The Hood River City Council had decided to use procedures adopted in 2011 to fill Council vacancies to select a new Mayor when Paul Blackburn steps down from that post in September.  The City Charter refers to steps to fill a Council vacancy, but not the mayoral position.  Under the 2011 procedures, a notice of vacancy will be published inviting applications from interested qualified candidates.  The City Council will conduct interviews with the applicants, and then vote to pick one to fill the remainder of Blackburn’s term, through the end of 2020.  Councilors plan to start the application process in advance of Blackburn’s formal resignation, but before September.  Blackburn announced recently he would resign in September because his family will be moving out of the area.  In other business, the Hood River Council voted to approve the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.