A former explosives ordnance technician and council candidate will be the newest member of the Oak Harbor Planning Commission.

Oak Harbor City Council approved Mayor Scott Dudley’s appointment of Michael Piccone to the commission without comment Tuesday.

The council previously ruffled mayoral feathers, and ignited a debate about parliamentary procedure, by refusing to confirm Dudley’s appointment of Cliff Howard to the commission.

Howard is a self-described “politically incorrect” blogger on a conservative website and has been a strong supporter of Dudley. The council members didn’t say during the August meeting why they didn’t want to confirm Howard; Dudley accused them of being politically motivated.

Only Councilman Jim Campbell voted against the motion to reject Howard’s appointment.

Several council members said afterward that their decision was not political. Councilwoman Tara Hizon said she welcomes different opinions, but that Howard’s blog showed that he didn’t have a good understanding about how government works.

The coming year will be very important for the planning commission, which will be tackling the ongoing update to the city’s comprehensive plan.

Piccone ran against Councilman Danny Paggao last year. Dudley made headlines by campaigning door to door for Piccone and a couple of other candidates he preferred.

In his biography form, Piccone wrote that he is a retired Navy explosives ordnance disposal technician and is currently a stay-at-home dad.

“Navy Dive School and EOD School taught me what it means to pay attention to detail,” he wrote, “and make correct common sense decisions. Even though my disabilities prevent me from serving in uniform, I wish to serve my community. I believe the planning commission is a great place to start.”