After interviewing a field of 14 applicants, Longmont city council voted to appoint Matthew Popkin to its vacant Ward 2 seat on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The new council member will fill the chair formerly held by Marcia Martin, who resigned Dec. 31 due to her inability to return to in-person participation in council meetings. The city received a total of 22 applications from residents seeking the Ward 2 appointment, including former city council members Sarah Levison and Pauline Christensen. For Popkin, affordable housing was a main talking point, saying the city needs to be intentional about what, where and for whom the city builds. “This is unusual because through an appointment process you’re not going door to door,” Popkin said, “but I would actually want to go door to door.