Waterloo’s fire chief called on city councillors to fund an additional fire prevention officer at a Monday night council meeting.

Lyle Quan said the additional officer would deal specifically with fire safety in uptown Waterloo.

“It is a unique area, because we have old, new, low-rise and high-rise businesses there. We want to be more proactive in that area,” Quan told CTV.

One more officer could prevent future incidents like the fire last summer which tore through popular restaurant Ish and Chips, Quan said.

The additional officer was one of four requests made by the fire department in a recent update to its master plan.

Councillors voted to let fire officials look into the request and provide a figure in time for the 2014 budget.

Also discussed Monday night was online voting. Councillors in Cambridge previously voted to examine Internet voting in advance of municipal elections in 2014, while their counterparts in Kitchener ruled out the idea.

In Waterloo, councillors voted to look into online voting as well.

Tim Jackson, who sits on the Barnraisers committee, said online voting is a logical step for a city as high-tech as Waterloo.

“It’s a great way to engage the electorate, and in this community, if we’re the most intelligent community in the world … it just seems appropriate that we be adopting new technologies.”

Councillors also approved a new draft of the city’s sign bylaw and $5,000 in spending to preserve some trees along power lines near Keats Way.