The Sitka assembly has delayed the appointment of a new member, after a newspaper editorial pointed out a possible procedural error.

Thad Poulson, the editor and publisher of the Daily Sitka Sentinel, published an editorial Monday night citing the Sitka charter, which states that “A vacancy shall be filled by the Assembly which shall elect a qualified person within 20 days after the vacancy occurs.”

As originally scheduled by the municipal clerk’s office, filling the vacancy created by Terry Blake’s departure was to have occurred tonight (Tue 6-26-12), while Blake was still seated.

Poulson told KCAW that he confirmed with the clerk’s office that Blake was indeed scheduled to vote on his own replacement. That’s what prompted the editorial.

“It just suddenly struck me that this is rather unusual: That you’ll have the person who’s leaving the assembly actively voting on his replacement. And as I noted in the editorial – and I hope you took note of – I’m sure that no one intended to influence the outcome of the appointment by having the departing member vote. But, nonetheless, it appeared to me improper, and so that’s why I spoke up.”

The clerk’s office responded promptly. Municipal Clerk Colleen Ingman notified media this morning that the vacancy will now be filled at the start of the next regular meeting on July 10. The five candidates who have applied for the appointment will all receive packets on July 6, so the lucky winner can get right down to business – if the lucky winner happens to be among the five who have applied. The Assembly – as noted above – can appoint any qualified replacement.

Reached for comment, municipal administrator Jim Dinley says the scheduling issue was a simple misinterpretation. After he heard from Poulson, he consulted with municipal attorney Theresa Hillhouse – who’s been on sick leave – and learned that the timeline for replacing Blake wasn’t quite right.

Dinley says there was “no harm, no foul.” Poulson agrees. He was not out to make anyone look bad.

“I don’t believe in Gotcha Journalism, or such things as that. But I thought that this is something that should not pass unnoticed.”

And finally, for anyone unclear on why Sitka’s local newspaper editor should have flashes of insight into the municipal charter, there is this fact: He helped write it. Poulson served on the elected charter commission that was formed in the 1970s to unify Sitka’s two governments – city and borough.

Poulson has a reputation for civic-mindedness, but this early duty was more practical. He and his wife Sandy published the Sentinel with few staff in those days. Thad was the only reporter, with two local governments to cover.

“Which meant for me, a newspaper reporter, one government meeting each week. And it seemed as if sometimes I was the only bearer of tidings from one to the other.”

Sitka became a unified home-rule municipality in 1971.