Haines Borough manager Mark Earnest placed police chief Gary Lowe on paid administrative leave Tuesday, making Sgt. Simon Ford acting chief. The assembly voted unanimously Tuesday night to “as soon as possible, hire a hearing officer to facilitate an internal investigation into the complaints against the police chief and his abilities to perform his duties and supervise the police […]
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Former bear monitor rejected for tour permit
The Haines Borough Assembly denied a request Tuesday from former bear monitor Shannon Donahue to begin small-scale bear-viewing tours along the Chilkoot River. The assembly split 3-3 on the decision to deny the permit proposed by Donahue. Assembly members Joanne Waterman, Steve Vick and Jerry Lapp voted to award the permit; Debra Schnabel, Dave Berry and Norm Smith were opposed. Mayor Stephanie Scott broke the tie with […]
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‘Corrective action’ for Lowe
The Haines Borough Assembly directed the manager during a March 12 special meeting to “apply corrective action” to address the assembly’s concerns about police chief Gary Lowe’s behavior during a March 5 assembly meeting. “Appropriate public comments in dealing with personnel matters” and “appreciation for a respectful relationship between law enforcement and the media” were the two […]
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Special meeting on Lowe Friday
Haines Borough Assembly members have called a special meeting to be held 5:30 p.m. Friday to discuss police chief Gary Lowe’s actions during the March 5 assembly meeting. Members Joanne Waterman, Jerry Lapp and Debra Schnabel made a written request for the special meeting Wednesday afternoon. Code requires requests from three assembly members for the scheduling of a special meeting. […]
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Manager reports on police chief
Haines Borough manager Mark Earnest reported Tuesday the results of his investigation into complaints made from within the police department against chief Gary Lowe. Earnest told the assembly he received a complaint from an employee within the department and subsequently conducted multiple interviews with officers and dispatch personnel to investigate. The interviews yielded “suggestions, ideas and concerns” […]
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Borough reviews not done
Although required to by code, Haines Borough Manager Mark Earnest has not provided for evaluations of employees since starting on the job three years ago. As manager, Earnest serves as the borough’s personnel director. He is responsible for supervising and evaluating about a dozen of the municipality’s upper-level employees, including department heads and three borough “officers”: police chief Gary Lowe, […]
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Meetings scheduled
Lack of a quorum cancelled Tuesday’s scheduled meeting of the Haines Borough Assembly. Members Norm Smith, Joanne Waterman and Jerry Lapp were absent. Tuesday’s meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 5. A regular meeting also is scheduled for March 12. A meeting that would have been held Feb. 12 was canceled and rescheduled in advance, due to anticipated absences.
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Assembly still grappling with nonprofit funding
How the Haines Borough should distribute money to local nonprofits has been discussed for years, and the issue continues to vex the assembly. Mayor Stephanie Scott proposed at a borough assembly meeting last month to establish an ad hoc committee to deal with the issue of doling out money to nonprofits, but the resolution failed after assembly members Norm Smith, Jerry […]
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Car tax encounters opposition: Assembly wants more details on proposal
Haines Borough Assembly members and residents expressed misgivings about a proposed motor vehicle registration tax Tuesday. The assembly postponed a vote on the motor vehicle tax ordinance, which would compel residents to pay $22 every two years for each of their vehicles regardless of size, type, and age. The tax would raise about $40,000 annually […]
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Assembly approves heli-ski ordinance
The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously passed a heli-ski ordinance Nov. 6 that alters several industry regulations. Changes from current borough law include establishment of a $5 per day user fee, an increase in penalties to as much as $1,000 per violation, and an Aug. 31 deadline for heli-ski permit applications. The ordinance also allows the assembly to […]