Assembly at odds over university timber sale
Share
TweetAssembly members, meeting as a committee of the whole June 19, debated whether the borough was misrepresented in information University of Alaska staff presented to the board of regents earlier that day regarding the school’s timber sale in the Haines area.
Mayor Jan Hill, not the borough, was listed as supporting the sale in material for the regents’ meeting, at which they voted to move ahead with the negotiated timber sale.
In May 21 testimony before the regents, Hill said: “The community stands by to learn more and hopefully to participate in this exciting project.”
Assembly members Stephanie Scott, Sean Maidy and Tom Morphet said the borough should write a letter to clarify its position as one of questioning the timber sale and needing more information.
Scott suggested the Mayor write the letter as an individual, not on behalf of the borough.
Speaking in support of the timber sale, however, assembly member Brenda Josephson said the borough “needs to engage effectively, not try to stop it.”
A McDowell survey, which showed a majority of the com-munity supports timber sales, is valid, Josephson said. She was responding to Morphet’s suggestion, supported by assembly member Heather Lende, that the borough add an advisory vote on the sale to the upcoming municipal election ballot in October.
The discussion became heated after Morphet repeatedly said the Mayor misused her authority and misrepresented the borough in her testimony to the university last month.
“When the Mayor takes a personal position on something using her title,” Morphet said, “that suggests community-wide support.” He said the assembly needs to authorize any statement made by Hill using her title.
Lende motioned to add to the agenda for the next assembly meeting the creation of a timber sale working group and to send a letter the university clarifying that the borough has not taken an official position on the sale. Both the working group and the letter will be discussed June 26.
