Next week, the Haines Borough Assembly will appoint its second new member in a matter of weeks.

There are three applicants for Margaret Friedenauer’s former seat: James Hart, Andrew Gray and Sean Maidy. Three of the assembly members favored Hart at a committee meeting earlier this week. He’ll need four votes for appointment.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, new borough manager Debra Schnabel will present her proposal to delegate land management decisions related to her family members. The issue came up after the borough attorney wrote an opinion on potential conflicts of interest. Schnabel’s brother, Roger, is a major landowner and runs a local construction company.

The assembly is looking into changing code to allow the borough to contract with Roger Schnabel’s business. The attorney said under current code, the borough is prohibited from contracting with Southeast Road Builders with Debra Schnabel as manager.

The assembly has a tough decision to make related to the Alaska State Troopers. The troopers pulled out of Haines earlier this year. More law enforcement burden has been shifted onto the local police, and the borough asked for financial compensation. The troopers offered a one-time, $25,000 payment.

The borough submitted a counterproposal, amending the contract’s wording. The assembly tried to remove language that seems to commit the borough to providing police service outside the townsite in perpetuity. But AST Colonel Hans Brinke says he will only agree to the department’s original proposal.

The assembly will also consider whether to enter negotiations to buy a Gustavus floating dock. Initially the dock would be temporarily used in the Portage Cove harbor. After permanent moorage floats are in place there, the dock would be stationed in Letnikof to serve as a breakwater and transient moorage float.

The meeting is Tuesday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. in assembly chambers.