Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures co-owner Scott Sundberg said the company has shut down its heli-ski operations for the remainder of the season. Sundberg said the company decided to shut down for a variety of reasons, including consideration for personnel who were “devastated” by the March 15 avalanche that killed SEABA guide Aaron Karitis. Poor snowpack and difficult […]
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Assembly upholds heli-ski decision
The Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday upheld its original decision to keep the 2,200-acre zone near Four Winds Mountain closed to heli-skiing after assembly member Dave Berry called for reconsideration of the issue. Two heli-skiing operators had asked the Four Winds Mountain zone and four other areas be opened for a month-long special event, but the assembly rejected […]
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Survey: Landfill important to residents
Preliminary results of a survey intended to gauge community behaviors and attitudes toward garbage, recycling and composting seem to indicate many Haines residents don’t believe there is a solid waste problem in need of solving. Haines Borough Assembly member Debra Schnabel, who is conducting the survey, discussed preliminary results at a commerce committee meeting Monday. Schnabel, who […]
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Assembly OKs ATVs on borough roads
The Haines Borough Assembly last week unanimously approved an ordinance change that will allow ATVs on borough-owned roads. Member Diana Lapham raised concerns that some four-wheelers come mounted with a placard saying not to operate them on pavement. “They can tend to stop, flip, whatever,” she said. “I don’t know what liability the borough could be held […]
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Assembly OKs 26 Mile heliport
A Haines Borough Assembly meeting that lasted nearly nine hours this week after it was continued to a second night resulted in a split decision for the heli-skiing industry. On a 4-3 vote Tuesday tipped by Mayor Stephanie Scott breaking a tie, the assembly rejected a special event allowance for two heli-ski firms that sought to open nearly 10,000 acres […]
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Borough waits on metering residential water use
The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday passed an ordinance that changes residential water rates. It does not include a previous proposal to move toward metering residential water customers following concerns that staff hasn’t done enough to investigate its costs and benefits. An ordinance introduced in October would have required all residences built after Jan. 1 to be […]
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Borough pursues bonds for school
Acting as a combined body, the Haines Borough Assembly and school board voted Tuesday to begin a process that could put $6.94 million in school improvements before voters in October in the form of school bonds. The group voted to spend up to $6,000 to apply through a state program that reimburses the borough up to 70 percent for […]
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Assembly to revisit heliport issue
The Haines Borough Assembly agreed last week to hear an appeal of a Feb. 13 planning commission decision denying a conditional use permit for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat Lake Road. The assembly will hear the appeal by Scott Sundberg Tuesday, co-owner of Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures. SEABA has sought a heliport at the site since 2008. The idea was most […]
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Assembly considers broadcasting its meetings
Residents not inclined to venture out to observe the goings-on of their local government may soon be able to tune in to Haines Borough Assembly meetings live on their televisions. Borough staff members are investigating options for broadcasting live assembly and planning commission meetings on local cable television, interim manager Julie Cozzi said. They are also looking […]
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Staff floats budget proposals
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 […]