The Woodstock City Council on Oct. 13 voted unanimously to fund 12 new firefighter positions after the city was not awarded a FEMA SAFER grant, authorized prepayment of the citys 2020 Development Department Authority bond, ratified a design services contract for a new fire station and adopted two ordinances regulating parking-deck behavior and electric vehicle charging stations.

Councilors approved all items on a lengthy agenda by 6-0 votes. The actions together address short-term staffing needs in public safety, reduce long-term debt service costs and put in place local rules for two downtown infrastructure items.

Chief Scott Ealy told the council staff had applied for the federal SAFER grant in June but "we were not awarded that grant." He asked council to authorize funding for 12 firefighter positions to staff new stations; council approved the request 6-0. The motion to approve agenda item 6.1 was made by Councilman Wolf and seconded by Councilman Asher; the council recorded the outcome as carried 6 to 0.

Finance staff asked for authorization to provide the required 30-day written notice to prepay the 2020 DDA bond, noting there is no prepayment penalty and estimating a payoff date of Dec. 5. Council authorized the prepayment, with the motion made by Councilman Johnson and seconded by Councilman Wolf; the motion carried 6-0.

The council ratified an agreement with Croft and Associates for design services on Fire Station 34/Long Drive. According to staff, the firm previously designed other city stations and this action formally approved a contract that had been discussed earlier; the motion carried 6-0 (moved by Councilman Potts; second by Councilman Wolff).

On the regulatory front council completed second readings and adopted two ordinances: a code-of-conduct ordinance for the downtown parking deck (no changes since the first reading) and a separate ordinance governing electric vehicle charging stations. Both ordinances passed unanimously on second and final reading. The parking-deck ordinance motion was made by Councilman Potts and seconded by Councilmember Collins; the EV charging ordinance was adopted 6-0 on a motion and second recorded in the minutes.

Council also approved two sets of meeting minutes (Sept. 8 and Sept. 15) and adopted 28 consent-agenda items together as one package (items 5.1 through 5.28), all by recorded 6-0 votes. Following executive session the council added a major budget amendment (General Services, JE191819) to the agenda and authorized the mayor to sign related documents; that addition was approved 6-0 (motion by Councilman Aiken, second by Councilman Wolff).

Mayor Michael Caldwell framed the early debt payment as a fiscal priority, saying the city continued "to retire debt as soon as we are possibly able" to benefit residents and the future. The meeting record shows no roll-call breakdown for individual votes; the council reported final tallies as unanimous where noted.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda (items 5.15.28): approved, 6-0. - Agenda item 6.1: funding for 12 firefighter positions (after SAFER grant denial): approved, 6-0; mover: Councilman Wolf; second: Councilman Asher. - Authorization to provide 30-day notice and prepay 2020 DDA bond: approved, 6-0; mover: Councilman Johnson; second: Councilman Wolf. - Ratify Croft & Associates design services for Fire Station 34: approved, 6-0; mover: Councilman Potts; second: Councilman Wolff. - Parking-deck code-of-conduct ordinance (second/final reading): adopted, 6-0; mover: Councilman Potts; second: Councilmember Collins. - Electric vehicle charging-station ordinance (second/final reading): adopted, 6-0. - Minutes (Sept. 8; Sept. 15): approved, 6-0. - Addition of major budget amendment JE191819 and authorization for mayor to sign: approved, 6-0; mover: Councilman Aiken; second: Councilman Wolff.

The council recorded no dissenting votes on any of the listed measures. Where the meeting transcript did not identify a specific mover or seconder for a motion, the article notes the recorded tally and identifies movers/seconders only when named in the record.