The Charleston City Council placed the city ordinance of the three-way stop on file for public inspection because of concerned calls received at City Hall.

The Title VI Amendment was rescheduled to be discussed at the city council meeting on June 21.

Council member Larry Rennels said the university requested the three-way stop sign at Roosevelt Avenue and 4th Street.

“The stop sign will make it safer,” Rennels said. “The concerns were that there might be a traffic backup on 4th street.”

According to a traffic study that was done by the city, a stop sign was warranted at this location, Rennels said.

“There was a pedestrian study done when the students weren’t really there,” Rennels said. “It’s more about the cars passing through there and the traffic speed.”

The council has considered that based on the traffic volume alone, the warrants for the three-way stop are met, Rennels said.

The council approved the sale of a vacant lot at 1414 Jackson Ave. in Charleston where a residence once stood. The residence was demolished by the city because it could not be repaired and was unsafe for living.

City attorney Brian Bower said the house was appraised at $4,000 but was not up to the taxes.

“For the purposes of community redevelopment, we will sell it at full market value,” Bower said. “There’s a condition that a residence will be built on the lot.”

When the property is sold, the owner will have the construction of the residence.

“The owner can purchase the lot for $4,000,” Bower said. “They can purchase the lot before it goes to auction.”

The council approved the mosquito abatement on the agenda Tuesday evening.

“In the past, the city has taken care of the city limits and the county has taken care of outside of Charleston,” Rennels said.

The state of Illinois recently began requiring a permit for anyone who uses these chemicals, Rennels said. The permit cost is $1,000 per year.

“We agreed to take care of the portion that’s in the city limits and they’ll take care of the county,” Rennels said.

Currently, the city of Charleston is paying $8,500 per year for mosquito abatement. They have stopped using a fogging machine due to health concerns.

Charleston uses avarice water tablets to keep the mosquitos from hatching, Rennels said.

“We’ve done that for two years,” Rennels said. “We’ve gotten away from fogging because it’s not good for people’s health.

The council approved closure of streets for Habitat of Humanity’s four mile foot race. The council also approved the closure of streets for the Red, White and Blue Days July 4th festivities and parade.

The City Council requests anyone that has concerns about the three-way stop to contact their office.

Jennifer Brown can be reached at 581-7942 or jebrown2@eiu.edu