A proposal to make heliports, landing strips and float plane docks “conditional uses” in the Mud Bay Land Use Service Area is pending before the LUSA board. Drew Degen drafted the proposed ordinance in order to stop planned helicopter flights by his neighbor, Ken Seright. As written, it would require Seright to ask the board […]
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Posted inLocal News, 2026 Haines Borough Election
Watch: An interview with George Campbell, candidate for planning commision
Editor’s note: This year the Chilkat Valley News partnered with KHNS on its election coverage in addition to hosting two candidate forums. A playlist of these profiles, as they are posted, can be found here. This interview transcript has been edited for clarity and grammar. Rashah Mcchesney: George Campbell, thank you so much for joining me. […]
Posted inLocal News, 2026 Haines Borough Election
Haines voters to decide if planning commissioners should be elected, or appointed by mayor
Haines voters will soon decide if Planning Commission seats should go back to being appointed by the mayor. The resident initiative asks voters to reverse what’s been in place for three years – voters electing commissioners. Haines voters, in 2023, decided to change how seats were filled on the Planning Commission. Tom Morphet, who is […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday September 11
Two of the companies vying for management of Haines’ cruise ship dock have consolidated proposals and will partner, rather than compete. Survey Point Holdings and Huna Totem Corporation, along with Viking Cruise Line, propose to manage the dock as a joint partnership, the companies wrote in a July 27 letter to the borough. The borough […]
Posted inLocal News
Bears, Port Chilkoot dock management, and repealing the ban on plastic bags
In addition to banning outhouses in the townsite, the Haines Borough assembly also approved a 30-day window for letters of interest in managing the Port Chilkoot Dock. The body also discussed potential conditional use permit fees for heliports during its two-hour meeting on Tuesday. Bears Haines Mayor Tom Morphet donned a button-up shirt with colorful […]
Posted inLocal News
Dock meeting leaves Lutak Dock project in limbo
The Lutak Dock redesign project is in limbo after a meeting borough manager Alekka Fullerton described as a “huge step back.” Borough staff say they’re ready to submit a “white paper,” a document that explains to the federal agency funding much of the project what the new dock design, selected in April, will entail. As […]
Chilkat Valley Newsletter Friday March 27
Juneau just set a new snowfall record, while Haines has had a snowy year but without the extremes. One upside is that the sledding hill on Mount Riley Road has gotten a lot more use this year. The hill itself is a community effort, maintained by Donnie Turner, who grooms it with a homemade rig […]