Preliminary budget discussions between the Haines Borough Assembly and department heads Feb. 10 yielded several suggestions for the fiscal year 2015 budget, including expanding the administration building, installing security cameras at several borough facilities and restructuring the tourism director position. The four-hour meeting was informal, with each department head giving a brief rundown of budget needs and […]
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Posted inNews, School Board
School board to seek maximum support from borough
Facing declining enrollment and state foundation funding that hasn’t increased for several years, the Haines school board will be seeking the maximum allowable contribution from the Haines Borough for the coming year, an additional $242,000. The district currently receives $1.55 million in borough funds for instruction and an additional $210,000 for community education, hot lunch and activities. By state […]
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Planners reject townsite ATV park
The Haines Borough Planning Commission decided last week Haines can’t accommodate a motorized ATV park in the townsite, with several commission members calling the idea “crazy.” The assembly voted unanimously at its Jan. 14 meeting to direct the commission to identify areas near or within the townsite suitable for a motorized park. Assembly member George Campbell spearheaded […]
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Police hire officer
The Haines Borough Police Department is getting a new officer, but borough staff won’t release the man’s job application due to a new personnel ordinance that makes most employee applications confidential. Interim police chief Simon Ford said Josh Dryden accepted the position this week. According to Ford, Dryden has eight years of law enforcement experience and several […]
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Heliport try denied; SEABA to appeal
Scott Sundberg, co-owner of Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, is appealing a Feb. 13 Haines Borough Planning Commission decision denying his application for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat Lake Road. The commission voted 4-3 to reject the application, but subsequently recommended that interim manager Julie Cozzi approve the permit with conditions including a one-year trial period, borough monitoring of […]
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Assembly considers ‘action’ minutes
Due to a recent months-long backlog in the production of meeting minutes, Haines Borough staff is proposing the clerk be required to produce only a stripped-down account of meetings. Interim clerk Michelle Webb is recommending the clerk be required to take “action-only” minutes, which do not document discussions leading up to decisions or motions. Action minutes are […]
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Assembly retracts mining letter
The Haines Borough Assembly last week voted to send a retraction letter to a state agency after discovering a previous letter had been sent without assembly approval. The initial letter was sent to the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office regarding the potential leasing of nearly 100,000 acres of land near Haines to mineral exploration and production. […]
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Musser hired as chief; to earn $75K
Following the breakdown of negotiations with former police chief candidate Richard Crays, Haines Borough interim manager Julie Cozzi Tuesday recommended the hire of runner-up candidate Bill Musser. The assembly approved the recommendation 5-1, with assembly member Debra Schnabel opposed. Cozzi said she “never wavered in her support of Bill Musser,” despite not initially recommending him for the position. […]
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Preschool gets lease extension
After hearing testimony from supporters of the Chilkat Valley Preschool Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly voted unanimously to extend the nonprofit’s lease of the Human Resources building until June 30, 2015. The assembly voted at its previous meeting to terminate the preschool’s lease in June. The additional year will give the preschool board time to solidify plans […]
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Borough, district OK air-handler project
With recent approval of an additional $70,000 from school district coffers, the Haines Borough is going ahead with a $350,000 replacement of three air-handling units in the ceiling of the Haines School art room. The work will be completed during summer and is expected to reduce noise in the art room that makes it hard for students […]