A draft engineering report says the Haines Borough should address surface water flows on the Mount Ripinsky hillside in response to a ground slump that undermined a home, broke a sewer line and split Lutak Road in January. “A comprehensive review of hillside surficial drainage and flow characteristics should be conducted to determine if any changes are warranted to flow patterns,” […]
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Haines, Juneau unlinked under new district plan
The path to re-election for State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, cleared a bit this week, as the Alaska Supreme Court reversed course and approved a redistricting plan that keeps Haines separate from Juneau. The state’s high court on Tuesday said a redistricting plan it ordered last week might violate the federal Voting Rights Act requirement for […]
Police Blotter
Monday, May 14 A caller reported a moose headed toward a residence near Carr’s Cove. A caller reported a person was handling trash inappropriately on Deishu Drive, possibly creating a bear attractant. Police said the junk in the yard was not putrescible waste, so did not meet the borough code definition of a bear attraction […]
Will borough act on heli-ski complaints?
I submitted complaints regarding heli-skiing outside allowed boundaries for March 19 and April 5, complete with photos showing helicopters and ski tracks, and signed statements from witnesses, including myself. Have SEABA or Alaska Heliskiing provided the borough with GPS data for these dates? If not, why not? The manager’s end of season report includes a letter from […]
House district tilts toward Juneau
Haines would be included in a state House of Representatives district dominated by voters from Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley under a new plan adopted Monday by the Alaska Redistricting Board. The news triggered concerns among Haines leaders that the town could lose clout in the Alaska Legislature wielded by state Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, who co-chairs the […]
Lowe, Brower, Bolen amid 18 manager applicants
Residents John Brower, Gary Lowe and Debra Schnabel and former Haines Borough Manager Tom Bolen are among 18 applicants for the borough’s top job. Applications were due May 10. Borough manager Mark Earnest has resigned effective June 15. Brower is the tribal administrator at Chilkat Indian Village, Lowe is Haines Police chief, and the self-employed Schnabel serves on the Haines Borough Assembly. Bolen was dismissed as […]
Assistant manager job hire unclear
The Haines Borough is again advertising for a full-time executive assistant to the borough manager, and it was unclear this week whether the position would be filled before manager Mark Earnest’s departure next month. Earnest, who has resigned effective June 15, previously told the Chilkat Valley News and the Haines Borough Assembly a decision on the executive assistant would […]
Mayor seeks vote option to fill vacancies
The Haines Borough Assembly is advancing a question toward the fall ballot that would give members the option of calling a special election to fill vacated assembly seats. The assembly last week introduced an ordinance that would amend the borough charter to allow special elections for filling vacancies. Amending the charter would require a vote of the […]
Assembly drops pay phone request
The Haines Borough Assembly last week hung up on a proposal to refer a discussion of pay phones to a committee. Newspaper editor Tom Morphet, at the request of Mayor Stephanie Scott, prepared a resolution asking Alaska Power and Telephone to reactivate a half-dozen pay phones around town. Morphet took interest in the issue last spring, after AP&T removed […]
Tax appeal board votes on 5 complaints
Members of the Haines Borough Assembly acting as the Board of Equalization lowered one property assessment and kept four the same April 30. Lack of access and wetlands were issues for property owners seeking reduced valuations. “I understand the rationale for the assessor to assess…but I’m having a hard time with property that’s 2,650 feet up the […]
