The Charleston City Council has accepted a $400,000 grant from the Charleston Township  to build a community center.

This grant follows an inter-governmental agreement that will allow the city and Charleston Township to work together on different activities.

The community center would provide inside recreation and social opportunities to the citizens of both the Township and the City of Charleston.

Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs said the agreement would allow money to be moved between one government account to another.

“It is a big chunk of change for them to grant us, and without the governmental agreement they wouldn’t be allowed to do that,” Combs said. “We have been talking about getting this community center going for the last year and a half and the money is only to be used for that.”

The city approved a second agreement to provide ambulance services for the Kansas Fire Protection District.

Though the city has been doing it for years, the current agreement expires on Oct. 19 and the Kansas Fire District asked to renew it for another three years.

Kansas is about 14 miles east of Charleston on Illinois 16.

Also approved:

-Using a Motor Fuel Tax funds that the city gets from gas taxes to help repair and maintain streets

– Street closures from 5 a.m. to noon Wednesdays from June 7 to Oct. 25 for the annual Farmer’s Market in the Charleston Square

– A four year contract with the International Union of Operating Engineers local 841.

AJ Fournier can be reached at 581-2812 or ajfournier@eiu.edu.