Current Hood River City Planning Commissioner Ben Mitchell was selected after three rounds of voting to fill the vacant seat on the City Council.  Mitchell was selected in a third vote after he and Amanda Goeke were tied in the first two rounds from among five candidates to fill the remaining two-and-a-half years of the late Tim Counihan’s term, and was chosen by a 4-2 vote after a final question about the strengths each would bring to the panel.  Mitchell said one of his motivations to serve on Council is to help make Hood River a more affordable place to live.  Mitchell will be sworn in at the Council’s August meeting.  Mitchell’s position on the Planning Commission will now need to be filled by the Council.