The Haines Borough Assembly voted 5-1 on Tuesday to uphold a planning commission decision denying Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures a permit to use its 26 Mile property as a heliport. In a split 3-3 vote in January, the borough planning commission rejected a conditional use permit for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat Lake Road. SEABA appealed the decision to the assembly […]

Commercial fishermen are hoping to enlist broad community support in an effort to reverse a perceived decline in the area’s wild salmon runs, starting with an upcoming meeting with Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials from Juneau. Haines Borough leaders, who sought the meeting and have designated money for research, have joined what area gillnetters […]

Under a proposed ordinance up for adoption Tuesday, global positioning system data for helicopter skiing submitted to the Haines Borough is public information, but it’s unclear how often that information would be collected. The assembly last week amended the ordinance that would have made the data confidential, unless required in an official investigation or court proceeding. Members […]

The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday, Feb. 28, will rehear a planning commission decision that denied a company’s request for a permit to use a 26 Mile heliport for commercial helicopter skiing. Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures (SEABA) is seeking a conditional use permit for a heliport at .6 Mile Chilkat Lake Road, across the steel bridge. “We’ve displayed clear intent for […]

Sen. Lisa Murkowski will be in Haines on Tuesday to hold a “roundtable” discussion with borough officials, community leaders and residents. The public is invited to attend the discussion, set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the American Bald Eagle Foundation. Some of the topics likely to be discussed are school funding, borough building conditions, the […]

Mayor Stephanie Scott last month appointed six residents to a task force that will examine responses to a “request for qualifications” for community center professional design services. Appointees include Dave Berry, Chilkoot Indian Association; Lenise Henderson Fontenot, Downtown Revitalization Committee; Daymond Hoffman and Steve Vick, Haines Borough Assembly; Rob Goldberg, Haines Borough Planning Commission; and Michael Byer, Haines Borough School District. One more seat […]

Mayor Stephanie Scott on Tuesday twice broke tie votes of the Haines Borough Assembly regarding global positioning system data for helicopter skiing, advancing amendments that would lead to spot checks for compliance that would be public information. The assembly delayed a vote on adopting the amended ordinance until Tuesday, Feb. 28. “What we’re really trying to do here, I […]

The Haines Borough Assembly on Feb. 3 held a special meeting to declare a disaster and request state assistance in response to the slump and ground movement near the Oceanview and Lutak areas. Ground shifting on the Oceanview hillside was first reported Jan. 16 and continues. A main sewer line that runs through the approximately five-acre area was breached […]

A Haines Borough cruise and fast ferry passenger survey showed tourists want more sunshine and even a Subway restaurant, but a vast majority were satisfied with their visit. McDowell Group of Juneau prepared the $20,000, 33-page report, paid for with head tax money. “We rated higher on what people thought about our town than any other survey […]