The Mayor is incorrect in her Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee vacancy timeline. As noted in the PRAC minutes, we unanimously approved George Figdor’s reappointment to the committee months ago. Mayor Jan Hill ignored that request. After that reappointment recommendation, we had one empty seat available when Meredith Pochardt resigned, John Brower who had an application on file declined to […]
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Award launched in former mayor’s name
The estate of former Haines Mayor, farmer and science teacher Robert “Bob” Henderson has donated $220,000 and about 30,500 shares of stock from his estate to the University of Alaska Southeast. The gift will create the “University of Alaska Southeast Robert Henderson Memorial Award for Mariculture & Fisheries” to provide scholarships and research experience for students […]
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Mayor Hill reins in parks committee
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill is putting her foot down over what she sees as the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee’s overreach on the Small Boat Harbor expansion project. Tension between the committee and the mayor’s “waterfront aesthetics subcommittee” arose in April when the Port and Harbor Advisory Committee called a joint meeting with Parks and Rec to […]
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Mayor calls for town to turn over new leaf
Months after Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill referred to the community as the most “hateful and vindictive” as she has seen it during her lifetime, Hill repeated her call this week for the town to turn over a new leaf regarding its outlook and attitudes. Hill said she was inspired by the energy the Freeride World Tour competitors and […]
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Mayor Hill limits assembly comments
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill used Tuesday’s assembly meeting as a “practice run” for her new policy of allowing assembly members to only speak two times per motion. Hill invoked Robert’s Rules of Order, the widely-used guidebook of meeting procedures. “To save time, no member may speak more than two times on any one motion on the same […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Mayoral power decision questionable
As reported in last week’s CVN, “local government specialists” see no issue with our Mayor attending assembly meetings by teleconference and voting when needed. Their advice: “Since the specific situation wasn’t in code…the situation is permissible.” Interpretational methodology in the Constitution argues strongly to the contrary. In his lecture series, constitutional law scholar Burt Neuborne argues the […]
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Splitting of mayor’s duties OK’d
Can the Haines Borough Mayor vote in a meeting without presiding over it as chair? Mayor Jan Hill did that on Dec. 29, casting two important tie-breaking votes after turning over the chair to deputy Mayor Diana Lapham. Assembly member Margaret Friedenauer said she looked into it and doesn’t believe anything illegal occurred. Lapham chaired the meeting at the request of Hill, […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Saddened by mayor’s comments
I was saddened by Mayor Jan Hill’s recent comments at the Dec. 15 assembly meeting describing our community as “hateful and vindictive.” It appears that the mayor’s experience of some residents exercising their right to public participation inspired her to categorically label the entire community. Whoever said doing community service would always feel good? You put yourself in the […]
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Mayor creates new harbor group
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill created a joint committee this week charged with “monitoring” the aesthetic design of the waterfront and Small Boat Harbor expansion project, but many community members who showed up said the project’s problems go beyond merely tweaking appearances. The new committee will consist of Hill, a Planning Commission representative, a Tourism Advisory Board representative, […]
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Mayor scratches early-bird meeting
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill intervened this week after assembly members scheduled a 6 a.m. committee meeting to discuss a proposal for a new cruise ship waiver program. At Tuesday’s meeting, assembly member George Campbell said in order for him to attend the Commerce Committee meeting on May 19, it would have to be either early or late […]