The Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday discussed pledging $90,000 to The Foundation of the Chilkat Center for the Arts to remodel the center’s kitchen. Foundation vice-president Lorrie Dudzik said the foundation has raised about $30,000 to build a commercial kitchen. The foundation hired an architect this winter who designed several plans that ranged from $60,000 to $180,000. The […]
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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 […]
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Travelers’ cabin in the works on Chilly Ridge
Haines Huts, under the Haines Alpine Touring Society, is one step closer to obtaining land to build a travelers’ cabin and may ask for borough support in the future. Lindsay Johnson and Jessica Kayser-Forster updated the Haines Borough Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee May 23 on the project’s progress. Johnson said the organization chose land for the […]
Posted inHaines Borough, News
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 […]
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Harbor dispute headed for mediation
The Haines Borough and Pacific Pile & Marine could end up in mediation over a dispute about the hardness of the harbor basin, according to borough manager Debra Schnabel. Settlement discussions Monday failed to reach agreement on resolving the contractor’s $1.2 million claim, Schnabel said. “We’re at a stalemate and we’re not in the same place,” Schnabel said. […]
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Parks and rec to draft letter alerting UA to trails
The Haines Borough Parks and Recreation Committee voted Wednesday to draft a letter, for assembly approval, alerting the University of Alaska and the potential timber buyer to the location of trails in the borough. Committee member George Figdor suggested the group should draft a letter to those involved in the University of Alaska’s proposed timber sale to […]
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Planning commission seeks outside review for resource extraction
The Haines Borough Planning Commission recommended last week that its resource extraction definition go for professional, legal and staff review outside the borough. Commissioner Sylvia Heinz said she wanted a consultant and attorney outside the borough “who have experience in similar issues” to address public comments, code and conflicts of interest as they relate to resource extraction. […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Committee considers nixing rent taxes
The Haines Borough Assembly Finance Committee is interested in abolishing sales tax for long-term renters that would leave a $70,000 hole in the borough budget, but assembly members are looking for more information. At the group’s May 21 meeting, assembly member Sean Maidy said he would like to see long-term renters and their landlords exempt from paying […]
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Enrollment drop could hurt school budget
The Haines Borough School District is at risk of losing $154,895 if school enrollment decreases as expected this fall. Interim superintendent Rich Carlson said the school’s enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is estimated at 233 students, down from 253 this year. “A lot of it has to do with a fairly large senior class and a […]
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OpenGov could take time to see citizen response
The Haines Borough Assembly last week narrowly approved purchasing a $40,000 software program aimed at increasing citizen engagement, but the assembly may take up the issue again. The CVN reached out to two similarly sized communities using the software to see how it’s working in their towns. The “Citizen Engagement” program from the tech company OpenGov allows […]