Homer investigation into candidate’s residency done

COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY TO REVIEW EVIDENCE

It seems clear that, regardless of where she lived during recent years, Homer City Council member Storm Hansen-Cavasos identifies as a Homerite.

But the legal requirements to be a city council member would have required her to live inside city limits, not in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, for a full year leading up to the Oct. 1 election.

The investigation of the legal residency of Storm Hansen-Cavasos, who won a seat on the Homer City Council, is now complete. It’s up to the Homer City Council to decide if she skirted the law in running for City Council, or if she truly had been living within city limits during the past year.

The council will meet at 3 pm on Monday, Oct. 28, to consider the findings of the investigation.

Hansen-Cavasos was sworn in on Oct. 14, but her qualifications were simultaneously challenged due to questions about whether she actually lived inside city limits for the time required.

[Read: Homer City Council opens investigation]

Among the sworn testimony is that of Hansen-Cavasos’ mother, Bertha Hansen, who said in a written statement that her daughter had moved in with her in June of 2018. Bertha lives inside the city limits. She said in writing that her daughter then moved to another location inside the city limits in the summer of 2019.

That testimony was notarized and received by the City Clerk on Oct. 22, one day after the deadline for testimony. It is included in the evidence packet. Bertha did not appear in front of investigators to make an oral statement under oath.

However, Hansen-Cavasos’ landlord from outside the city limits said Hansen-Cavasos had leased a house from him on Rolling Meadows Drive at Fritz Creek in 2017, which Hansen-Cavasos renewed in March of 2018. After March of 2019, the arrangement went to a month-to-month lease through August, 2019.

Landlord Matt Hambrick said he had a text message from Hansen-Cavasos in August of 2019, which said she had not fully moved out. Hansen-Cavasos filed for office in August of 2019.

Listen to Hambrick testify about the lease for the house:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YwgjptROxt82SCCoAWOhdDKZAYkTqqFZ/view?usp=drivesdk

Cassie Lawver, a conservative activist who lives outside the city limits, said that the investigation is half-hearted and she described bullying tactics by a progressive community group known as CAN (Community Action Network).

Lawver included screen shots of Hansen-Cavasos’ social media, which shows her enjoying life at her home outside the city limits at her Rolling Meadows home in April:

The clerk’s report to the City Council can be found at this link:

Tom Stroozas, who brought the legal challenge of the certification of the election, asked the investigators to find out which precinct Hansen-Cavasos has voted in, when she last had water delivery on Rolling Meadows Road house, and utility bills.

Stroozas cited Alaska Statutes that say a where a person is registered to vote is presumptive of where that person lives. Hansen-Cavasos did not change her voter registration until August, 2019, he said.