TRACY — The city of Tracy is annexing the back half of the former Red Rooster property. The front half is already in city limits.

The Tracy City Council voted unanimously on the annexation during a public hearing Monday.

Tracy Development Corporation members Denny Fultz and Jim Keul appeared before the Tracy City Council meeting to speak on behalf of their petition for city annexation of a portion of the Red Rooster property. The restaurant, which closed in December of 2015, is located along U.S. Highway 14 with a portion that was still in Monroe Township jurisdiction.

“The ordinance has been drafted and submitted,” City Attorney Matthew Gross said. “And as long as the city council approves this ordinance, it will be annexed into city limits. Monroe Township was contacted and did not have an objection.”

With the complete property now in city limits, the property will be hooked up to city infrastructure and support the city through property taxes, Keul said. They would also be able to get other city services, such as police and fire protection.

“By chance, about half of the property is in city limits and the back half was in Monroe Township,” Fultz said after the meeting. “The previous owner, Robert Caron, had built a pole building and partially finished it. He went through the city to get permits only to find out where he built it was in a different governing area.”

The city and the Tracy Development Corporation cleared the way for future development of the property with the annexation of the property.

Keul also suggested that the city approach other new businesses to offer to annex them in order to service them with infrastructure. He mentioned that no one had approached the Dollar General when it was built on the west end of town and they may have felt slighted because of it, he said.

The Tracy City Council expressed its gratitude for the suggestion.

“What could be good for the city could be good for us,” Keul said. “There could be some long-range benefits (to annexation).”

New Tracy City Councilman Kou Thao sat for his first city council meeting Monday night and stood for the swearing in ceremony before the meeting began.

Thao and Councilman Dave Tiegs were appointed to a nominations committee to interview prospective council members to take new Mayor Pam Cooreman’s empty council seat. They would bring their recommendation to the next council meeting.

Other appointments on the night included: Dave Tiegs as pro-tem (vice) mayor and Shirley Anderson and Anthony Dimmers to the Planning Commission.