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Commerce committee seeks cost data, maps before acting on Porcupine Road user-fees
Summary
The Haines Borough Commerce Committee asked staff to gather historical, itemized road-maintenance costs and to map RMSA subunits before deciding on a proposed per-head or commercial user fee for Porcupine Road and Chilkat Lake access. Committee members debated enforcement costs, grandfathering longtime operators and a sinking fund for bridge repairs.
The Haines Borough Commerce Committee on March 26 asked staff to return with itemized historical costs and a map of RMSA subunits before adopting any user-fee structure for Porcupine Road and Chilkat Lake access.
Assembly member Cheryl urged the committee to start by calculating what it costs per mile to maintain the various road sections — listing brushing, pothole repair, grading and snow removal as separate line items — and to use those figures as the basis for allocating costs among user groups. "If we get that per mile cost, then we can talk about the other users and disperse the cost fairly," Cheryl said.
The RMSA had proposed a fee structure that includes fees for industrial users and a per-head fee for raft/tourism operators. Several members said a per-head tariff might be enforceable but warned that the administrative cost to collect and verify headcounts could outstrip revenue. The chair noted concerns the tourism director and a TAB liaison voiced about additional fees making local operators less competitive.
Committee members discussed alternatives including a flat per-vehicle fee, a fee tied to axle/load to reflect wear, and targeted trigger points that would apply fees if industrial-scale operations began. Cheryl suggested grandfathering long-established, small-scale commercial operators who currently provide in-kind maintenance support. "Historic users who have been conducting business... have not been paying, but they’ve been offering in-kind supports," she said.
The committee also discussed jurisdictional and boundary questions after staff reported portions of the roadway the group had assumed were Chilkat Lake Road are actually recorded as Porcupine Road in borough parcel records and that some segments are state responsibility. Staff said a map of RMSA units exists and will be added to meeting materials so members and the public can see the distinct subunits.
Members raised the bridge that carries the road as a potential large future expense and recommended planning for a sinking fund or enterprise reserve to cover major repairs rather than tying replacement costs directly to current user fees.
No ordinance or fee schedule was adopted. The committee directed staff to request detailed historical maintenance cost records from borough accounting (Gila/Sheila), produce a sketch or map of the current RMSA subunits, and return with the numbers and proposed definitions for "reusable" and user categories at a future Commerce Committee meeting.
