In a 5-1 vote, the Haines Borough Assembly repealed the $5-per-ounce excise tax on marijuana in an unconventional way, by reducing the tax to $0 per ounce, and will soon consider an ordinance that would ask voters if they want a special sales tax on retail marijuana. The borough hasn’t collected any marijuana taxes on cultivators because […]
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Posted inNews
Public safety building chosen for grant
The assembly unanimously selected the public safety building proposal among the three contestants for the Community Development Block Grant fund. The CDBG is administered and determined by the Division of Community and Regional Affairs to serve an Alaskan community on issues related to health and safety. The two other proposals from the Haines Borough were to install […]
Posted inNews
Assembly advances 30K design for new chambers in library; Mayor breaks 3-3 vote
Should the Haines Borough spend $30,000 on a library addition design for assembly chambers that would ultimately cost upwards of $430,000 to build? Assembly members were divided 3-3 Tuesday evening in a vote, recommended by director of public facilities Brad Ryan, to authorize MRV Architects’ designs for new assembly chambers as part of the Haines Borough Public Library’s expansion. Mayor Jan […]
Posted inNews, Timber
Timber sale negotiations further delayed
The University of Alaska’s negotiated timber sale contract negotiations have been delayed until spring 2019. “Due to ongoing field work remaining to be completed, the Haines timber project will continue well into 2019,” university liaison Morgan Howard wrote in an announcement Tuesday. “Depending on weather and safety conditions, it’s projected that the next phase of […]
Posted inNews, Public Safety
Police restricted to town; manager wants ‘borough’ decal off police vehicles
The assembly voted 4-2 Tuesday to direct the Haines Police to serve only the townsite, unless the Alaska State Troopers request them to respond to calls for service. The decision came after Mud Bay, Lutak, and Haines Highway residents voted against raising property taxes for an on-call police service. Borough manager Debra Schnabel asked the assembly on Tuesday night how […]
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Jack Smith stands guard on FAA Road
Standing in his driveway on a rainy Saturday, a miniature cigar hanging between his lips while talking on his cell phone about a plumbing problem at his mother’s house, Jack Smith holds his radar gun toward the road and clocks motorists’ speeds as they drive to and from the dump on FAA Road. “They slowed […]
Posted inNews
Assembly split on utility hook up process
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
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Exempt seniors may be asked to donate
Senior citizens who receive mandatory property tax exemptions may be presented the option to “pick, click, give” back to Haines this fiscal year, an idea proposed by assembly member Tom Morphet. Morphet, who chairs the borough’s finance committee that met on Tuesday to discuss the option, suggested a letter be included in tax bills that […]