The Charleston City Council will vote at tonight’s meeting on a $1.45 million bid to widen and repave Fourth Street between Polk and Madison avenues.

The council approved the project at its Jan. 2 meeting and bidding began on March 7.

The original estimate for the project was $1.59 million.

The only other bid received was for $1.63 million.

Feutz Construction, of Paris, will widen the road by two-and-a-half feet starting this spring.

“We hope to have them on the job by May 12,” said Mayor John Inyart.

The job should be substantially complete by December, with some minor work in the spring, he added.

Other work on Fourth Street will include sidewalk replacement and water and sewer work.

About 80 percent of the project will come from the Federal Highway Administration after the city partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation in a Local Agency Agreement Federal Partnership.

The rest will come to Charleston through Motor Fuel Tax Funds.

Also at the meeting, the budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 will be introduced.

City Manager Scott Smith said the budget would be completed by this afternoon.

Smith and City Comptroller Heather Kuykendall were still finishing up the budget on Monday.

It will be placed on file for public inspection for four weeks before voted on by the council, he said.

The fiscal year starts on May 1 and runs through April 30.

In other business, the city will vote on a contract with Excel Carpet Care of Charleston for janitorial service in City Hall, the Police Department, the Police Department Training facility and the Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum.

The city would pay $2,605 per month and $.45 per square foot for floor stripping and waxing as needed, and $.23 per square foot for carpet cleaning as needed.

Excel Carpet Care currently cleans the city buildings, Inyart said.

Also, the council will vote to ban parking on both sides of Woodfall Drive from Hawthorne Drive to 890 feet east of Hawthorne Drive.

Inyart will also announce the reappointment of Stan Adkins, Bob Wagoner and Wes Whiteside to the Charleston Tree Commission.

The Charleston City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.

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