The Charleston City Council will be voting upon an ordinance that will change the amount of people in certain positions held in the police department. 

The ordinance specifically changes Title 1-8(A)-1 for the Police Department in which “the City of Charleston Police Department may consist of the chief of police, two (2) deputy chiefs of police, four (4) lieutenants; five (5) sergeants, and twenty–four (24) patrolmen.” 

If the amendment is approved, there will be five lieutenants and four sergeants on the force. 

An ordinance will be voted upon to approve a conceptual plan proposal for a Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Storage Building Located at 1000 Health Center Drive, Charleston, Illinois. 

This will be approved on conditions the SBLHC develops. The proposal is for the project as shown to the council during the Corridor Review Committee public meeting on June 28, 2021.  

Two further ordinances will authorize the acquisition of real estate both at 1000 Douglas St. and 910 Polk Ave. 

This will be in order to make sidewalk improvements on the south side of Polk Ave. that will extend to Douglas Street, requiring the City to purchase land from those living there. 

The purchase will be no more than 10 feet of property from those individuals.  

A bid award will be voted upon for the Sister City Phase II Earthwork and Grading.  

The funding for this project is currently in the FY 22 budget. 

A final resolution voted upon will be for approving a master agreement for traffic signals with the Illinois Department of Transportation for Highway 16. 

This will be in effect until 2031 and will outline IDOT’s participation in the maintenance and operation of the traffic signals on state routes. 

Two raffle licenses will be voted upon, one for a gift card drive for Make-A-Wish Foundation at 4 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2021, at the Make-A-Wish Truck Convoy Event.  

This will be in Charleston as well as held on Facebook in order to “enhance kiddos waiting for a wish” according to the application form. 

The second raffle license will be to Coles County Fair Grandstand at 7 p.m. on July 25, 2021, to raise funds for the Coles County Fair Queen Pageant.  

Following the action items, members of the public are given the opportunity to contact the council. On matters not on the agenda, no action will be taken, and the Council is not obligated to take any further action or to address the matter further. Public comment can be sent to cityclerk@co.coles.il.us in person or by email.  

Those interested in sending public comment should send emails to the city clerk by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, with the subject line: CC: 05/18/2021, so the city clerk knows it is for the meeting. 

Theo Edwards can be reached at heedwards@eiu.edu.