How the Haines Borough should distribute money to local nonprofits has been discussed for years, and the issue continues to vex the assembly. Mayor Stephanie Scott proposed at a borough assembly meeting last month to establish an ad hoc committee to deal with the issue of doling out money to nonprofits, but the resolution failed after assembly members Norm Smith, Jerry […]
Search results
Posted inNews
Talk: Weighing in on mine plans
To influence regulations pertaining to development of a hard-rock mine in Haines, residents should weigh in on the scoping phase of an environmental impact statement, a speaker with a statewide environmental health and justice organization told a group at the Chilkat Center Friday. Heidi Zimmer, environmental health and justice coordinator for Alaska Community Action on […]
Posted inNews
Assembly to review executive sessions
A Jan. 22 closed-door meeting of the Haines Borough Assembly may have violated Alaska’s Open Meetings Act and borough code, according to borough officials. Assembly members met as a committee of the whole prior to the regular assembly meeting and effectively extended borough manager Mark Earnest’s contract until July 2014 by determining he achieved a “satisfactory” performance […]
Posted inNews
Contract includes 48 days of leave
In June 2012, Haines Borough Assembly member Debra Schnabel asked Mayor Stephanie Scott for a report on manager Mark Earnest’s accrued and used leave. Schnabel was concerned about Earnest’s frequent absences. Schnabel learned Earnest hadn’t come close to depleting the paid time off his contract allows. According to his $108,000 annual contract, Earnest may take 48 paid days off per year, not […]
Posted inNews
Earnest scores a ‘satisfactory’
The Haines Borough Assembly gave manager Mark Earnest a “satisfactory” evaluation Tuesday, a decision that came during an executive session at a committee of the whole meeting. Mayor Stephanie Scott announced the decision during the regular assembly meeting that followed the closed-door session, but did not elaborate. Based on interviews after the meetings, it appears the satisfactory determination relied heavily on […]
Posted inNews, Mining
Mining trip: Necessary or junket?
Some Haines Borough officials are questioning whether the borough is spending its time and money wisely by sending three public officials to a Canadian mineral exploration conference. Borough Manager Mark Earnest, executive assistant to the manager Darsie Culbeck and assembly member Steve Vick are scheduled to travel to Vancouver, B.C., Jan. 28-31 for the Mineral Exploration Roundup conference. Assembly member Debra […]
Posted inNews
Board asked to explain spending
Haines Borough Assembly members say they want more information on school board spending decisions following the board’s approval of $619,000 for district facilities and equipment at a December meeting. The December action came a few minutes after a joint assembly-school board meeting about borough support for funding school capital projects through the Alaska Legislature, including upgrades to the […]
Posted inNews, Elections
Advisory committee elections scrutinized
Following an unusually large turn-out at the Upper Lynn Canal Advisory Committee’s Dec. 14 election, the Haines Borough Assembly will recommend the committee consider changing its election procedures. The election – which drew 78 people, packed the assembly chambers beyond capacity, and forced the creation of extra ballots – seated new members Julia Heinz and Kip Kermoian and reseated John […]
Posted inNews
Skaters mull improved, moved ice rink
A grant opportunity recently renewed the efforts of a local volunteer organization to move the ice rink from the fairgrounds to downtown, but board members are hitting the brake on the initiative, at least for now. Until Tuesday evening, Haines Hockey board members intended to bring the issue before the Haines Borough Assembly in the form of […]
Posted inNews
Lutak Dock at top of borough’s ‘wish list’
Both the Haines Borough Assembly and the planning commission agreed that $2.6 million in upgrades to the Lutak Dock should top the borough’s capital requests “wish list” to the Alaska Legislature for the upcoming year. The assembly ranked 13 local projects according to most pressing need and adopted a resolution establishing those priorities during its Dec. 11 meeting. The […]