Fort Stockton Mayor Chris Alexander did something Tuesday night no mayor of Fort Stockton has done.

He voted on an agenda item.

The Fort Stockton city council canvassed the votes in the Nov. 8 election – which included the adoption for or against making Fort Stockton a home-rule charter city – then adopted Resolution 22-117R which made Fort Stockton a home rule charter city.

“We are officially a home-rule charter city,” Alexander declared after the council voted 4-0 to adopt the resolution.

A total of 1,996 votes were cast Nov. 8, with the home-rule charter resolution passing 1,198 for to 798 against. One of the immediate changes is that the mayor can now vote on agenda items – which he did on the next agenda item following the passage of the resolution.

Councilman Ruben Falcon recognized the citizens who attempted to adopt a home-rule charter twice in the 1970s and again in 2012, as well as the council who decided to move forward with it last year, forward-thinking members of the community and the city staff and attorneys who did all the research.

“It’s a good thing for our city,” Mayor Alexander added. “I’m very, very happy it passed.”

The council then awarded a bid to L.T. Construction, LLC for the addition to restrooms to the Fort Stockton Convention Center – inside the convention center near the old bar area and at the new Hodges Pavilion being constructed adjacent to the convention center. The inside restrooms were bid at $121,242.42 and the outside restrooms at the future Hodges Pavilion were bid at $142,485.

The bid was awarded by a 5-0 vote, with Alexander casting his first vote as mayor under the new home-rule charter. The outside restroom addition agreement also passed 5-0.

*In other action, the council approved contractual janitorial service agreements with Elfida Morales for the city hall and city hall annex and with Abiud Olivares for the police department and dispatch area;

*Approved 1,800 feet of sewer line installation between the city’s 4A Economic Development Corporation and Trans Pecos Energy Solutions. The pipe will extend from the current manhole cover in front of Stripes at the corner of U.S. 285 and I-10, 1,800 feet along the highway. The total cost is $354,932.48;

*Voted to use American Rescue Funds for emergency repairs to the 8-inch sewer line at 6th and Gatlin, with repair of the 60-year-old pipe starting the first week of December;

*Appointed Veronica Lopez-Carrasco and Ross Harper to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Lopez-Carrasco and Patty Morales to the Housing Authority Board.

The next council meeting will take place Dec. 12 and will be the only meeting in December.