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On what appeared to be a unanimous vote, the four La Conner Town Councilmen on Tuesday appointed Marylee Chamberlain to fill the vacancy on their five-member panel.

Troy Allen, who was elected in November, did not take office in January because he moved out of town for a job inOregon.

Chamberlain has been a member of the town’s Planning Commission for four years, a volunteer position that has given her knowledge of town codes, land use and development issues, she said.

The Planning Commission is advisory to the council. She said she applied to serve on the council because, “I’m interested in learning more from another perspective.”

Chamberlain has lived in the La Conner area for 25 years and has lived in town since 1998 and her children attended La Conner schools. She is an occupational therapist by profession and has worked with the La Conner School District as well as other school districts.

“I’ve been involved in lots of teams,” she said. “I know how to work to sort out problems as part of a team.”

Alvin Anders, a proprietor of the Heron Inn had applied for the position, too. However he was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

On a motion by Councilman Bill Stokes and seconded by Councilman Dan O’Donnell, Chamberlain was voted in with three “Yea” votes that included Councilman Jacques Brunisholz.

Councilman John Leaver hesitated at the vote, saying he wondered where the other candidate was, but said he was not opposed to Chamberlain’s appointment.

With Chamberlain on board, it means four of the members were initially appointed. Brunisholz, Leaver and Stokes were appointed in their first terms. Brunisholz has been re-elected twice and Stokes and Lever were re-elected in November.

Chamberlain will have a chance to run for re-election in 2015, which is the next council election. By law her appointment must be validated by voters at the next election for her to stay in until the end of Allen’s term, which would have run through 2017.