Should the Haines Borough manager be allowed to spend $25,000 without assembly approval? The assembly discussed the question Tuesday of whether to increase the manager’s spending authorization limit from $10,000 to $25,000. The ordinance, which had its first public hearing, would also eliminate spending limits for department heads and other employees and change requirements for competitive sealed […]
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Assembly postpones helicopter noise plan
The Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday postponed directing the manager to craft a plan for monitoring the impact of helicopter operations near 26 Mile Haines Highway, claiming it wanted to see an estimated cost for the plan first. The assembly recently overturned a borough planning commission decision and approved a conditional use permit for Big Salmon Ventures, sister […]
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Forest Service offers $175K for projects
Residents have until April 30 to submit proposals for natural resource-related projects to be funded by the Lynn Canal-Icy Strait Resource Advisory Committee. Up to $175,000 is available for projects on or directly affecting National Forest system lands. The money applies to system lands around Haines, Gustavus, Hoonah, Pelican, Elfin Cove, and Angoon. Also, six […]
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Assembly: No harbor dump trailer
The Haines Borough Assembly last week rejected purchase of a $12,500 dump trailer for the Small Boat Harbor, despite appropriating funding for the purchase a month earlier. Assembly members George Campbell and Dave Berry voted against buying the trailer. Members Joanne Waterman, Debra Schnabel and Diana Lapham voted in favor. Assembly member Jerry Lapp was absent. The resolution failed on a 3-2 […]
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Assembly looks to up investment in stocks
Should the Haines Borough invest more of its $8 million permanent fund in the stock market? The borough assembly’s finance committee agreed March 10 that a provision in code that caps the fund’s investment in stocks at 25 percent should be raised to 50 percent of total assets, with a target of 30 percent in stocks. Currently, […]
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Breakwater, dredging costs raise questions
Concerns about meeting the cost – including future maintenance – of a harbor expansion surfaced at the March 12 Haines Borough Assembly meeting, where members George Campbell and Debra Schnabel opposed $1.7 million for engineering services related to construction of a 700-foot, metal wave barrier. The expenditure to PND Engineers, Inc. went ahead on a 4-2 vote. Also at […]
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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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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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Permanent Fund interest unspent
For years, the Haines Borough has not used the full share of the interest it’s authorized to spend annually from the borough’s $8 million permanent fund. Whether to tap into that pool – about $1.4 million in the fund’s “earnings reserve” – likely will be a topic for borough assembly leaders as they take up the coming […]