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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Posted inNews
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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Borough, union to negotiate new contract
The Haines Borough has put together its bargaining team for upcoming negotiations with the Local 71 Union regarding a new collective bargaining agreement for borough workers. The current, three-year agreement expires June 30, 2013. The borough’s team consists of Mayor Stephanie Scott, personnel committee chair Joanne Waterman, borough manager Mark Earnest, chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart and police chief Gary Lowe. Earnest […]
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Assembly to review executive sessions
A Jan. 22 closed-door meeting of the Haines Borough Assembly may have violated Alaska’s Open Meetings Act and borough code, according to borough officials. Assembly members met as a committee of the whole prior to the regular assembly meeting and effectively extended borough manager Mark Earnest’s contract until July 2014 by determining he achieved a “satisfactory” performance […]
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Earnest scores a ‘satisfactory’
The Haines Borough Assembly gave manager Mark Earnest a “satisfactory” evaluation Tuesday, a decision that came during an executive session at a committee of the whole meeting. Mayor Stephanie Scott announced the decision during the regular assembly meeting that followed the closed-door session, but did not elaborate. Based on interviews after the meetings, it appears the satisfactory determination relied heavily on […]
Posted inNews, Alaska Marine Highway System
Assembly queries ferry plan
The Haines Borough Assembly convened a special meeting Tuesday night to draft a series of questions and concerns regarding Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell’s recent scrapping of the Alaska Class Ferry plan. Parnell announced Dec. 4 the Alaska Marine Highway System would pursue plans to construct two smaller, less expensive ferries rather than a single, larger one. The seemingly unilateral […]
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Earnest evaluation to start in January
The borough assembly will begin the process of reviewing manager Mark Earnest’s contract and conducting his performance evaluation in early January. The assembly approved an extension of Earnest’s contract through July 2014 pending a review of contract conditions and a satisfactory evaluation at a meeting last month. Assembly member Joanne Waterman reminded the assembly during its Nov. […]
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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 supports Earnest extension
The Haines Borough Assembly voted 4-2 Tuesday to extend manager Mark Earnest’s contract through July 2014 pending a “satisfactory” evaluation and a contract review. Members Debra Schnabel and Norman Smith were opposed. Dave Berry, Steve Vick, Joanne Waterman, and Jerry Lapp were in favor. Waterman introduced a motion to extend the contract at the Oct. 9 assembly meeting where Earnest revealed he would […]
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Assembly to consider Earnest’s proposal for extended contract
Haines Borough Assembly members are scheduled to consider a proposal from manager Mark Earnest to extend his contract through June 2014 at Tuesday’s assembly meeting. Assembly member Joanne Waterman made an unsuccessful motion for the renewal at an assembly meeting last month, after Earnest informed assembly members he’d changed his mind about leaving the job at the end of […]