Day 4: Work Session

I felt that the evening's work session was productive. We will institute some changes to Assembly procedures immediately at the November 15 meeting; others will require changes to the code.

Here are some changes that you will see implemented on November 15:

• Seating Arrangement: the clerk will sit next to the Mayor, enabling the clerk, especially to provide subtle but needed support regarding parliamentary procedure.
• Public comment will be timed according to circumstance and timing will be monitored by the Mayor instead of the Clerk.
• You no longer need to sign up to testify during a public hearing, but you may if you'd like. Those who sign up will be called on first.
• The mayor will follow the agenda, announcing the items, but will not read the recommended motion, though that text will continue to be printed on the agenda, and any member of the Assembly is free to use it.
• Items that come before the Assembly will be supported with a document called an "Agenda Bill" - a document that provides a guide for detailing rationale and pertinent information related to the item.
• The Manager's report will be on the consent agenda. Manager's recommendations will be incorporated into an Agenda Bill as appropriate.

And most controversial of all - there will be no food on the dias!

Members indicated an interest in altering Haines Borough Code as follows:

• to provide for unlimited turns of Assembly members to speak during a debate (2.10.060(D);
• to eliminate the requirement that the clerk include a synopsis of Assembly debate (2.10.040(D) - a change which will pave the way for "Action Minutes;"
• to provide an opportunity in the Order of Business (i.e. Agenda) for Assembly members to indicate their intention to bring a topic to the next meeting's agenda;
• to eliminate the requirement that all resolutions be read out loud (2.12.100(A); and
• to eliminate the requirement that the Assembly review invoices (3.04.050)

I will draft an ordinance addressing these changes for the Assembly to consider introducing on November 15.

Members indicated their preferences for memberships on at least two of the four Standing Committees: Commerce, Finance, Personnel, and Government Affairs & Services; as well as their preferences for assignments as liaison to one or more boards, commissions, or committees established by the Assembly. I will announce those assignments on the 15th and appoint the chair of each standing committee.

And finally, members responded on a Likert-scale 5-0 rating their interest on a set of projects I had prepared for their consideration. I will compile the results for the Assembly and report back on the 15th.

Stay tuned!

Day 3

Former Mayor Mike Case, ipad in hand, was waiting for me today. He had been reading my blog.

Mayor Case wanted to talk about the long list of questions I posted on Monday. Mike wondered if I was "managing" or "mayoring." He warned me against the former. I have never made a secret of my admiration for Mike. So I take his advice seriously.

Luckily, I had prepared a couple of documents for the Thursday evening work session to underscore the difference between "managing" and "mayoring" or "Assembly-membering." Mayor Case liked these much better than my Monday list. I hope you will too.

Here is the "Bill of Rights for Assembly Members" and its companion "Bill of Rights for Managers" adapted from the Alaska Municipal League's Newly Elected Officials Handbook, pgs. 13-14:

All Assembly members have the right to:

• equal treatment and information
• fair and respectful treatment in all situations
• equal access to the manager for questions or assistance
• teamwork between manager and elected officials
• a minimum of surprises - the assembly must be made aware of all potentially embarrassing situations or problems
• complete, timely, accurate, non-partisan, and non-biased information
• short, concise reports which are easily understandable
• several options offered to solve a problem, if possible

The manager has the right to:

• fair and respectful treatment in all situations
• expect that all direction or offers come from a formal action of the whole assembly
• being criticized only in private and in a constructive manner
• being thanked when appropriate
• expect that materials and reports will be read by assembly members before meetings
• have adequate tools and resources to perform efficiently and effectively
• have duties and responsibilities put in writing so they are clear and understandable
• be give the authority and resources to complete assigned tasks

Day 2

The agenda for the November 3 work session is in circulation. A work session agenda is to be provided 48 hours prior to the session (2.10.030 (B), and so it was, but it was close...

Haines Borough Assembly

Committee-of-the-Whole Work session

November 3, 2011, 6:30 PM, Assembly Chambers

Agenda

A. Review role of mayor in creating the assembly agenda (HBC 2.10.030) and during assembly discussions (may take part 2.16.010 (c); veto (2.16.030); when to relinquish the chair (2.10.010 )

B. Review the relationship between the manager and the assembly (Manager’s Duties HBC 2.20.020; Assembly powers HBC 2.08.050)

C. Review Ex Parte Communication; and targeted procedures from Robert’s Rules (Julie Cozzi, MMC, Borough Clerk)

D. Review and comment on Mayor’s proposals to modify non-codified and codified practices used to conduct Assembly meetings .

E. Review and discuss standing committees of the Assembly, advisory committees and ad hoc work groups and task forces: possible reorganization, assignments, role of liaison, communication between committees and Assembly.

F. Rate interest in and add to specific projects or initiatives to explore on behalf of the community.

"F" on the Agenda is a list of projects and concerns that came up during the campaign. Today I thought to try to align the list with the 2004 Haines Borough Comprehensive Plan. A few items lined up but most did not. Are the concerns out of sync with the 2004 plan, or is the plan out of sync with the present?

To me, the disconnect between the concerns raised during the campaign and the old Comprehensive plan underscore the importance of the present effort to update the Comprehensive Plan.

The Planning Commission has had 8 meetings to review re-writes of chapters of the Comprehensive Plan since March. The 9th meeting is scheduled for November 16, 6 PM, Assembly Chambers. We all need to go. The Comprehensive Plan and the Borough Budget are the two most important policy documents produced and ultimately endorsed by the elected body. It is far easier to evaluate the final product if you have been able to participate in, or at least witness, its development.

I have recommended that all matters coming before the Assembly reference both the budget

and the community's Comprehensive Plan. That will help keep our government relevant, provided that there is ample public participation in the development of both documents: the budget and the Comprehensive Plan. Right now, it is the Comprehensive Plan that is itself in the planning. Come and see on November 16.

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Today was the first day of work for the "Mayor's Assistant."

Nicole Studley will be providing some needed paper shredding between 10-11 AM most days in the Mayor's office. I am delighted! And shredded paper makes wonderful compost. Let me know if you need some for your pile.

Day 1

Many thanks to Haines Borough Clerk Julie Cozzi for conducting the swearing in ceremony today for myself, Debra Schnabel, and Jerry Lapp. Newly elected Assembly member Norm Smith was unable to join us due to a work schedule. Today marks the official start of our terms, but it was also practice. We will be sworn in again in public at our first Assembly meeting, November 15. Please come!

Thank you too for those who did join us today: Representative Bill Thomas, Borough Manager Mark Earnest, Anne Hanssen, Jamie Heinz, Brenda Jones, Bill Kurz, Joe and Sue Poor, and Debra Vogt. It meant a lot to have you there.

And now to work. This is the Day 1 Mayor's Report. The bulk of my day was spent closeted with the Manager:

• I requested a copy of the Soil Contamination Report from Carson & Dorn, due to my concern for the soil in the area of the school garden.
• I requested a copy of the report of mold in the Chilkat Center, also from Carson and Dorn, due to my concern for the people working in that facility.
• I expressed my concern to the manager regarding the Haines Port Steering Committee with respect to the possible conflict with Haines Borough Code stipulations for committee composition (2.60.020), the need for term limits, and decision making mechanism. It's possible that a Resolution addressing these concerns will be presented at the Nov. 15 Assembly meeting.
• We discussed the Boat Harbor Advisory Committee's revisions to Title 16 and its recommendation that the advisory committee's scope be expanded to include port facilities, including the PC and Lutak docks.
  
• I inquired about the Chilkoot Estates Subdivision and learned that the problematical lift station was now operational but that road right-of-way issues are yet to be resolved.
• I wondered what had become of the request for proposals or for qualifications to repair the Chilkat Center roof that was to be prepared by the Boutet Compay as mentioned in the Manager's reports (9/13.9/27/10/11). I learned that the individual at the Boutet Company assigned the task had been injured (an injury unrelated to work for the Borough) so that the Manager is now looking for an alternative.
  
• We reviewed the MOU between the Haines Borough and Lynn Canal Broadcasting Regarding Management of the Chilkat Center. I believe that the Manager plans to talk informally with Lynn Canal Broadcasting in preparation for a more formal review of the agreement.
• I conveyed the interest expressed by a citizen that Main Street should be owned by the Borough instead of by the State of Alaska, as is now the case. I learned that DOT estimates that it costs $200,000 annually to clear snow from Main Street. It is possible that the Downtown Revitalization Committee, advisory to the Manager, may be asked to explore the costs and benefits of Borough ownership of Main Street.
• We talked about managerial evaluations. The Borough has an evaluation form but it might be time to examine alternative tools for evaluation. We talked about assigning that task to the Assembly's Commerce committee. The Manager is a member of that committee. I agreed that it was appropriate for the manager to participate in the selection of an evaluation tool.
• I found Public Law 111-84, Section 2851, which states how and when the Tank Farm will be conveyed to the Chilkoot Indian Association for "the purpose of permitting the Association to develop a Deep Sea Port and for other industrial and commercial development purposes" and requiring the Association to pay an "amount equal to the fair market value of the property... ." I had been confused about the status of the Tank Farm. Now I am less confused. Come in and I will make you a copy of the excerpt from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, signed into law October 28, 2009.
• The Clerk provided a document detailing how the contractor for the demolition of the old elementary school planned to dispose of the debris. The question had been raised by a citizen. I transmitted the information to the person who inquired.
  
• And last but not least, I celebrated my first day with coffee and cookies at the home of Joe and Sue Poor in the company of Debra Schnabel and Bill Kurz; I celebrated Tina Olson's and Mark Earnest's birthdays with the borough staff; I recycled a lot of paper, bought a desk lamp (with my own funds) so that I would not have to turn on all the ceiling fixtures, and prepared a spot for the new Mayor's Assistant, Nicole Studley, to expertly shred paper for an hour tomorrow morning.
  

It was a great day. Thank you for the opportunity to be your mayor.

I will be in the office at 3:30 tomorrow, ready to finalize the agenda for the November 3 work session. Please stop by.

Transition

I take office tomorrow, and I am nervous tonight. So I returned to the inspirational, though also sobering, email I received from Brenda Jones, October 7. I am going to put it on the door of my office, along with the names of the more than 71 Haines citizens who volunteer on Borough sponsored committees. Thank you, everyone, for all that you do. Here are excerpts from Brenda's email. Stop by and I'll share it with you in its entirety.

Dear Stephanie,

You won this vote by a very slim margin. You would not have been able to pull this one off without the support of conservatives that believe you will represent the best interest of our community and not just the interest of a vocal minority. They are hopeful, but will be watching carefully and their support will turn to contempt if your actions are inconsistent with what you professed during your campaign. I, and many others, are routing for your success. I believe Haines is at the tipping point. Now is the time that we will be able to turn things around and start to see life breathed back into our community or we turn into a community that 'used to be'.

Start by being the leader you said you would be. Consistently practice the values and ideals you presented during the campaign. Make sure that there is no room for anyone to even suggest your ethics are to be questioned. Many times people do not do anything wrong, but it is the appearance that there might have been personal gain or a personal agenda that causes a loss of confidence from the public. Set clear obtainable goals. You need to keep the long-term in focus, but some short term wins are important so that people do not lose enthusiasm. Break projects down into manageable chunks so that people can enjoy a sense of accomplishment along the way.

We need inspiration in this valley. Inspire a shared vision. So much time is spent on stuff people disagree about. Let's work on some of the things that most of us agree with, like our need to secure clean, reliable, affordable and sufficient energy. There will always be a segment of people that will never be happy with anything, but your goal is to work towards the best interest of the community, not placate unreasonable people. Communicate positive and hopeful outlooks for the future of the valley if we work together to address our future needs in a proactive way. Appeal to the public with respect for the differing individuals' concerns and show how their individual future interest can be served by proactively addressing our future needs. Always respect personal property holder rights. You present a unique opportunity for us to get buy-in from people that think fighting hydro power is somehow better for our environment than the alternatives. ...

You are going to have to challenge the process. This is where the people that say "but, we have always done it this way" will feel like their toes are being stepped on. You are in a good position because we all know the old way of doing things has not been serving the public interest well. There is so much distrust by the public because they believe stuff is done in secret. Bring things forward and look for new ways to approach the same old problems. As humans we are always uncomfortable whenever we are pushed outside of our comfort zone. But that is how we broaden our horizons and learn and grow. Know that you are going to receive pushback. Respectfully address those concerns. Know that sometimes when we experiment with new ways to approach challenges the results are not successful; learn from those setbacks and do not be afraid to let people know that your approach did not work and you need to try a new approach.

You are going to need some help in this process so enable others to act. Work on developing cooperative relationships with groups of different perspectives. Make sure that you generate a a sense of ownership among the committees so that they feel empowered and not disheartened. ... Make sure the committees and task forces under your direction allow for a free exchange of communication in both directions. This is needed in order to allow buy-in on the goals. This means you must thoughtfully consider what the goals should be and research the best approaches with input from those you are empowering.

Encourage those around you. Celebrate the accomplishments you have along the way. Recognize people for their contributions. You are going to be working with a lot of people that are donating their time and expertise; give them the pat on the back when they deserve it. Staff too needs the kudos they deserve, but only in a sincere way. No need to start an employee of the month program and then have to struggle to try to figure out who to name this month. Remember to stop and smell the roses along the way and make this an enjoyable process for all involved.

Best wishes for a future full of success while you are working towards making Haines a better place.

Brenda

Thanks Brenda!

The Old Elementary School: A Possible Reason to Stay the Execution?

Ketchikan had an old school too. White Cliff School. It stood vacant through 4 years and many studies before a solution was found.

In 2008, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough offered the property for sale. Dawson Construction bought it for $500,000 with the agreement that the Borough would rent half of the building for new offices. Part of the purchase agreement was that the Borough would attempt to purchase the building back from Dawson within a two-year period for $9.47 million. It all worked out. Dawson opened the building in January 2009. The Borough and other entities rented space; and ultimately the Borough found the money to re-purchase the building.

There might be something in the White Cliff School solution that would work for Haines. It's not too late to consider the possibility of partnering with the private sector to save an asset, create jobs, and move forward with the concept of a community center. If no private entity steps up, we will lose time, perhaps some money due to inflation, but not necessarily momentum.

However, time is definitely running out for the old Haines Elementary School. Demolition was stayed 10 days due to a glitch in obtaining all the required permits. But the contractor is ready to start work this coming Friday. The last chance to appeal to the Assembly to stay the contract for demolition is this Tuesday's (October 25) Assembly meeting during Public Comments.

Explore the White Cliff School story here.

Economic Development: Another Committee?

I hope so.

I am curious as to why the proposal to establish an economic development task force for the purposes of examining the fit between Haines and an economic development corporation model has not come before the Assembly. In my simple world, all that is required is for the paper work regarding the request for action to be submitted to the clerk according to the published calendar.

But the agenda can always be amended. Maybe that can happen this coming Tuesday night. Under new business add: Economic Development Task Force. The motion could be:

Move to appoint a 5-person economic development task force for the purpose of examining the model of a local economic development corporation and making a recommendation to the assembly regarding the advisability of the creation of an economic development corporation in Haines. If the recommendation is in favor of an economic development corporation, the task force will recommend steps for implementation.

Any takers? These steps need sponsorship from the Assembly but we can all help each other find the words and ways to move forward. We have to work together. I love what Jason Shull said yesterday, "More handshakes, less head shakes!" If the motion is passed, letters of interest can be solicited and a task force appointed in November.

Bear with me for a moment. I am thinking about committees in general right now.

I received a list of all the boards and committees from Julie Cozzi yesterday. The list is long. It includes all the Road Service Area Boards (7, including the Townsite for which the Assembly serves as the board), 2 Fire service area boards, Planning Commission, and commissions, advisory boards, or boards of trustees for public safety, tourism, museum, library, Chilkat Center, and boat harbor. There are 71 appointees on the Clerk's list (and not all seats are filled).

The Clerk's list doesn't include the Downtown Revitalization Committee; the now forming 18-member strong, Haines Borough Port Development Steering Committee; the Alcohol Task Force; or the heliski work group. Nor does it include the 4 standing committees of the Borough Assembly, three of which are stipulated in code: personnel, finance, commerce. The fourth Assembly standing committee, Government Affairs/Services, is not listed in the code. None of the standing nor any of the advisory committees are specified in the Charter.

We are committee rich! We also have a school board - definitely "more" than a committee but another organized group of people with a focused interest that petitions the Assembly to take various actions.

The reason I have catalogued the committees we do have is to try to grasp the many many special and vital interests in the Borough. It also illustrates how active the citizenry is. There are a couple of people that hold seats on more than one committee, but that is rare.

One of the complaints I have heard repeatedly is that the Assembly does not interact effectively with its committees. I would like to change that. But I 'm not sure what is wrong. Sometimes, I suspect, the committees come to the Borough with an administrative issue and directs it to the manager and may or may not get a timely response. But sometimes they want the Assembly to take some action. If so, they need to prepare a request with supporting documentation, send it to the clerk, and it should pop up on an agenda. Is the problem that there is insufficient technical advice available to committees on how to interact with the Assembly? If that is the case, a little memo from or even a visit with the clerk or mayor might help.

I am open to suggestions. I believe work at the committee level is key - however, we have to remember that always always always the Assembly has to make decisions that will benefit everyone in the community. Perhaps this is the nexus where "committees," which are necessarily narrowly focused, become frustrated with the Assembly. If that is the case, the Assembly has the responsibility to constantly and kindly remind everyone that the Assembly's responsibility is to the public in general.