A landowner’s request to hook up water and sewer on Mathias Avenue has shined a spotlight on a safety lapse the borough had overlooked, and brought concerns to assembly members about the ethics and onus of utility connection fees within Haines’ town site. Currently, if a homeowner wants municipal water, they have to pay to […]
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Highway to be raised 20 feet in slide areas
Last Sunday and Monday, large mudslides in the upper valley flowed down the steep mountainsides and across the Haines Highway, forcing it to close while state workers cleared the road with heavy machinery. An Alaska Department of Transportation engineer expects those to continue, and for other debris flows to increase, because the slides are caused […]
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Borough to consider public art allocation
The Alaska Arts Confluence has requested the borough adopt an ordinance allocating one percent of all local public construction contracts to public art. The confluence’s community engagement director, Keri Eggleson, asked borough manager Debra Schnabel bring the request to the assembly. At Tuesday’s assembly meeting, executive director of the arts confluence, Carol Tuynman, spoke in support of […]
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Attorney says borough has standing to deny Alaska Excursions tour permit
The Haines Borough has legal standing to revoke Alaska Excursions’ Glacier Point 2018 commercial tour permit and/or deny renewal of the 2019 permit, borough attorney Brooks Chandler wrote in a memo to borough manager Debra Schnabel. The borough assembly voted unanimously last month to direct Schnabel to seek legal counsel after assembly member Tom Morphet wanted to publicly […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Committee votes to zero out marijuana excise tax
The borough’s finance committee voted to amend the ordinance on an excise tax of marijuana cultivated in the Haines Borough before it is imposed on the only local grower, Erika Merklin, when she turns in crops in on Oct. 30. The ordinance was supposed to be clarified two months ago, but has been postponed and referred to […]
Posted inNews, Alaska Marine Highway System
Marine Highway System proposes changes to Upper Lynn Canal service
The plan to run two Alaska Class Ferry day boats, the M/V Tazlina and M/V Hubbard, in the Upper Lynn Canal might get scrapped as the Alaska Marine Highway Service is requesting funding to add crew quarters to the Hubbard and divert the Tazlina to Prince William Sound. AMHS director Shirley Marquardt told the CVN Wednesday that […]
Posted inNews, Timber
HEDC to lead timber sale interface with UA
University of Alaska’s communications specialist, Morgan Howard, has pulled back from interfacing with the Haines community on the timber sale in a committee format, although the University says it was never their intention to begin with. Howard has passed the torch on to the Haines Economic Development Corporation for collecting community input. “Howard indicated that […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Pot tax still undecided
Last Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly referred the excise tax on marijuana cultivation facilities back to the finance committee for the second time. The committee will consider changing the excise tax to levy it on suppliers, and as a special sales tax to be approved by voters. Currently, the excise tax puts cultivation facilities in Haines at […]
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Committee discusses fate of public safety building
The fate of the 1977 public safety building remains to be seen. Does the borough move it, modernize it, or, as Government Affairs and Services Committee member Brenda Josephson said, “put lipstick on a pig” and make minor improvements while an upgraded building is in the works. The Government Affairs and Services committee met on […]
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Prisciandaro wins assembly seat, Rogers leads Maidy by three votes; 50 left to count
Voters Tuesday chose William Prisciandaro to serve on the Haines Borough Assembly; a second seat, however, is too close to call. According to unofficial election results, Prisciandaro received 449 votes. Paul Rogers received the second most votes with 394. Sean Maidy trails by three votes at 391. Barbara Mulford received 369 votes. With 50 outstanding ballots […]