The Charleston and Mattoon city councils will discuss the cities’ joint projects today.

“This is the meeting where the city councils get to communicate with each other on a formal basis to be updated collectively on the projects that affect both cities,” said Charleston Mayor John Inyart.

The meeting will be at 3 p.m. in the Rotary Room of the Charleston Carnegie Public Library.

The council expects to hear updated information on the presidential candidates’ responses to the FutureGen project as well as an update on FutureGen initiatives.

“It’s really a no news is good news kind of update with FutureGen,” Inyart said.

Angela Griffin, president and CEO of Coles Together, said the focus of the update is really to show national support of the project through the statements of both presidential candidates.

“Generally, we believe those candidates have supported the project,” she said. “Both have talked about clean coal and carbon capture, which we think that is an indication they both understand and support the technology that FutureGen at Mattoon will demonstrate.”

Coles Together will also discuss the re-zoning of the enterprise zone boundaries that give benefits to industry, manufacturing and warehousing and distribution in Coles County. Currently, some of the boundaries are covered by residential and retail development projects that are not eligible for the benefits of the enterprise zone.

“Re-zoning will allow industry, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution to take advantage of areas that are supposed to be designated for them,” Griffin said.

Griffin said these developments are a part of Coles Together’s strategic plan to benefit the economy. The plan will be discussed at the meeting, she added.

Both councils will also formulate boundary agreements for Mattoon’s and Charleston’s use of corporate boundaries, water and sewer facility service areas, zoning and building code enforcement.

In addition, the councils will update the Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement between Mattoon and Charleston.

“We share equipment like our landscape waste tub grinder that Charleston uses, and Charleston has a directional underground boring machine that we work together to use saving the municipality money,” said Mattoon City Administrator Alan Gilmore.

Gilmore said the agreement to share equipment and resources is ultimately for the taxpayers but also benefits the two cities’ organization and representation.

“Our borders have grown together,” he said. “We are working out mutual boundaries so that our services don’t overlap and also to economically develop in the retail center. We can pool our populations and present ourselves in a different light to retailers and industry.”

He said the cities could work together to provide the same services for half the cost to taxpayers.

The joint city council meeting will also open the floor to any and all council members to discuss other ideas and projects that were not assigned to the agenda.

“The purpose is to create an open floor for the council to express what they think is important individually and get both councils to look at the issues of the other’s,” Inyart said.

Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.