LONGVIEW — The Woodland City Council appointed Aaron Alderman, 53, to the council Monday, filling the empty seat left behind by Karl Chapman when he resigned last month.
The council voted five to one to appoint Alderman, with Councilmember Melissa Doughty being the lone opposing vote.
The next Woodland City Council meeting, Alderman’s first, is scheduled for Monday.
Councilmember Monte Smith said one of the five candidates had a possible conflict of interest, a “big determining factor” in his decision to vote for Alderman.
Alderman told the council he grew up in Woodland, “born (and) raised here,” and he was a product of the Woodland School District.
A veteran of the first Gulf War, Alderman did a short stint as a police officer. He said he served on the board of directors for Castle Rock-Toutle Little League and joined the Toutle Fire Department, reaching the rank of lieutenant.
Alderman told the council he left the firefighting profession after getting “old and beat up.” Now, he is a logger.
Councilmember J.J. Burke asked Alderman what he does when he disagrees with another person.
“The biggest thing you need to realize with disagreements, especially in this format, you got to have respect for one another,” Alderman said.
Councilmember DeAnna Holland asked Alderman if there were any issues Woodland is currently facing that he, as a council member, would like to focus on.
Alderman replied, “the biggest to me is the growth and infrastructure of this town.”
“Weird to say for myself, an old timer in this town that would like to see it stay livable, but you might of have your head in the sand if you think you’re not going to grow,” Alderman said.
