Tuesday, November 22, 6 PM: The Haines Borough Government Affairs & Services (GAS) Committee will meet in the Assembly Chambers to discuss the Chilkat Center management agreement between the Haines Borough and Lynn Canal Broadcasting. The Haines Borough provides space to KHNS in return for Center management services. The scope of services are laid out in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) originally adopted December 13, 2005. Lynn Canal Broadcasting, in a letter to the Haines Borough April 18, 2011, indicated a desire to return management to the Borough. The Committee is composed of Assembly members Steve Vick (Chair), Debra Schnabel, and Daymond Hoffman. The Committee may vote to recommend a course of action to the Assembly. The Mayor and other Assembly members may attend in an ex-officio capacity but they do not vote.
Tuesday, November 29, 6 PM: The Haines Borough Assembly will convene in a special meeting to take action on the opportunity to comment on the application for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by Goat Lake Hydro, Inc. for a hydroelectric project at Connelly Lake. The comment period for this application has been extended to January 3 due to an error in the notification process. During the November 15 Assembly meeting, the Assembly unanimously agreed to take the opportunity to consider a comment.
As Mayor, I have taken the liberty of inviting Bob Grimm, president of Alaska Power & Telephone, or his representative to explain the application or to answer questions specific to the application from members of the Assembly. Following information from the applicant, there will be an opportunity for the Assembly to hear public comment.
Given the potential complexity of the issues, I recommend that comments be provided to the Assembly in writing prior to the meeting - if possible. Comments can be sent electronically to the Borough Clerk through the Haines Borough website. Depending on the number of people who wish to comment to the Assembly in public, I may ask that speakers adhere to a 3-minute time limit.
Following public comment, the topic returns to the Assembly. In order to discuss an Assembly comment, a motion will need to be made and seconded. That will open Assembly debate. Since members of the Assembly cannot discuss topics outside of a meeting, proposed ideas (in the form of a main motion) are often amended. The process can get confusing, so I've been studying! Bear with us. Motions and their amendments are the mechanisms through which an Assembly, working under Robert's Rules of Order, crafts its actions.
Just because the process is complex, the Assembly has agreed to decide on the elements of its comment at the November 29 meeting and then review its comment at the Regular December 13 meeting. There is no rush, so the Assembly can take the time to double check the language of its comment before it is sent to FERC.
Wednesday, November 30, noon: Facilities Field Trip/Ports and Harbors. The Manager will conduct a field trip for the Assembly and for the public to examine infrastructure. The first trip will take in Ports and Harbors: Lutak Dock, Small Boat Harbor, Port Chilkoot Dock, and Letnikof Cove Dock. Check on the Borough website for details.
Tuesday, December 6, 6:30 PM, Committee-of-the-Whole: Solid Waste Management. On November 15, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, asked the Assembly to consider mandatory garbage collection in the Borough. The Assembly moved to meet to discuss the solid waste disposal issue. Any vote of the Committee-of-the-Whole is advisory to the Assembly. The Assembly can only take action in a Regular or Special meeting. The next regular meeting of the Assembly is December 13.
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