Borough officials this week said recent efforts to bury view-obstructing utility lines at the intersection of Front Street and Old Haines Highway are “dead.” The state Department of Transportation’s reluctance to work with the borough on burying the lines this far into the project plus the expense involved have effectively “squashed” the idea, said public […]
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Number of police will soon drop to 3
The five-member Haines Borough Police Department will soon be reduced to three. Understaffed since the resignation of former chief Gary Lowe in April, the department will lose officer Josh Knore effective July 29. Knore submitted his resignation Monday. He did not return CVN phone calls for comment. “It’s reasonable,” said interim chief Simon Ford. “(Knore) came up here and […]
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Assembly to decide on employee raises
The Haines Borough Assembly will decide July 23 whether to approve a package of raises and health insurance compensation for unionized borough workers which would increase the budget by about $151,000 in the current fiscal year. The cost of the contract would increase over each of the following two years. The Local 71 Union ratified the three-year […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Time to end mobster-style government
I attended what I believed to be a meeting on whether or not Mark Earnest should be kept on as Haines Borough manager June 10. Turned out that his contract – which has not expired – has already been extended and the meeting was to review his contract: A classic example of the wagon moving before the horse. Once […]
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Heli map committee seeks 22 changes
The Haines Borough’s ad-hoc heli-ski map committee is recommending 22 alterations to the current boundaries, including the expansion of areas in the Takhin Ridge and removal of lands in the Kicking Horse area. Of the 22 proposed changes, eight involve contraction of areas due to wildlife concerns and lack of use. Arguments for increased areas […]
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Borough staffers fill in as acting manager
The Haines Borough is playing musical chairs with its top position until July 3, when manager Mark Earnest will return to work from a two-and-a-half week vacation. Earnest left June 17, putting second-in-command clerk Julie Cozzi in the acting manager position. Cozzi, then, left June 25. As the third and final borough officer, chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart would […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Can manager cash in unused leave?
In the June 13 edition of the Chilkat Valley News, Haines Borough Manager Mark Earnest made the statement that he was “losing leave” because he couldn’t get out of his office due to his workload. Isn’t there a very good chance that he is compensated for any and all leave he is entitled to, but is unable to take? […]
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Borough to estimate cost of buried wires
During a special meeting convened Friday, the Haines Borough Assembly directed manager Mark Earnest to research cost estimates for burying power lines near the intersection of Front Street and the Old Haines Highway. Assembly members Norm Smith, Joanne Waterman and Steve Vick called the special meeting to discuss what Smith called the “power pole debacle.” Alaska Power and Telephone recently relocated several large power […]
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Assistant conflict issue to get attorney review
Haines Borough Manager Mark Earnest said he is consulting with the borough attorney on whether assistant to the manager Darsie Culbeck’s employment with a mining firm constitutes a conflict of interest. Assembly member Steve Vick raised the issue at Tuesday’s assembly meeting and said it would probably be prudent to have Earnest check with borough attorney Brooks Chandler about […]
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Bury utility lines?
Utility lines strung along Main Street, Third Avenue and the waterfront are a concern for some Haines Borough Assembly members, but the path to getting those lines buried is unclear. Assembly member Debra Schnabel said Tuesday she was disheartened the borough didn’t pursue buried power lines on the construction project at Beach Road and Old Haines Highway. “I don’t […]