By Jessica Edwards
The Alaska Legislature passed a budget Saturday that includes $6.6
million for 13 capital improvement projects in Haines, and $1.5 million for projects in
Klukwan.
A $1.8 million request to complete work on the Haines School was not
approved, leaving uncertain the fate of projects including paving of the school parking
lot. (See related story, page 9.)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has 30 days to review the capital budget and
make changes. Last year, Haines lost about $1 million in vetoes by Palin, including
requests that reappeared in this year’s capital and supplemental budgets.
State Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, said he was fairly confident at least
two-thirds of the capital budget would not be vetoed. "I’m hoping everything for
Haines can (stay in)."
Palin approved $500,000 for sewer work and the swimming pool repairs in
the supplemental budget passed April 3, two items she’d vetoed last year.
Haines Borough manager Robert Venables said the Beach Road force-main
project would go out to bid this week, and work would be completed by summer’s end.
Meetings with swim team representatives and borough maintenance staff
in coming weeks will help define the scope of the work for pool repairs, Venables said.
The borough will ask Dawson Construction if it’s possible to add the repairs to their
list of projects this summer. If not, the borough will advertise a request for proposals.
"The main thing is to get the work done before the next swim team
cycle begins in August. We want to limit closures as much as possible."
Borough projects included in the legislature’s capital budget are
$50,000 for replacing the septic system at Mosquito Lake School, $352,000 to replace the
pump station on Barnett Drive, and $3.5 million for Letnikof Cove and Small Boat Harbor
improvements.
If approved by Palin, Haines will receive $1.5 million for Port
Chilkoot Dock repairs and debt retirement, with money coming from the cruise ship head
tax. Thomas said $700,000 for cruise ship parking lot and sidewalk improvements, which he
earlier predicted would be funded, had been sent elsewhere in Southeast.
"They sent a lot of the money to other communities that
didn’t deserve it. We were just a little miffed," he said. He said ultimately he
didn’t fight for the sidewalk money because the borough lacked a solid plan.
Thomas said the cruise ship parking lot improvements might fall under a
request he hoped to make in 2009 to pay for paving the Haines Highway with cruise ship tax
money.
If re-elected, Thomas said he plans to request cruise ship tax money in
2009 for Haines road paving including Main Street, Haines Highway to 1 Mile, and Front
Street around the boat harbor.
Other capital requests included by the Legislature in this year’s
budget are pass-through grants for community nonprofits, including $270,000 for Haines
Assisted Living for cleanup at the site of the former A&P building, $150,000 to
complete American Legion Hall renovations, and $375,000 for a raptor mew at the American
Bald Eagle Foundation.
Three community grants Palin vetoed in last year’s capital budget
made it into the legislature’s budget for 2008: $60,000 for Haines ANB Hall
renovations, $100,000 to complete upgrades to the Boy Scout camp only half-funded last
year, and $85,000 for an emergency ramp at the Chilkat Center. Last year, an $85,000
request from the Takshanuk Watershed Council fell to Palin’s veto, but a $132,000
request for projects on Comstock Road and Boulder Creek passed the legislature this year.
Thomas said he thought items reappropriated by the legislature this
year were unlikely to be vetoed a second time.
Capital requests for Klukwan included $20,000 for gym bleachers in the
new gym, $25,000 for ANS Hall renovations, and $1.5 million for the Jilkaat Kwan Cultural
Center. Thomas said Palin hadn’t wanted to fund the projects, so approval will be a
"wait and see" situation.
Approved operating budget requests included $92,000 for planning in the
Chilkoot Corridor, a $400,000 budget increase for public broadcasting statewide, and $7.2
million to replace federal funds for Fish and Game.
Palin and legislators agreed to increase revenue sharing to communities
this year, or $600,000 for Haines, compared to $355,000 last year. The increase is
expected to help the borough school district absorb a nearly $500,000 cut due to an
elimination of federal secure schools funding. That program replaced stumpage receipts for
communities where logging was reduced.
Total revenue sharing to Haines was effectively bumped up $92,000 by
Rep. Thomas through legislation that changed a formula, giving the the town two municipal
units of funding, similar to funding received prior to consolidation.
