As reported in last week’s CVN, “local government specialists” see no issue with our Mayor attending assembly meetings by teleconference and voting when needed. Their advice: “Since the specific situation wasn’t in code…the situation is permissible.” Interpretational methodology in the Constitution argues strongly to the contrary. In his lecture series, constitutional law scholar Burt Neuborne argues the […]
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Posted inNews
Harbor design under scrutiny
Engineer: Plan could create ‘confused seas’ An independent engineer reviewing the design of the Small Boat Harbor expansion says work done to date by PND Engineers is “thorough and well done,” but says the municipality should consider moving the planned entrance. The change would add about $1 million to the estimated $30 million cost of […]
Posted inBlotter
Police Report
Monday, Jan. 12 A caller reported someone cutting trees on Haines Borough property near FAA Road. An officer responded and found a man felling trees in the area without a permit. The officer ordered the man to stop and get a permit. Sunday, Jan. 11 Troopers reported Haines Highway was icy from town to 25 Mile. A […]
Posted inNews
Assembly weighs ways to grow economy
The Haines Borough Assembly is returning to the idea of establishing a property tax waiver program to spur local economic development. The assembly voted in 2014 to establish an economic incentive program after it rejected specific property tax waivers for the Haines Brewing Company’s purchase of roughly 20,000 square feet of Main Street property. The idea was […]
Posted inNews
Preschool: Extend lease
The Chilkat Valley Preschool is asking the Haines Borough Assembly to once again extend its lease for the Human Resources Building until it can move into a new home, which it hopes will be an addition to the Haines Senior Center. The ordinance extending the lease had its first public hearing last week, and is set for […]
Posted inNews
Splitting of mayor’s duties OK’d
Can the Haines Borough Mayor vote in a meeting without presiding over it as chair? Mayor Jan Hill did that on Dec. 29, casting two important tie-breaking votes after turning over the chair to deputy Mayor Diana Lapham. Assembly member Margaret Friedenauer said she looked into it and doesn’t believe anything illegal occurred. Lapham chaired the meeting at the request of Hill, […]
Posted inNews
School savings: $903K
The Haines Borough school board last week heard the district is carrying a general fund balance of $906,000. Carlson said the amount was “hefty,” but “this is all the revenue we’re going to get and and there can be unexpected expenditures.” He also said he expected the amount to drop. “The school district needs to position itself for […]
Posted inNews
Chamber partners on town business project
The Haines Chamber of Commerce has secured an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer to help identify obstacles to local businesses and potential strategies for addressing them. The chamber, Chilkoot Indian Association and Haines Borough are partnering to participate in the state’s Division of Economic Development’s business retention and expansion program, which assists towns in identifying opportunities to improve the […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Involvement is not compliance
At the Dec. 15 Haines Borough Assembly session, the always impeccably coiffed Mayor Jan Hill redefined “bad hair day” with her invective against citizen activists. The Mayor read her “prepared statement” with commanding presence, accusing citizens of being “contentious” and “hateful.” I commend this great example of exercising free speech rights – to contest others’ rights as she implored citizens “…must stop […]
Posted inNews
Packet deadline changes
The Haines Borough Assembly’s agenda packets will be coming out a day earlier in 2016, but that also means residents need to get materials they want included in the packet into the clerk’s office sooner. Comments or letters should be submitted to the clerk’s office by 10 a.m. Tuesday, instead of the old 10 a.m. Wednesday deadline. […]