Haines Borough Manager Bill Seward is proposing changes to borough code governing heliski map advisory committees.
Seward says the need for changes came to his attention during the formation of the current heliski map committee.
Of the five seats on the committee, one goes to a conservation group representative, one to a heliski industry representative, one to a borough assembly member, and two to residents who petition for a spot.
Scott Sundberg, the owner of a local heliski company, applied for a resident seat. The industry spot was taken by another heliski company owner, Sean Brownell.
Sundberg was randomly chosen out of seven applicants to fill one of the resident seats. Brownell and Sundberg are the two heliski permit holders who submitted map amendment requests. Those requests trigger the formation of the advisory committee.
Manager Seward admitted there may be an ‘imbalance’ on the committee. He said he was ‘taking lessons learned’ and trying to implement changes in borough code to prevent a similar predicament.
His proposed amendments would add a line that specifies the two resident seats cannot go to people affiliated with an environmental or heliski industry group.
Seward also proposes changing the conservation organization seat to ‘environmental’ organization. On the current committee, Takshanuk Watershed Council Director Meredith Pochardt fills the conservation spot.
Seward says he wants to change that language because the word ‘conservation’ can have a ‘negative context to it.’
The proposed code amendment ordinance will be introduced at Tuesday’s borough assembly meeting. Seward says if the assembly approves the changes, it will not impact the makeup of the current heliski map committee. He says he cannot retract his appointments.
The map committee is an advisory group. The assembly has the final say on changes to permitted ski areas.
Oh, Beth. Or should I call you Kendall? Or is that just you Scott? The article clearly states that the rule change is for next time. You are the one with no evidence in this scenario actually but nice try. And once again- would rather have a trust-funder than a drug dealer running this show.
This move by the borough “manager” is illegal as it is a post fact action. Not only that, it shows the clear and deliberate hatred and bias against the hili-ski industry in Haines, i.e. the hand that feeds many of the people in Haines. When will Haines grow up and stop being petulant little children in the sandbox?
So sick of the trust-fundafarians getting their green panties in a twist over anything they deem (without evidence or empirical study) anti-environment or otherwise.
Why always about the trust-fund? You do know that SEABA was also subsidized by somebody’s daddy? What’s that prove? Do you scoff at all rich people? Is it because they are more educated than you?