The Winnsboro City Council on Aug. 13 approved multiple routine and policy measures, including awarding a GO Bond waterline replacement contract, adopting updated building and electrical codes, accepting the draft 2024–25 budget and setting a proposed voter-approved tax rate of 0.5786.

The actions cleared the council in a single meeting that combined several technical and administrative items. Council members also approved a specific-use permit for a proposed mobile food unit park at 103 East Broadway, contingent on completion of a replat, and authorized a purchase charged to the court-security fund for courthouse safety equipment.

Council members voted to:
- Award the construction contract for the GO Bond Waterline Replacement (project HEI 300015) to Capco Construction. The council discussed procurement timing and progress on other bond-related projects before a motion to approve passed.

- Adopt Ordinance 1080-2024 to adopt the 2018 International Codes and NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) 2020. Staff explained the city is updating from an older code cycle and said existing legal nonconforming structures would not be required to retrofit to the new codes unless they undertake an addition or other qualifying change.

- Adopt Police Department policy 4.10 governing medical and psychological examinations (personnel and fitness-for-duty procedures) to be in place by Sept. 1.

- Approve the purchase of court-security equipment using the court-security fund; staff said the expense will be covered by restricted court security funds and estimated the cost at under $3,000.

- Amend the personnel policy to modify longevity-pay provisions; staff told council they had informed employees and that the current budget season allowed increased allocations consistent with the proposed policy language.

- Accept the draft 2024–25 fiscal year budget for the purpose of continuing the adoption process; councilmembers cast a recorded vote on the draft (roll-call yeas recorded as four). The council also took a record vote to propose a voter-approved tax rate of 0.5786 for public notice and further action.

- Approve three appointments to fill unexpired terms on the Economic Development Corporation board and one appointment to the Farmers Market board. The consent agenda, including the appointments and minutes from the July 9 meeting, was approved unanimously.

On a separate agenda item the council approved a specific-use permit request by applicant Brent Sheath to develop a mobile food unit park at 103 East Broadway (across from the Promised Land Bakery). Sheath said the development would bring a diversity of food vendors to Winnsboro and that two food trucks had already indicated interest. Council members unanimously approved the permit with a stated condition that final approval be contingent on completion of a replat.

Several items prompted brief staff comments about scheduling and procurement delays. Public-works staff and others noted some timing was outside the city’s control, particularly on the waterline procurement; councilmembers acknowledged resident frustration but approved the contract to allow work to proceed. Staff also said the city is currently operating under earlier code editions and that adopting the 2018 codes will align Winnsboro with more recent standards.

Votes at a glance (formal actions taken)
- Consent agenda (including minutes and board appointments): approved (unanimous).
- 7.1 Specific Use Permit, 103 East Broadway (mobile food unit park): approved, contingent on replat (unanimous).
- 7.2 GO Bond Waterline Replacement contract (HEI 300015) to Capco Construction: approved (unanimous).
- 7.3 Police policy 4.10 (medical/psychological exam): approved (unanimous).
- 7.4 Ordinance 1080-2024 (adopt 2018 I-Codes and NFPA 70 NEC 2020): approved (unanimous).
- 7.5 Purchase from court-security fund (court safety equipment): approved (unanimous).
- 7.6 Personnel policy amendment (longevity pay): approved (unanimous).
- 7.7 Accept draft 2024–25 budget for further action: recorded vote — yes: 4, no: 0, abstain: 0.
- 7.8 Proposed voter-approved tax rate 0.5786: recorded vote — yes: 4, no: 0, abstain: 0.

The council did not take final budget or tax-rate adoption at the Aug. 13 meeting; staff said the draft must be accepted so public-notice deadlines can be met and final votes will occur at later scheduled meetings. The council set its next regular meeting for Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m.; requests to be placed on the agenda must be submitted to city hall no later than noon eight days before the meeting.