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RMSA board backs draft ordinance language to shift commercial user-fee authority to borough assembly
Summary
The Historic Dalton Trail RMSA unanimously supported draft ordinance language that would make the Haines Borough Assembly responsible for establishing commercial user fees and agreed to meet again to recommend specific fee amounts for the ordinance process.
At a meeting of the Historic Dalton Trail Road Maintenance Service Area (RMSA), the board voted unanimously to support draft ordinance language that would make the Haines Borough Assembly responsible for developing commercial user-fee schedules by ordinance while preserving the RMSA's role in making annual recommendations.
The language presented by staff said the draft would “empower the assembly to develop the fee structure” and would require the assembly to consider the RMSA’s recommendations and allow public comment on any fee schedule. Staff emphasized the draft changes were procedural — assigning ordinance authority to the assembly — and did not themselves set fee amounts.
Nick (committee member) moved that the board support the proposed language and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Nick said the RMSA would meet later to formulate recommended fee numbers for the assembly to consider.
Board members and staff repeatedly noted the fee amounts are not part of the public record at this meeting and must be established through later, noticed meetings. A staff member told the board the ordinance language had been handed to the clerks' office and that, because it was not properly noticed for this meeting, the RMSA should place any numeric fee recommendations on its next agenda so the public can review supporting documents before the board forwards numbers to the assembly.
Members urged a two-step approach: (1) forward recommended ordinance language now to give the assembly a framework for action; (2) convene one or more additional RMSA meetings to draft and publish specific fee schedules for public comment and formal recommendation. The motion the board approved commits the RMSA to that schedule: support the ordinance language now and meet subsequently to set and publicize the actual fee amounts for assembly consideration.
Next steps: staff will prepare a supplemental recommendation for Tuesday’s assembly packet forwarding the board’s support for the ordinance language. The RMSA will schedule at least one additional public meeting to develop and publicize fee schedules before the assembly moves to adopt any ordinance.
