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Haines Borough RMSA committee presses for clearer subzone names and targeted road repairs
Summary
Committee members urged code corrections to rename an area ‘Eagle Bluff Drive’ instead of ‘Eagle Vista,’ discussed using Dalton Historic Trail funds (cited at about $55,000) for cold-patch and grading work, and agreed to ask the borough assembly for additional maintenance support.
A Haines Borough RMSA committee meeting focused Tuesday on subzone naming and short-term road maintenance needs, with members agreeing to take a recommendation to the borough assembly for additional funding.
Nicholas, a committee member, asked the panel to correct a borough-code reference that labels the neighborhood "Eagle Vista Subdivision," saying the area is tied to Eagle Bluff Drive and includes multiple subdivisions. "It should not be referred to as Eagle — it's actually Eagle Bluff Drive," he said, urging the committee to use the road name to reduce confusion. The Chair acknowledged the concern and asked staff and members to revise the wording before submitting any formal recommendation.
The committee also debated how to use the Dalton Historic Trail balance to address failing pavement and potholes. Members said the Dalton fund had a balance they recalled as about $55,000 and discussed applying part of that money to coal-patch or cold-patch repairs on Porcupine Road and the first two miles of Chilkat Lake Road. One member noted prior grading bids around $2,500 and described volunteer and contractor options for blading and compaction.
Committee members raised equity and practical questions about who should pay for maintenance. Several members said many borough residents and visitors — including recreational users such as boaters and snowmachiners — rely on the roads, and some of the costs fall on a small group of property owners. "If they are using that access to go to the river, they should be paying," one member said, arguing that heavy commercial traffic (buses, transporters) causes disproportionate wear.
Without taking a final appropriation, the committee voted to ask the borough assembly to consider contributing toward maintenance and to pursue an internally drafted recommendation. A member volunteered to email the borough liaison (Mike) to begin the process; members agreed to prepare a short, public recommendation rather than claim final authority to set fees or reallocate funds.
The committee also discussed short-term operational choices — coal patch, grading, ditch work and roller compaction — and urged staff to obtain updated bids and to coordinate with borough public works. The committee set follow-up tasks for a small pair of members to draft language for the borough and return it to the full group at a future public meeting.
The meeting closed after members set the next meeting date and confirmed next steps for drafting language to present publicly.
