A new ordinance regarding hazardous chemical spills was put on file by the city council Tuesday.

The ordinance for the reimbursement of hazardous chemical spills or removal is a revised version of a similar ordinance passed in 2003.

The former ordinance required all businesses to post a sign on their buildings listing the chemicals being used or stored inside, as many vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals are required to do.

However, it was discovered that these posted signs are not necessary, said Charleston Fire Chief Pat Goodwin.

“Many of the businesses didn’t want their buildings marked with what is stored inside,” Goodwin said. “But in Charleston, we preplan all of the buildings, so we already know what chemicals are out there and in each building.”

Goodwin said a chemical clean up can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000, including manpower and supplies, if needed.

This ordinance does not require the signs, but it does include a reimbursement for costs of the chemical incident.

“There is a lot of man hours that can go into just monitoring an event, and if supplies are needed, the cost rises,” Goodwin said. “With this, we would be able to cover our expenses for monitoring the chemical releases around town.”

The ordinance will require companies – and individuals – responsible for the spill to pay for the cost of the incident.

The ordinance has been placed on file for public inspection and will be readdressed at the next meeting.

The council also voted in favor of two contract renewals.

The lease of 13.5 acres of land on the west side of Charleston to AMB Farms was approved for another year.

A janitorial contract was also approved with Excel Carpet Care to continue their services for the city. Excel Carpet Care is responsible for cleaning several of the city’s buildings, including the Municipal Building, the Charleston Police Department, the recreation department and the Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum.

The consent agenda contained six items, including a raffle license for the Charleston V.F.W. Post 1592.

The post has requested a license to host a raffle drawing during their Super Bowl event at the V.F.W. Post at 1821 20th St. on Feb. 6. The money collected from the event will help pay for a new addition to the building for a smoking section.

The raffle winner will be announced during half time of the game.

Two resolutions were also passed within the consent agenda concerning records of the city council’s closed meeting sessions.

The written minutes from the last six months will put on public file and the audio recordings of the meetings from the last 18 months will be destroyed.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-7942 or at kzyskowski@eiu.edu.