Interim borough manager Brad Ryan will meet behind closed doors with the assembly this week about four police complaints made public by one assembly member.
Tom Morphet brought the four critical accounts of interactions with Haines police to the last assembly meeting. Although some assembly members were uncomfortable with Morphet’s strategy of making the complaints public, they requested Ryan look into the allegations. Ryan says he is still investigating the matter, but plans to update the assembly on what he knows so far.
That will take place in an executive session scheduled at the end of the assembly meeting Wednesday. The meeting was bumped from its usual Tuesday spot because of borough manager interviews.
Several months after disbanding a controversy-ridden heliski map committee, a new proposal is before the assembly. It would set up a different process to decide on proposed amendments to the heliski map.
Instead of establishing an advisory committee dedicated to vetting map requests, the borough manager or staff would review the amendments and then send them to two existing committees: the parks and recreation advisory committee and the tourism advisory board. After the committees make recommendations, all the information would go to the assembly for a decision.
A commercial tour permit is back before the assembly after being postponed a couple weeks ago. Jonathan Richardson hopes to run a shuttle bringing tourists to trailheads and travelers to the ferry terminal. The assembly raised a number of questions at its last meeting that it asked him to address in his application.
The assembly will hold its first public hearing on the fiscal year 2018 borough budget. The budget is still being workshopped in assembly committee meetings. It includes a significant boost to the police department, money for a new economic development council, and a slight townsite property tax hike.
The assembly will also consider two new appointments to a committee that has come under significant scrutiny in recent months. Mayor Jan Hill recommended Dave Long and Zach Ferrin for seats on the parks and rec advisory committee. George Figdor also applied for a seat, and was recommended by the parks committee, who also backed Long. In a letter, Mayor Hill encourages the assembly to appoint Ferrin instead of Figdor in order for the committee to have people of ‘varying interests.’
The meeting is set for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in assembly chambers. At 6 p.m., right before the regular meeting, the newly-formed Haines Economic Development Corporation will give a public presentation.
