The Haines Borough Administration building. (Emily Files)
Haines residents Heather Lende and Tom Morphet will give up their seats on the borough assembly this October, but it is possible that a third assembly member will be leaving the dais. At a meeting Tuesday night, the Haines Borough Assembly discussed whether assemblyman Will Prisciandaro should be replaced since he has relocated to Vermont. .
Prisciandaro moved to Vermont with his family this summer after his partner Penny Fossman joined the behavioral health team at the Gifford Medical Center. Before that she worked for the Southeast Regional Health Consortium in Haines for five years.
Prisciandaro said that she is hoping to gain professional experience in Vermont, but that they both plan to return to Haines.
“All my businesses are still up in Haines,” Prisciandaro said. “And I plan to still be registered to vote in Haines and all that. That’s the current plan as it is right now.”
At the meeting Tuesday, Prisciandaro said he would like to continue serving on the assembly. He plans to return to Haines a few times over the coming year and will continue commercial fishing the Lynn Canal during the summer.
Assembly member Brenda Josephson raised concerns about Prisciandaro’s ability to serve the community remotely.
“It’s real important in our democracy for our public to be able to have access to the representatives. Additionally, it is really important for representatives to be part of the community, shopping in our stores, living with the outcomes of the votes that are happening,” Josephson said.
Assembly member Stephanie Scott said she had been approached by members of the community who felt that Prisciandaro should not continue to serve. She feels that he should be replaced.
“I’m very sorry that Will has found himself in that position. I agree that he’s a valuable member of the assembly, but if he’s not here his value is diminished significantly,” Scott said.
According to Haines Borough Charter, “An assembly member who no longer resides in the Haines Borough shall forfeit his office.”
Assemblyman Sean Maidy said that does not necessarily mean that Prisciandaro is legally required to give up his seat on the assembly.
“We can’t assume he doesn’t live here if it’s still his primary residence. I think that’s the legal definition. He doesn’t qualify for a PFD, but he still is claiming this is his primary residence. I think without the clerk here or without consulting our attorney on legal grounds, making a snap decision without it being already publicly noticed is dangerous,” Maidy said.
Not everyone on the assembly feels that Prisciandaro should give up his seat. Assembly member Heather Lende suggested that the proposal to replace him is politically motivated. She said she hadn’t heard anyone who voted for Prisciandaro say that he should be replaced.
“I’m not going to vote to disenfranchise the people who voted for Will. I know in the past assembly members have come and gone, especially for work and for family. It seems like we could be more compassionate,” Lende said.
Mayor Jan Hill noted that assembly members answer to all their constituents, not just the ones who voted for them. At the end of the meeting, Hill suggested that the assembly continue examining the issue and discuss it at the next meeting.
