The Charleston City Council passed the amendments brought before them for the ordinances on civil offenses that were outdated or not in use anymore, and construction of utility facilities in the public right-of-way was approved Tuesday evening at City Hall.

Some of the ordinances that were amended were on vagrancy, dressing appropriate for your gender, and for it being unlawful for a man and woman to live together or even to associate in inappropriate behavior together, according to the Charleston City Ordinance.

These ordinances have been amended due to them being outdated for modern interpretation.

Construction of utility facilities for the public right-of-way management to provide installation of small wireless facilities within the public right-of- way was approved by the council.

This is in response to recent state law that went into effect on June 1 of this year stating all wireless facilities within the city must be updated. The Small Wireless Development Act limits the control over small cell antennas that may be located along municipal public right-of-way.

The council has agreed to help the Illinois Department of Revenue with the Alcoholic Liquor Enforcement Pilot Program which will have the city police participate in at least one inspection a year of each business that has anything to do with any form of liquor, this could be distilleries, breweries, or retailers.

Mayor Brandon Combs said, “This is our third year in the program where our officers conduct liquor inspections and the city gets paid for each inspection of each license holder. We were asked to participate in this pilot program by the state, due to a drastic change in manpower at the state level,”

The council approved street closings for a block party held on August 18 from 4-7:30 p.m. by The First Christian Church. The streets involved in the closings are Monroe Ave. to Fourth and Fifth Street, and Fifth Street to Jackson Ave.. This event will be held from 5-7 p.m. on that day.

Mary Ellen Greenburg can be reached at 581-2812 or megreenburg@eiu.edu.