The Haines Borough Public Safety Building lacks ADA-accessible restrooms and an ADA-accessible entrance to assembly chambers. (Emily Files)
The Haines Borough is applying for multiple grants to complete projects aimed at improving accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Krista Kielsmeier is the Borough Manager’s Executive Assistant. She has been deeply involved in grant-writing for the borough. Kielsmeier believes current proposals are addressing a clear need to improve accessibility in Haines.
“At one point or another, we’ve been the highest median age in the state, and we have our cruise ship passengers coming in,” Kielsmeier said. “I think it is a priority. I think sometimes people wait until an issue affects them personally or a family member or a really close friend. But you can see in the community, whether a person is your friend or not, you can see that there are people who need ADA accessibility and we should try to help with that if we can. There’s a lot of grant funding out there for this issue.”
Currently, the borough is looking at four different projects to improve accessibility according to Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
The borough is applying for a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to improve ADA-accessibility at Tlingit Park. The project would create ADA-accessible paths and a ramp connecting the park to the Portage Cove Trail. It would also replace the park’s aging pavilion.
Kielsmeier said it is a good project to submit for grant funding because there has already been community interest, and the groundwork has been laid for making improvements.
“When you see a grant you have to figure out, ‘What do we have for match and what do we have that has shown some sort of community input?’ and then work toward that. We’ve had several meetings on the trail. We’ve had several meetings on the Harbor Park. Tlingit Park is in our comprehensive plan, and Tlingit Park has also got one of these grants in the past,” Kielsmeier said.
Chilkoot Indian Association has created trails throughout Haines and has identified accessibility as a priority. The organization has agreed to partner with the borough and construct the ADA-accessible ramp and trails at Tlingit Park.
In addition to the Tlingit Park project, the borough is also applying for a Community Development Block Grant from the Alaska Department of Commerce. These grants provide funding for public facilities and planning activities to improve the health and safety of residents in communities across Alaska.
The Haines Borough Assembly is deciding between three project proposals to submit for consideration. The Haines Sheldon Museum has proposed to build an elevator and ADA-accessible bathrooms in the museum. The Haines Senior Village submitted a plan for a covered parking structure for its residents. Borough staff presented a plan to construct ADA-accessible entrances and bathrooms for the borough’s public safety building.
Keilsmeier presented the plan for the public safety building at the assembly meeting last week. She said it has been difficult to figure out how to choose a project to submit.
“That’s what has made it somewhat complicated is that a non-profit can apply through the borough and how do you have a process that is fair to all applicants. It’s hard to determine a process that would weigh borough interests and non-profit interests equally. I would like to think if a non-profit had a very viable proposal it would be able to be selected because it should be a community priority what people want to apply for,” Keilsmeier said.
In order to secure the grant, the borough must demonstrate there is community support for the project. Once a plan is selected by the assembly, there will be a public hearing where residents can weigh in on the project.
The Haines Borough Assembly will select a project to submit for the Community Development Block Grant at the Tuesday, October 23 assembly meeting. Plans for the proposed projects are included in the assembly meeting packet from October 9.
