The Charleston City Council will vote tonight on a proposed historic district on Sixth and Seventh streets between Eastern and the square.

The historic district would require any property owners within the district to receive a certificate of appropriateness if they were to undergo any major structural changes.

The district is mostly residential homes along the two streets.

The Charleston Historic Preservation Commission would issue the certificates.

Major structural changes would include adding on to a home, building a porch or enclosing a porch.

No changes to the district have been proposed and the ordinance is going to the council as passed by the commission, said City Manager Scott Smith.

Council member Larry Rennels questioned whether the council could accept or reject parts of the plan at the last council meeting on Feb. 19.

The proposed ordinance only needs three members of the council to approve it, Smith said.

Mayor John Inyart will not be in attendance as he is out of town.

The council placed the proposal on file for public inspection at the last city council meeting.

In other business, the council will vote on a revised parking ordinance that will restrict parking in the Fields subdivision located behind Casey’s General Store on 18th Street.

Parking would be restricted on Ridgefield, Fairfield, Woodfield, Cooperfield and Stonefield lanes from 2-5:30 a.m.

Smith said the proposed ordinance also fixes errors in the current city parking ordinance.

Parking restrictions will basically remain the same in town, the ordinance was just “cleaned up,” he added.

The council will also vote on a resolution to request $210,826.75 in motor fuel tax funds.

Smith said the money would used for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, which starts May 1.

The money would be used for traffic control items and in-house construction activity, he added.

The council will also vote to a approve a scavenger license for Dumpster Rental USA in Hindsboro and a lease with ABM Farms to farm 13.39 acres of city land near the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Matt Hopf can be reached at 581-7945 or mthopf@eiu.edu.