Haines Borough clerks this week said Debra Schnabel did not meet basic requirements for the borough manager position, the same requirements that former manager Bill Seward and interim manager Brad Ryan were determined to have met. Clerk Julie Cozzi said she and deputy clerk Alekka Fullerton were tasked by the assembly through a Personnel Committee recommendation to […]
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Ferry study draws mixed response
Alaska legislators this week gave varying views of a McDowell Group report that found a return of $2.50 in economic benefits for every state dollar spent on the Alaska Marine Highway System. “I appreciate the McDowell report, and was encouraged to learn that the state’s annual general fund dollars into the ferry system result in […]
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‘Big issues’ in upcoming union talks
Negotiations between the Local 71 workers’ union and the Haines Borough are about to begin, and local union representative Tom Brice said members have already identified “five or six real big issues” they want to address aside from compensation. Brice wouldn’t say what those issues are, but said some have to do with clarifying language that has […]
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Executive sessions close door on public
In the past month, the Haines Borough Assembly and its committees have met four times in closed-door sessions. According to a public notice, the assembly’s Personnel Committee may go into another executive session Friday to discuss interim manager applications, bringing that number to five. Some assembly members have questioned the practice or expressed concern about the lack […]
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Tour season: Ships up, Canadians down
Tourism-related businesses in Haines report mixed returns in 2015, with tour operators benefitting from a jump in cruise passenger numbers but retailers and lodgings reporting flat or decreased sales from independent travelers. Curiously, according to figures compiled by the Haines Borough tourism office, the number of southbound visitors and vehicles arriving at the U.S. border station at […]
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Assembly wants alternatives to cutting HARK
Dog lovers, don’t despair yet. The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday passed a motion directing borough staff to investigate different ways the municipality could fund the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel at the $45,000 level. Current cuts proposed by manager David Sosa would slash HARK’s contract from $47,800 to $16,200. Sosa’s plan would cut the contract and move dog-catching […]
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Legislature cutting local jobs, services
Forestry office eliminated The Haines Division of Forestry office was apparently eliminated and the future of public radio funding and the ferry schedule hanged in the balance after legislators in the state House and Senate passed their respective versions of the state operating budget in recent weeks. The cuts could eliminate hundreds of thousands of […]
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All-night drilling at harbor irks residents, raises questions
Noise complaints about around-the-clock drilling at the Small Boat Harbor expansion project have prompted the Haines Borough to consider whether it should allow it on future projects. Mayor Stephanie Scott said she has received two complaints about the noise, but is aware there are more disgruntled residents she hasn’t spoken to personally. The police department has also received calls […]
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Bruins not around – yet
Got brown bears? If you do, you may be the exception, as wildlife officials and residents say the numbers of bruins typically spotted around town and at the Chilkoot River are down from previous years. “It’s slow,” said wildlife trooper Ken VanSpronsen, a three-year resident. The town typically has experienced run-ins with bears by this […]
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Fort tower goes up, up, up
Contractor Dave Ricke restored a bit of the original Fort Seward skyline Tuesday, erecting a 60-foot tower modeled after one built for the U.S. Army base in Haines about 110 years ago. Ricke’s crew stacked four pre-constructed additions atop each other and on the existing 25-foot tower of the fort’s historic fire hall, recreating the […]