Michelle Putz is Sitka’s newest assembly member.

Putz was appointed by the assembly in a special meeting Friday evening (1-2-15), to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Phyllis Hackett.

Members considered Putz’s previous experience on the assembly in making the appointment, and also her gender.

Downloadable audio.

The assembly had an experienced pool of applicants to draw from, but it was not especially diverse. Four people had submitted letters of interest and financial disclosures by the noon deadline on December 31st. A fifth applicant, Mitch McGraw, sent an email to the assembly Friday afternoon, before they were scheduled to make their pick.

Michelle Putz was the only woman among the applicants.

Member Tristan Guevin said this was significant.

“It’s important to have an assembly that’s representative of Sitka. And losing a woman on the assembly is something that we should take into consideration.”

Mayor Mim McConnell took it into consideration. She and Phyllis Hackett often worked closely together on issues that — while not gender specific — represented a shared perspective.

“I know I feel the loss of Phyllis in more ways than one. Certainly the prospect of being the only woman… that’s life. It’d be nice to have another woman on the assembly.”

But it was not a lock for Putz based only on gender. She was elected to a one-year term on the assembly in 2012. That experience was an important consideration with the other applicants as well: Larry Crews had served one full term on the assembly previously, and Thor Christianson had served three. Christianson was also on the ballot in October’s assembly race for two open seats and finished a very close third. Orion Hughes-Knowles had no prior assembly service, but he ran unsuccessfully for mayor and won 670 votes.

Tristan Guevin wondered if the assembly, despite its statutory authority, really had the right to trump voters when making an assembly appointment.

“It’s really about those people who put their views forward in the last election. And I think Mr. Christianson, Mr. Hughes-Knowles did that. They put their names forward, they engaged in public debate, and they put their views forward as possible elected officials.”

Member Matt Hunter also thought the results of the last assembly election were so close that Thor Christianson was effectively in a three-way tie with Guevin and Steven Eisenbeisz, who also won a seat. Still, he offered a long view, weighing ideological balance over gender.

“I also thought about everyone who voted for Phyllis two years ago, and who would be the best person to represent her views at this table, and carry on her legacy. For me, remembering working with Ms. Putz, I think the two of them saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. Michelle voted that way, similarly to Phyllis and vice versa for a while. So at this point I’m looking at Mr. Christianson or Ms. Putz as who I would vote for.”

And Hunter did vote for Christianson, as did Guevin and Aaron Swanson on the first ballot. Hunter and Swanson stayed with Christianson on the second ballot, but Guevin and Eisenbeisz switched to Putz on the second ballot. Those two votes, plus votes from Ben Miyasato and Mim McConnell gave the seat to Putz.

Michelle Putz takes the oath of office from deputy municipal clerk Sara Peterson. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

Michelle Putz takes the oath of office from deputy municipal clerk Sara Peterson. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

Stepping forward to be sworn in, Putz told assembly members, “Thank you, I think.”

After the meeting, Putz said she was pleased with the appointment, despite some tough times ahead concerning the hospital, roads, and schools.

“I’m happy to be doing it. I’m happy to be serving. But it’s going to be a rough year — I did know that when I jumped into this — so it will be an interesting ten months.”

Putz works part-time for the Forest Service, where her husband, Perry Edwards is Sitka District Ranger and a board member of KCAW. Putz also serves as vice-president of the Sitka Local Foods Network, and is a founding member of the Sitka Global Warming Group.

Asked if she plans to run for the seat come October, Putz said “Let’s see how the next ten months go.”