel and the best way to keep cultural institutions open during economically challenging times highlighted differences in Haines Borough Assembly and mayoral candidates at forums this past week. KHNS and the CVN co-hosted a forum Monday for the six assembly candidates—Brenda Josephson, Jerry Lapp, Cheryl Stickler, Caitie Kirby, Carol Tuynman […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Two Candidates Running for Mayor
The following includes edited excerpts of CVN interviews with this year’s mayoral candidates. Jan Hill,70, is the incumbent who is serving her fourth term as Mayor. She was raised in Haines and earned a bachelor’s degree in early childcare education from Seattle Central Community College. She helped start the Haines Head Start preschool program and taught […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Dignity requires decency
Buildings don’t provide dignity. People do. Assembly woman Brenda Josephson wants to build a $200,000 morgue with Covid money to allow the deceased to be handled with “dignity.” It would be better for us all if she afforded dignity to the living. When Josephson was supposedly on the phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. […]
Posted inNews
Town hall cancellation delays manager hire
Three months after the firing of manager Debra Schnabel, Haines Borough officials have yet to begin the process of hiring a permanent replacement. In July, the assembly decided to solicit community input on the role of the manager before moving forward with the hiring. A town hall meeting on the subject was scheduled for Aug. 6 but was […]