The Haines Borough‘s loss of pandemic related sales tax revenues this summer has been offset by the near doubling of taxes collected from online retailers such as Amazon, REI, Target and other remote sellers. Sales tax revenues are down 30% between January through October 2020 compared to 2019, a loss of about $923,000. The remote sellers […]
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Posted inNews
Beach Road closure extended
Residents left without efficient means to access their homes Beach Road east of a barricade at the far end of Portage Cove will remain closed to the public after the Haines Borough Assembly voted unanimously to extend the closure at a meeting Tuesday. Mayor Douglas Olerud originally closed the road after a Dec. 2 landslide took out three […]
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COVID-19 mitigation plan required for 2021 tour companies
This year, tour companies will need a COVID-19 mitigation plan approved by the Haines Borough manager before they can conduct tours. On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly approved 4-2 a proposal put forward by tourism director Steven Auch to require a COVID-19 mitigation plan in order to receive tour permit approval in 2021. “I understand that people are going […]
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Federal government extends CARES Act spending deadline
The Haines Borough Assembly voted to roll back a December spending plan for leftover CARES Act funds after the federal government approved an extension of the spending deadline for the coronavirus relief money. At the assembly’s final meeting before the end of the year, the original deadline for spending CARES Act funds, members voted to use somewhere […]
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PERS termination study for Sheldon Museum approved by borough
The Haines Borough Assembly approved a PERS termination study for the Haines Sheldon Museum, a necessary first step in the board of trustees’ plan to turn the museum into a nonprofit separate from the borough. The study, a requirement under state law when a municipality eliminates a department, will tell the borough and the board how expensive […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Collaboration leads to positive hiring process
My compliments to the Haines Borough Assembly, the Personnel Committee, and the Mayor for doing a thorough job in finding the best borough manager for Haines. With the excellent facilitation skills and guidance generously provided by Lenise Henderson-Fontenot, they have taken an approach that is very likely to lead to a positive outcome. I sat in on a […]
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HEDC brings on interim director
On Dec. 14, Sally Andersen was brought on as interim director for the Haines Economic Development Corporation (HEDC), stepping into the role after the loss of director David Simmons in the Dec. 2 landslide. “Sally was already an employee of HEDC, working in conjunction with (the Juneau Economic Development Council) on CARES Act funding and […]
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Assembly plans to finalize manager advertisement by next regular meeting
The Haines Borough Assembly is picking up the pace of the manager hiring process. Over the course of two committee of the whole meetings held on Monday and Tuesday, assembly members revised manager advertisement language in preparation for posting the position in January. At the meetings, facilitated by consultant Lenise Henderson-Fontenot, the assembly adjusted language in the […]
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2020: Pandemic, natural disaster and upheaval
As I sat down to write the 2020 Year in Review, I thought: “I don’t want to relive this year, nor should anyone else.” But tradition dictates an annual recap, which if left unwritten, would end my positive relationship with CVN bookkeeper Jane Pascoe. Plus, the newspaper is a weekly black hole of white space […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Assembly Briefs
Manager hiring process to begin Dec. 21 The Haines Borough Assembly has agreed to engage the services of consultant Lenise Henderson-Fontenot, who assisted with the school district’s search for a new superintendent, to help the borough find a new manager. Henderson-Fontenot is offering her services on a pro bono basis in the wake of the recent landslide. […]