The Haines Borough is considering a partnership with freight company Alaska Marine Lines, which would construct, operate and own a new roll-on/roll-off barge ramp on leased borough land at the Lutak Dock. Engineers have told the borough that the municipally owned freight dock at Lutak is in poor shape and in danger of catastrophic failure. Borough manager Debra Schnabel introduced a memorandum of […]
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Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough considers a new 1% sales tax instead of landfill fees
The Haines Borough is moving toward proposing an additional 1 percent sales tax to fund a new borough-directed solid waste disposal program — maybe contracting with Community Waste Solutions, the current landfill owner and operator. The new tax would replace the fee system at the landfill. Regardless which way the borough goes, CWS told the borough assembly […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Committee rejects proposal to elect board, planning commission members
Haines Mayor Jan Hill will continue to appoint volunteers to the borough’s committees and boards after a proposal to shift responsibility to voters failed Monday. Assembly member Tom Morphet supported the idea from the audience at Monday’s assembly Government Affairs and Services Committee meeting. While not a member of the body, he said members of the borough’s boards […]
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$100,000 ‘lipstick job’: officials discuss fate of public safety building
The Haines Borough Assembly discussed what should happen with the borough’s public safety building Monday, a facility that one assembly member said is “in shambles” and barely functional for its daily operations. The public safety building on Haines Highway houses the borough’s police department and dispatch, the fire department and ambulance crew, the assembly chambers where public […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Borough to advance taxpayer-funded solid waste program
Prompted by citizen complaints and borough staff intervention, the Haines Borough Assembly this week decided to take a more active role in waste management. The assembly voted 4-2 to adopt six recommendations from borough manager Debra Schnabel that include reporting landfill conditions at Community Waste Solutions to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation as well as initiating a plan […]
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Debate continues over police patrols outside townsite
The Haines Borough Assembly again discussed the merits of police patrols outside the townsite—shining a light on a more than year-long debate about police jurisdiction that has yet to be resolved. Assembly member Brenda Josephson sparked the discussion when she asked borough manager Debra Schnabel why police were patrolling the Haines Highway beyond townsite boundaries. The police are sensitive […]
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Assembly withdraws funding for OpenGov
The assembly withdrew funding for an online public engagement software program before approving next year’s $13.6 million budget, reversing its former support of the tool designed to promote civic engagement. Assembly member Heather Lende made an amendment to withdraw funding for opengov.com. The assembly had previously voted on May 9 to fund the platform in […]
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Delegation travels to Excursion Inlet
Haines borough staff, public officials and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski traveled to Excursion Inlet last Friday to tour the Ocean Beauty Seafoods cannery, dedicate a newly acquired borough bridge and talk with residents who live in the remote borough community that’s flanked to the east by the south end of the Chilkat Range. Borough manager Debra […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly rejects police dog proposal
The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously rejected a proposal Tuesday to seek grants to purchase a police dog. The assembly also rejected, 4-2, having staff research whether a dog would be effective for curbing drug use and importation. The borough’s Public Safety Commission in April recommended the assembly look into purchasing a drug-sniffing dog after police chief Heath […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly rejects cop grant
The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously rejected a $125,000 federal grant at its regular May 8 meeting that would pay nearly half of an additional police officer’s salary for three years. The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the Community Oriented Policing Services grant in November. Borough manager Debra Schnabel applied for the grant earlier in the year when staff developed […]