Catching Up...

I attended the Alaska Municipal League Board of Directors meeting and the Alaska Conference of Mayors this past Tuesday February 7 in Juneau.  I met the auditors for the Alaska Municipal League: Elgee Rhefeld Mertz, who by lucky chance happen to also be the auditors for the Haines Borough.  And thus I learned that the Juneau accounting firm earned the title of one of the 100 Best Accounting Firms to Work for in 2011.  They are, in fact, number 13. And we are one of their 1100 clients.  CFO Jila Stuart hopes to bring the firm to Haines to review the finalized Borough audit with the Assembly.

During the AML Conference of Mayors, every Mayor has the opportunity to give an accounting of his/her municipality.  I talked about our mass wasting event and how proud I was of the local responders.  I invited everyone to come to Haines to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve this June. 

And  I listened soberly to stories of $4-$15/gal fuel prices; communities using honey buckets; $0.58/KWH electric rates; suicide rates; and I began to think about what John Sandor, the octogenarian member of the Southeast Alaska Integrated Resource Plan Advisory Work Group said when they met in Haines. Sometimes, he said, it’s a social justice issue. He was talking about figuring out how small Southeast Communities could have access to affordable, renewable energy.  Sometimes is might not seem like good economics to spend dollars to build infrastructure in these relatively out of the way places, but it just might be the right thing to do.   You’ll be hearing more about that as the Assembly considers recommendations that affect Haines laid out in the $850,000 draft Southeast Alaska Integrated Resource Plan next Assembly meeting, February 28.

The Borough Assembly retreated Saturday February 11 to the Library.  We met from 9 to noon to work on a strategic plan for the next 3 years. Then we reconvened and met in public from 2 to 5 right here in the Assembly chambers. Thanks to Bill Kurz and Deb Vogt we did have some public.  We were led in our effort by Lenise Henderson and she will continue to work with us for 4 follow-up sessions, refining our plan.  Our strategic plan is very practical.  It is a “to do” list. 

You might ask, so where have you been between Wednesday February 8 and Friday February 10 because you certainly have not been answering your phone or emails.  Sorry.  I fell flat with the flu in Juneau. I had to cut short my intended stay in the capital, come home, and sleep!  I'm lots better now, though this is a nasty virus and my sympathies to one and all who have had to have the experience!