Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

A slightly trimmed Portage Cove Harbor Expansion now enters its first phase.

“I believe this is one of the biggest and best projects we’re going to see,” said Mayor Jan Hill.

The Haines Borough Assembly approved 5-1 Tuesday a contract with Pacific Pile & Marine to install a steel breakwater barrier and fill up the harbor’s uplands area with the potential to make it a paved parking lot. It also covers some dredging.

But the assembly also removed 4-2 one 33-foot-long segment of steel breakwater from the project, cutting the contract price by $385,000.

The bottom line is that Pacific Pile & Marine’s contract will be almost $12.9 million, instead of $13.26 million. And the predicted leftover money from the project’s first phase has grown from $1.9 million to almost $2.3 million.

Tuesday’s harbor contract votes sparked calls for unity in supervising the actual project.

But the same votes also rehashed criticisms and bad feelings from past controversies on the project.

Assembly member Heather Lende cast the sole nay vote on awarding the first phase contract, citing concerns about insufficient public feedback on the design. But she added she will strongly support making the first construction phase of four phases a success. The four phases are predicted to cost $32 million to $34 million.

Meanwhile, assembly member Tom Morphet – who had unsuccessfully pushed for a public referendum on the project prior to awarding the contract – voted for moving ahead.

That’s because he could not see anything to be gained by further delays.

However, Morphet criticized what he called a Haines government tendency to create advisory committees filled with only people who would profit by pushing forward with projects. He criticized a lack of wide public representation on these committees.

He said the borough tourism advisory board consists solely of tourism businesses. The five-person heliski map review committee includes the two heliski operators seeking the changes to the map. The port and harbor advisory committee, “comprised of boat owners should have been more properly named the Haines Boat Owners Association,” Morphet said.

The planning commission was sidestepped in the harbor design process, he said. “The design of this project was led by a narrowly defined interest group,” Morphet said.

Shouts from the crowd twice interrupted Morphet. “This is inappropriate.” “It’s an editorial. Give it a break.”

Morphet owns the Chilkat Valley News. He has removed himself from most of the day-to-day operations of the paper as he searches for a new owner.

Assembly member Mike Case argued Morphet’s speech had wandered from the topic up for a vote. But the other assembly members decided to allow him to continue.

Former assembly member Diana Lapham criticized Morphet.

“I need to hold you accountable for saying ‘committees of self-serving people.’ There are not more-giving people than those who serve on these committees. Your broad statements are not only insulting, but hurt people’s feelings,” Lapham said.

Prior to approving the Pacific Pile & Marine contract, the assembly voted 4-2 to remove 33 feet of steel wall from the breakwater. Lende and Case were the nay votes.

“I wonder about these low bids (since Pacific Pile & Marine was the lowest of six bidders). I wonder about them costing more money,” said assembly member Tresham Gregg.

Assembly member Ron Jackson added: “Let’s get a little ahead on future expansions.”

Meanwhile, Morphet and Lende objected to an advertisement that ran in the Nov. 3 Chilkat Valley News that said: “The Ports and Harbors Advisory Committee asks you to join them in supporting the Haines Harbor Expansion Project.”

Lende and Morphet said this was an advertisement by a borough government committee to inappropriately lobby the assembly prior to Tuesday’s Pacific Pile & Marine vote. Borough harbormaster Shawn Bell provided the advertisement to the paper, Morphet said.

On Tuesday, fisherman Don Turner Jr. said he personally paid for the advertisement. Turner is a member of the ports and harbor advisory committee.

Borough manager Bill Seward said he will write a policy to head off similar situations in the future.

Another loose end is whether resident Paul Nelson will file an appeal of a decision by the planning commission to the borough assembly by this Friday’s deadline.

Nelson argued that the project was improperly given a land use permit without an accompanying conditional use permit. The planning commission ruled against his position.

Nelson can appeal the planning commission ruling to the assembly. And he can decide to appeal to superior court if the assembly upholds the commission’s decision.

Assembly members wondered if the appeals process will delay work on the harbor’s first phase.

“The appeal is going to be denied. We’re going to back the planning commission,” Case said. “This is a low-risk situation,” Jackson added.

But Morphet said: “We have to realize this appeal could ultimately go to court.”

Also Tuesday, the assembly voted 6-0 to award a contract to Corvus Design of no more than $39,341 to design the Portage Cove Interpretive Trail and Harbor Park plans.