Four years after the Haines Borough Assembly agreed to keep the Haines primary school building to see how land there would fit into a downtown plan, the borough’s planning commission is being asked whether the property should be sold. The borough demolished the building on the property in October 2010. The planning commission will hold a hearing […]

The job shuffle at city hall continued this week with the temporary hire of Phil Benner as harbormaster, and a four-month extension for facilities manager Brian Lemcke. Meanwhile, the Haines Borough Assembly is moving ahead with a transition plan that would give clerk Julie Cozzi responsibilities of the borough manager. Cozzi would be aided in the job […]

The Haines Borough received 11 applications for the vacant harbormaster position as of March 29, according to clerk Julie Cozzi. Harbormaster Ed Barrett resigned effective April 1, and the deadline for the first review of applications was last week. Barrett had been Haines harbormaster since August 2010 and previously worked as harbormaster and city manager in Whittier. […]

The Haines Borough Assembly last week rescinded a February disaster declaration for sloughing of the Mount Ripinsky hillside at Lutak Road. Borough manager Mark Earnest provided the assembly with an e-mail from Kerry Seifert, an emergency management specialist with Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, before the 5-0 vote. Member Joanne Waterman was absent. Seifert wrote “the slope has stopped or slowed movement […]

Can the Haines Borough dispose of surplus equipment through an online auction site like eBay? As members of the Haines Borough Assembly on March 27 discussed two pieces of equipment – a caterpillar 140H grader with wing blade and a Jeep and water wagon – set for disposal by public sealed bid auction to the highest bidder, assemblyman Steve Vick suggested […]

In an interview this week, Haines Police officer Cassandra McEwen said she would plead guilty to three misdemeanor animal abuse charges filed against her and that she has resigned the force effective April 15. She said she has been on paid medical leave for a nervous breakdown she suffered and that she’s not fit for duty because […]

The future of the annual, Fourth of July fireworks display was in question this week, following a 4-1 vote by the Haines Borough Assembly March 27 against taking on insurance liability for the display. Member Debra Schnabel voted to provide the coverage. Joanne Waterman was absent. Haines Chamber of Commerce president Ned Rozbicki recently told the assembly the business group is […]