It wasn’t unanimous, but the Athens City Council on Monday hired attorney Patrick Chesnut to be the city’s new prosecutor.

It was the first time in 17 years the council had to make such a decision. The post had been filled by Chad Wise, who was elected Limestone County Circuit Court judge for Place 1.

Council President Joseph Cannon, District 3 Councilman Frank Travis and District 1 Councilman Chris Seibert all voted for Chesnut. District 2 Council Harold Wales and District 5 Councilman Wayne Harper voted for attorney Bill Matthews.

The council narrowed a field of nine down to Chesnut and Matthews. All said Monday it was a tough decision. Travis said he fasted and prayed about the matter before reaching a conclusion.

“It’s been an agonizing thing for me,” he said. “I have to go with the way I feel God is leading me.”

Harper, the former Athens police chief, said his dilemma stemmed from having worked with each of the attorneys on the list.

“Every one of them are good folks,” he said. “We could have picked one and it would have been a good pick.”

Elsewhere Monday, the council discussed the staffing level of Athens Fire & Rescue and if the city has enough firefighters. The impetus for the discussion was the city’s plan to apply for a SAFER grant, which is an acronym for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response.

The city plans to apply for three full-time firefighters, which Fire Chief Bryan Thornton said are desperately needed. The program would fund 75 percent of the firefighters’ salaries and benefits for the first two years and 35 percent the third year. The city would then fund the firefighters’ full salaries and benefits from the fourth year on.

Thornton told the council it had been 13 years since a full-time firefighter had been added and the city continues to grow. He explained it’s quite possible the city may need to build a new firehouse at some point to accommodate for growth.

Wales asked if the city truly needed more personnel, but Thornton said nine additional firefighters would be needed to meet section 1710 of the National Fire Protection Association. Those guidelines set forth how many firefighters should respond to a fire.

The council ultimately approved a resolution to apply for the three firefighters. Thornton said he should know the status of the grant by mid-year.

The council also discussed and ultimately approved applying for Recreational Trail Program funding to construct a trailhead on the Swan Creek Greenway. The estimated project cost is $250,000, with the city of Athens contributing $50,000.

As part of the project, the city would have to acquire about an acre of property at a cost of $35,000. Cannon asked City Attorney Shane Black if an agreement could be drawn up with the property owner to set a price contingent on grant award. He feared the cost could go up without an agreement in place.

“I’m just trying to protect ourselves from the corner before we get backed into it,” he said.

Also Monday, the council approved the purchase of a generator for the city’s CNG station near the SportsPlex at a cost of $109,000. Gas Department Manager Steve Carter explained the generator was necessary in case of a power outage. Without power, there would be no way to fuel the city’s nine CNG-powered gas trucks at the fast-fill station. The generator was a budgeted expense.

In other business, the council:

• Held a public hearing and rezoned 2.58 acres of land at Lindsay Lane and Summit Lakes Drive to a business classification for a new retail development to be anchored by a pharmacy. Cannon abstained from the vote as the request was made by his brother, pharmacist Billy Cannon;

• Held a public hearing and assessed the following property liens for violations of the city’s weed ordinance — 1310 Woodside Drive ($621.17), 700 North Clinton St. ($246.29), 1200 Elkton St. ($146.29), Vacant lot on Plato Jones St. ($389.73), 808 Irvin St. ($214.54), 1416 N. Houston St. ($439.54) and 1200 Elkton St. ($443.76);

• Heard a performance from “Arise and Build,” the musical about the history of Trinity School based on a book by author Charlotte Fulton. The production will be staged again the first weekend in February, with proceeds benefiting the Pincham-Lincoln Center. Tickets are $25 and can be bought in Athens at the Sweetest Things Tea Room and Square Clock Coffee, in Tanner at Head 2 Toe Salon and in Huntsville at Verge Beauty Salon.