The Haines Borough committee of the whole supported James Hart for the open assembly seat Monday, contingent on his availability to attend meetings through October.
Assembly members Heather Lende, Tom Morphet and Stephanie Scott voted to recommend Hart for the seat, but Ron Jackson and Tresham Gregg had concerns if Hart could fit the commitment into his schedule.
Hart, 27, is a life-long Haines resident who has served as a Chilkoot Indian Association tribal council member and delegate to the Central Council of Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. He also served an internship with state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka.
He said Monday he would be out of town for culture camps until July 10. Assembly members were unclear on his availability for the duration of the seat appointment, though Hart said he can attend meetings via telephone while he is away. Hart left the meeting Monday to catch a ferry before the committee deliberated.
“I can almost flip a coin and be happy either way,” Jackson said about the applicants. Jackson later said if Hart is unable to attend at least 90 percent of meetings in person, “that’d be a deal breaker.”
“The sooner we can get six people on here the better,” Jackson said.
Gregg was also uneasy that Hart had never been to an assembly meeting. He asked Hart Monday if being on the assembly is what he really wanted to do, instead of being told to do it.
“Is this really what you want to do?” Gregg said.
“Can I ask a question, ‘Is this really what you’d like to do?’” Hart responded.
“Well, I’m here,” Gregg said.
“So am I,” Hart responded.
Andrew Gray and Sean Maidy also interviewed for the seat that opened when Margaret Friedenauer resigned. A fourth applicant for the seat, Sally McGuire, withdrew from the running Sunday evening.
Lende said she favored Hart for his connection to the fishing fleet and said his time on the assembly could be a learning experience for her and him.
“The level of respect rises when I’m working with a younger person,” Lende said.
Scott said Hart’s experience in government doesn’t make her think about his age.
“I do not see James as a younger person,” Scott said. “He has had a deep experience with governance at the cultural level and his experience in Juneau this winter was profound. He understands a lot of what it takes to run a government.”
The assembly will seat one of the applicants at its June 27 meeting.
Scott said she would contact Hart to nail down the details of his schedule before the assembly makes a decision. Maidy, Gray and Hart were all instructed to prepare for the meeting.