The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is considering building a new medical facility in Haines. “I’ve been yakking at the SEARHC board for years, ‘It’s Haines’s turn. Wrangell has a hospital, now it’s our turn,’” said SEARHC board member and Chilkoot Indian Association (CIA) tribal administrator Harriet Brouillette Tuesday. “There’s a very good chance […]
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Posted inNews
Assembly adds nonprofit funding to budget
Funding for the Haines Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) and the Southeast Alaska State Fair have been added to the Haines Borough’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The assembly at a meeting Tuesday voted by wide margins to fund the two institutions. The $20,000 for HEDC passed 5-1 with Gabe Thomas the sole “no” vote, […]
Posted inNews, Wildlife
Bald Eagle Foundation nixes planting in Henderson Field
Foundroot seeks new fields By Kyle Clayton Citing erosion and the possibilities of contamination stemming from December floods, the American Bald Eagle Foundation board won’t allow the use of its Henderson field for agriculture this summer, frustrating gardeners and farmers who lease the land each year. The farmers say they are confused by the board’s decision and […]
Posted inNews
Haines borough becomes Second Amendment Sanctuary
Haines Borough has joined an ever-growing list of municipalities nationwide vowing to uphold the Second Amendment in the event the federal government enacts what the assembly views as unconstitutional gun regulations. Although the words “Second Amendment Sanctuary” were removed from the resolution prior to passage on Tuesday, in keeping with resolutions from other gun sanctuaries, […]
Posted inNews
Beach Road residents could be six weeks out from a return home
The Haines Borough Assembly approved a short-term access plan for Beach Road aimed at balancing residents’ desire to return home with the desire to secure FEMA funding for completion of a geotechnical study. Up until last week, it had appeared that the borough would need to choose between expediting the process of restoring power and permanent road […]
Posted inNews, Public Safety
Assembly considers police overtime hour increase
The Haines Borough Assembly took no action on several police budget-related amendments at a meeting Tuesday, despite discussion at a budget Committee of the Whole meeting the week prior. Amendments discussed at last week’s budget meeting included increasing police overtime and standby hours, and transferring money from the areawide general fund to the townsite fund to reimburse […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Assembly doesn’t understand manager’s role
My offer to serve as manager or interim was made to the Mayor following the 2020 election. The unfolding story of filling the manager vacancy has since created unacceptable conditions for my service: 1. Consideration of adjusting the manger’s authority over personnel runs counter to state statute. AS29, Article 6 defines the Manager Plan. Authority over all […]
Posted inNews, Mining, Haines Borough
Assembly to look at severance tax as source of revenue
The Haines Borough Assembly is considering a severance tax. Assembly member Carol Tuynman suggested the revenue-generating measure, a tax on natural resources extracted from the borough, at an April 29 committee of the whole meeting. In recent years, the borough has used savings, cuts and federal stimulus money to compensate for revenue losses due to the pandemic […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Museum funding uncertain; CIA offers to take on building
Funding for the Haines Sheldon Museum in this year’s Haines Borough budget remains an open question after more than an hour of discussion at a Government Affairs and Services (GAS) Committee meeting Tuesday. “I hope that the timeline (for reaching a decision about museum funding) is rational and is not a slow-rolling disaster, but on July 1, […]
Posted inNews
Rasmuson Foundation weighs in on museum NEH grant
In a 3-3 tie broken by Mayor Douglas Olerud, the Haines Borough Assembly voted to postpone discussion about returning a $350,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections grant. The postponement gives Haines Sheldon Museum advocates, including Rasmuson Foundation president Diane Kaplan, time to find a match for the grant, or another creative solution for keeping […]