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Haines RMSA debates fund allocation, fairness of subzone taxes and commercial user fees
Summary
Board and residents debated whether Dalton Trail RMSA funds should be restricted to designated segments or be available across subzones by request, raised a resident complaint about paying into the wrong subzone, and heard industry concerns about proposed commercial/tourism user fees from a Zoom participant.
Board members and residents pressed the RMSA on whether the Dalton Historic Trail fund should be strictly dedicated to the first two miles of Chilkat Lake Road or be available, through a formal request process, to other subzones needing capital repairs.
A resident raised a taxation complaint, saying she was taxed under Chilkat Lake Road while living on Porcupine Road and that she felt she was "paying for it twice." Board members and the CFO explained parcel boundaries, mill‑rate differences and senior exemption effects and recommended a dedicated meeting to review RMSA boundaries and the legal process for changing them.
Members debated legal and procedural limits: one member warned that, under current code interpretation, "you cannot take money from one sub zone and put it to another," and several others suggested creating a policy or application process so subzones could request funds from the Dalton Historic Trail account when capital projects meet defined criteria.
Separately, Jacob Wiresinga, a Zoom participant and stakeholder, urged the RMSA to revise proposed commercial user fees, arguing that collection timing and flat per‑person fees (for tour operators and production companies) could disproportionately burden small businesses. "A dollar on a $200 tour... a dollar can be a lot of money," he said, and recommended that the RMSA solicit industry input and consult the tourism advisory board before finalizing fee structures or collection dates.
Board members agreed to include public suggestions in the packet sent to the borough assembly, to engage the assembly on commercial user‑fee implementation and to schedule follow‑up meetings that focus on boundaries and policy for inter‑subzone fund access.
