Dozens of Alaska Power Company customers testified at a recent Regulatory Commission of Alaska hearing in Haines, railing against the company’s request for an 18 percent power rate increase. As part of the RCA’s investigation into whether an 18 percent rate increase is warranted, the commission heard from customers including residents from Haines, Skagway, Tok, […]
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Assembly endorses new office in trailer
The Haines Borough is looking to buy a 450-square-foot trailer to use as extra office space despite having an empty desk at the administration building and empty offices in the public safety building. The $12,500 “mobile office” would be located behind the administration building on Third Avenue. Manager David Sosa said the trailer would be used as […]
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Assembly gives $8K for sled hill
With the future of a favorite winter recreation site in jeopardy, the Haines Borough Assembly stepped in Tuesday to ensure the sledding hill on Mount Riley Road remains open for those looking to play on a snowy day. The assembly voted unanimously to devote up to $8,000 toward the creation of a sledding hill running parallel to […]
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Planners want consideration
Several members of the Haines Borough Planning Commission asked for more support from the assembly during a joint meeting of the two bodies last week, citing overturned decisions and unheeded recommendations that caused discontent. Commission chair Rob Goldberg said he would like the assembly to “take the planning commission seriously,” and give the group’s decisions “the weight […]
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Strong leadership key to revitalization efforts
In 2007, the downtown of Greenville, Kentucky, population 4,200, looked a lot like Haines’ Main Street does today. According to Brett Schwartz, a National Association of Developments Organization research fellow who studied Greenville, the southern town was decaying. “On a Saturday night, you would have likely walked on deteriorated sidewalks, peered into vacant storefronts […]
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Assembly starts digging into next year’s budget
At its first budget discussion Tuesday, Haines Borough Assembly members and officials made suggestions including revisiting the possibility of building an $8 million “muniplex” and slashing the nonprofit “community chest” from $32,500 to $2,500. No official action was taken at the meeting that reviewed the budget submitted by former interim borough manager Julie Cozzi. The perennial question of […]
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Borough to solicit bids for helicopter noise study
At the direction of the Haines Borough Assembly, manager David Sosa will begin soliciting bids for noise studies estimated to cost between $6,000 and $7,500 aimed at monitoring the impacts of a heliport near 26 Mile Haines Highway. The assembly voted 5-1 to pursue bids for the studies, with assembly member Joanne Waterman opposed. After Sosa and executive assistant to […]
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Assembly: No to mayor’s road letter
The Haines Borough Assembly April 8 rejected Mayor Stephanie Scott’s request to send an opinion piece to the Juneau Empire criticizing funding of the Juneau Access Project. The letter, Scott said, was intended “to express a sense of dismay about the way the legislature is spending your money.” Scott pointed out the Alaska Legislature has failed to fund any […]
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Assembly balks at privately-funded sauna plan
The Haines Borough Assembly voted in January to deny a request for a publicly-funded community sauna, and Tuesday it also voted to deny a privately-funded one. After rejection of the original request, the Chamber of Commerce came forward and said it would raise funds to pay for the sauna, to be installed at the pool, if the […]
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Assembly OKs 2 river tour permits
On 5-1 votes, the Haines Borough Assembly approved a new tour permit for Haines Rafting Co. and expanded tours for Rainbow Glacier Adventures at its March 11 meeting. Member Joanne Waterman voted against both permits. The tours elicited concerns about impacts on fisheries, carrying capacity for recreational uses and intrusion of commercial tours in neighborhoods. Rainbow Glacier Adventures planned […]