The Charleston City Council unanimously approved a resolution to give $2,400 in tourism funds to the Midwest Pickleball Indoor Championship.

The championship will be March 19, 20 and 21 at Eastern.

Those interested in the event must register before March 12 to compete and by March 1 if the participant is interested in a free t-shirt.

The council also approved a resolution that allowed the leasing of 30.2 acres of the city’s land for growing crops to Gary Hinds for the cash rent of $150/acre for the period of March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.

The contract is between the city, the First Christian Church of Charleston and Hinds for a total of 34.4 acres.

The First Christian Church of Charleston will be paid their portion of the rent for the remaining 4.2 acres by the city from the money it receives from Hinds.

The annual rent will total $5,160.

The Council also approved a bid for Public Works uniform rentals that was made by Cintas Corporation of Terre Haute, Indiana.

The contract will last three years and will cost the city $497.80 weekly, totaling $77,656.80 for the entirety of the contract.

During the meeting Mayor Brandon Combs said the expense is expected to be less than listed based on how much the city utilizes Cintas Corporation’s services.

Two other bids were received for the contract, but the bid specifications were not met by the other two companies.

The following announcements were made at the meeting:

• Mayor’s reappointment of Erin Blitz, Guiliana Dongu and Glenna Starkey to three-year terms on the Charleston Historic Preservation Commission

• Mayor’s reappointment of Don Schaefer to a five-year term on the Airport Authority Board

• Mayor’s appointment of Carl Wolff to a three-year term on the Fire and Police Board of Commissioners

Sandra Watson, of Charleston, spoke to the council on concerns about the noise level in her neighborhood from her neighbor’s vehicles.

Watson said that police have been to her residence and spoke to neighbors she says are to blame for the noise, but nothing was done.

Watson did not ask the city for anything to be done by the council other than them hearing her concerns.

Charleston city code says : “it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle which shall not at all times be equipped with a muffler upon the exhaust thereof in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and it shall be unlawful for any person operating any motor vehicle to use a cutout, bypass or similar muffler elimination appliance,” in regards to noise from exhaust pipes.

The city council will meet next on March 3 at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at cebrock@eiu.edu