The City Council has appointed David Burns and Harold Poeling after they submitted letters of interest, bringing the number of councilors to seven, including Mayor James Ray.

Poeling is the music teacher at the Arlington school. He was the president and one of the founding members of the first La Grande Kiwanis Club while earning his master’s degree in education from Eastern Oregon University.

Poeling said he would like to see more businesses come to Irrigon, such as a boat-building shop or water sports business. He also would encourage more kid-friendly developments in the town, such as a pool.

“I would like to see Irrigon start to grow,” he said. “It’s a beautiful waterfront property that people don’t know much about.”

Burns is a professional cabinetmaker. In 1996, the governor appointed him to the Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission, which advised the Army on the disposing chemical munitions.

Burns said his primary concern as a councilor would be attracting business to Irrigon and improving communications between the citizens and City Hall.

“We’ve never had a downtown, and that’s something I’d like to see,” he said.

Irrigon’s mayor, Chuck Newman, resigned because of his opposition to the new state ethics law that requires public officials to fill out a lengthy economic interest disclosure form.

In other business, the council voted approved 5-percent transient room tax. The tax would be added to the cost of motel rooms or RV spaces and would help fund a city marketing and tourism development program. During a discussion of the tax, Ken Matlack and other council members expressed concern the tax would discourage people from staying in Irrigon.

City Manager Gerald Breazeale said most towns had a transient room tax, and that Irrigon needed the funds to start promoting tourism. He also said it would be easier to get the tax on the books before motels started locating in Irrigon. After the discussion, the council decided to approve the tax, but defer it until January 2011.

The council also amended an ordinance that would allow people from outside the city, but within the urban growth boundary, to serve on the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission has four vacancies and only one person, Dale Beamer, has applied.

The council also voted to allow a new espresso stand on the corner of Division Street and Highway 730, despite the fact that the owners have yet to comply with all of the Irrigon city siting requirements. Many people in attendance applauded the council’s action and the owner, Mike Pearsall, thanked the council. He and his wife, Vivian, he said, had put all their savings into the espresso stand and were eager to get it going.

Irrigon’s utility billing clerk, Penny Moore, said the couple hoped to open their espresso stand Monday.