Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill recently returned from a trip to Juneau for the Alaska Municipal League Winter Legislative conference, where she hobnobbed with legislators and made “very good connections.” The conference ran from Feb. 16-18. Former Rep. Bill Thomas, who was in Juneau on other business, introduced Hill “to several legislators that I may or may not have […]
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Legislators: Close state forestry office
The state Division of Forestry office in Haines would close under a proposal being considered by the Alaska Legislature’s House Finance Committee. The measure would end the Division of Forestry’s resource management program and close all of the division’s offices in Southeast. The Haines office manages the 286,000 acres of the Haines State Forest. […]
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Noise, cop studies get assembly’s OK
The Haines Borough Assembly approved a major spending package Tuesday, including $41,300 to study helicopter noise, $22,000 to study the police department and $100,000 for planning toward Lutak Dock improvements. The assembly voted 5-1 to approve the package, with assembly member Ron Jackson opposed. Mayor Jan Hill broke the tie in favor of including the noise study in the spending package, […]
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Assemble: No to proposal to protect harbor workers
The Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday voted down a resolution that would have supported extra protections for the harbormaster and harbor employees. The resolution would have supported passage of state legislation establishing a minimum amount of jail time for people convicted of assaulting or harassing port and harbor employees. The assembly voted 3-2 to strike down the resolution, […]
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Borough signs economic development director
On a unanimous vote, the Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday approved the hire of Bill Mandeville, the town’s new community and economic development director. He will start Feb. 1 with an annual salary of $64,000. Mandeville this week toured borough facilities, spoke with staff members, and gave the assembly a rundown of his qualifications and background. Mandeville has […]
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Crime, weather left mark on 2014
The Haines Borough, its school and police department, came under new management in 2014, a year marked by lopsided weather patterns, infrastructure worries and chronic crime. Acts of courage brightened a townscape clouded as much by economic uncertainty as by months of rain. Luke Marquardt ran back into a house fire to save a friend. Novice […]
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Candidate offered development job
After two rounds of interviews, Haines Borough manager David Sosa last week offered the community and economic development director job to Bill Mandeville of Tumwater, Wash. Mandeville has worked for Washington’s Department of Commerce since 2006. He manages a $6.5 million revolving loan fund designed to redevelop sites with environmental hazards into productive commercial and industrial […]
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Borough holds $15 million in savings
As a percentage of spending, the Haines Borough’s $15 million in savings is exponentially more than what many other municipalities hold onto, but it’s a “prudent cushion,” the Haines Borough’s auditor told the assembly last month. The $15 million in fund balances identified by Max Mertz of Juneau includes $7.1 million in permanent fund capital, […]
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Borough to seek water,sewer rate increases
After eight weeks of consultation with senior Haines Borough staffers, manager David Sosa is recommending the assembly raise water and sewer rates. Final numbers haven’t been hammered out, but Sosa said if his recommendation is adopted, the average water and sewer user will likely see a minimum $10 per month cumulative increase over the next three years. […]
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Leaders explain support, opposition of power rate increase
Haines Borough officials said this week that information that can’t be disclosed led them to vote in favor of a settlement with the Alaska Power Company to increase electric rates by 11 percent. Assembly members Mike Case, Diana Lapham and George Campbell voted to accept the settlement offer. Assembly members Ron Jackson, Dave Berry […]