Tourists walk on the cruise ship dock towards Haines’ Fort Seward. (Emily Files)
The Haines Economic Development Corporation is done with the first part of an effort to plan for the future of the local economy. An economic baseline report lays the foundation for a five-year development strategy.
It’s been almost a year since the Haines Borough agreed to provide funding for the HEDC.
In Sept. 2017, the assembly agreed to give the HEDC $95,000. Since then, the new non-profit has set out to accomplish a few goals.
The first, compile a baseline report on the Haines economy. That was completed this summer, and makes way for a five-year economic development strategy.
Margaret Friedenauer is the HEDC’s executive director.
“We needed a baseline data report because frankly one hadn’t been done,” Friedenauer said. “There is a lot of data in the comprehensive plan from 2012, but frankly not a lot of great economic studies and data reports. But we needed that in order to build a five-year economic development plan for Haines, which is what we’ve been charged with doing.”
The organization contracted with the consulting firm McDowell Group to complete the project. They’re the ones that put this report together.
The baseline report has two different sections, information gathered by McDowell, and a community survey. The survey polled residents by phone, and allowed anyone to participate online. Friedenauer says the results from both surveys tracked similarly.
And, she says, there were a lot of similarities in responses from residents.
“For as much as we tout our divisiveness, there was a surprising amount of consensus as to where our economic future is going and how to get there,” Friedenauer said.
Friedenauer said that wasn’t the only surprise in community feedback.
“I was surprised to find out that the majority of people in town find that the state of the Haines economy is strong, or at least trending strong,” Friedenauer said. “The majority of people in the survey found that their own household economic well being was trending toward thriving, or at least would maintain over the next few years.”
Haines has a population of around 2,500 borough residents. It’s an older community, with a median age of 49-years-old.
Tourism is a major part of the economy. With that, the number of jobs available fluxuates. According to the report, employment doubles in the summer from what it is in the winter. And, self-employment is on the upswing.
Despite the bump in the economy each summer, Friedenauer said the survey found residents don’t think that will always cut it.
“A lot of people believe that increasing year-round jobs is going to be very important for viable economic development,” said Friedenauer.
Another big player in the Haines economy is commercial fishing.
“It’s probably interesting to note that in some ways, the predictions are that commercial fishing is seeing some struggles and may continue to see some challenges, while the visitor industry is booming and we’re going to see a pretty sizable increase in the next few years as far as visitor spending, the number of visitors coming, and all the impacts that go with that,” Friedenauer said.
The report looks at several other industries significantly contributing, or with the potential to contribute to the local economy: mining, arts and culture, and forest products, to name a few.
It points to a few ways the Haines economy is trending different than the state. Unemployment was slightly higher than the state last year. Personal income growth was slightly ahead of the state.
And, the report finds in Haines, 49 percent of personal income is from earnings. That’s compared to two-thirds in the rest of the state.
There is a lot more information to be found in the one hundred plus page report. It’s all on the HEDC’s website.
And, this is just a starting point.
“The plan is building on those ideas, and those strengths and weaknesses that came out of the data, and areas of opportunity that it identified, and the survey results,” Friedenauer said.
Friedenauer says the final draft of the five-year plan should be completed at the end of the month.
The HEDC is a compete corrupt waste of taxpayer dollars. The Haines borough assembly “gave” taxpayer dollars to a non-profit who provides no direct services to the taxpayers. Then the HEDC hires Margaret Friedenauer, a former assembly member, to a no show do nothing job. Then Margaret hires McDowell Group to refresh the data they generated last time for a cool sum of $50, 000. McDowell then tells us we have a seasonal economy. WOW thanks for that McDowell, we did not know that with out your incredible insight. The HEDC is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, and a corrupt waste of taxpayer dollars. WOW we have a commercial fishing industry and a tourist industry! What amazing insight that McDowell Group has. Thanks to the Haines Borough Assembly for flushing $95,000 down the toilet, while providing no services to the taxpayers. Margaret Friedenauer is the sole economic beneficiary of the 95,000 of taxpayer dollars.