A chemical dependency counselor who is a 1992 graduate of Hoquiam High School was selected from two applicants to fill a vacancy on the Aberdeen City Council Wednesday.

Melvin Taylor will take the Ward 1, Position 1 seat left vacant when Dave Haviland resigned Jan. 25. Ward 1 encompasses most of the south side of town.

Taylor told the council Wednesday prior to his selection, “I would like to help Aberdeen move forward. I’d like to be part of a team that is looking for solutions to our city’s problems. I also am a chemical dependency counselor and I really see a lot of the chemical dependency issues and mental health issues we have on the Harbor, and I think with my experience in this I would be a good member of the City Council to help work toward solutions.”

When asked by Councilwoman Liz Ellis what other areas of interest Taylor, who holds a Master’s of Public Administration degree from The Evergreen State College, would have as a council member, Taylor said he believed that with some work the city could become a hub of sorts for the tourists heading to and from the beaches.

“We really need to work a lot on our infrastructure here, and cleaning up the area, making it more inviting to people for them to come here,” said Taylor. “Once we establish that then we can move forward to bring people in.”

Taylor said his experience in social services, and a stint as intern for a state senator, would make him “a beneficial member” of the council.

“I’ve seen a lot of other cities struggle and come out of it, and I really believe we could as well,” said Taylor.

Taylor’s worked in chemical dependency counseling since 2017 and currently works at Mark Reed Telecare, an evaluation and treatment center in McCleary. Previously, he worked as an intern at Work Source Grays Harbor, crew lead at Panel Tech International, and crew lead at the Westport Shipyard.

The other candidate, Jesse Koll, also has social work experience, told the council he moved to Aberdeen two years ago to continue his work with a nonprofit organization that serves vulnerable populations. He told the council Wednesday that he believed there was a lot of ecotourism potential on the south side of town that could be developed. He said he works for the Coastal Community Action Program currently and works with homeless individuals, and he himself was once addicted to drugs and homeless.

“I’m very ambitious and would like to work with you guys, if I can, to make a better Aberdeen,” said Koll. He said his experience working with vulnerable populations and his own past experiences allow him to “see where the gaps are” in working with those populations and develop plans “to bridge those gaps.”

The City Council voted 9-2 in favor of Taylor’s appointment. He will begin serving at the next council meeting, April 14.