Leaders of local nonprofits say proposed changes to how their organizations apply and qualify for property tax exemptions would put financial and administrative strain on them, jeopardizing their effectiveness and ability to operate in the community. The Haines Borough Assembly introduced an ordinance Tuesday that would change how the municipality grants community purpose exemptions to nonprofits. The […]
Search results
Posted inNews
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, […]
Posted inNews
Leaders question dock-seeing plan
The Haines Borough Finance Committee at its Monday meeting scrutinized manager David Sosa’s request for $100,000 in Lutak Dock funds, with the committee chair cautioning Sosa to be careful about how he presented his plans to the public. Sosa is asking the assembly to appropriate $100,000 from the Lutak Dock enterprise fund for continued planning and assessment of the deteriorating structure. […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
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 […]
Posted inNews
Cozzi, Stuart contract talks underway
The Haines Borough Personnel Committee met in two closed-door sessions in recent weeks to discuss contract renewals and performance of two borough officers. The committee met Oct. 23 and again Monday to discuss the employment agreements of clerk Julie Cozzi and chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart. Both Cozzi’s and Stuart’s contracts expired in March and are now […]
Posted inNews
Assembly OKs 11 percent rate hike
After most than an hour of discussion behind closed doors, the Haines Borough Assembly on Wednesday voted to accept a settlement with the Alaska Power Company to increase power rates by 11 percent in Haines. It was unclear this week how the vote would affect legal action taken by five communities to oppose an 18.12 percent across-the-board […]
Posted inNews
Assembly holds ground on vet village tax exemption vote
Despite appeals from audience members and the Haines Assisted Living community manager, Haines Borough Assembly members declined to reconsider votes made last week to postpone consideration of a property tax exemption for the Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village. About a half-dozen residents turned out at Tuesday’s meeting to ask assembly members to reconsider their vote to postpone an ordinance […]
Posted inNews
Grants to nonprofits $94K, lowest since ’09
The Haines Borough Assembly last week authorized $94,300 in funding for local nonprofits, nearly $33,000 less than the amount requested and the lowest amount it has disbursed in grants since 2009. The assembly appropriated $109,200 last year. Following several attempts to postpone funding the programs, the assembly voted 4-2 to pass the resolution funding 11 local nonprofits. […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Assembly rolls for corporate interest
It’s not unusual for the Haines Borough Assembly to balk when outside “big government” folks try to tell our community what to do. But apparently that irritation doesn’t apply when big corporate interests are giving marching orders. On Aug. 12, the assembly reversed its earlier decision to establish a moratorium on additional tours at Chilkoot Lake and approved Alaska […]