The Charleston City Council approved a $79,522.05 purchase of five AutoPulse Systems from Zoll Medical Corporation for Charleston’s EMS on Tuesday night. 

The Zoll AutoPulse is a battery-operated device that squeezes the patient’s entire chest circumference, enabling improved blood flow to the heart and brain. 

The system allows EMS professionals the ability to transport and deliver different life saving therapies simultaneously with proven improvement and cardiac arrest outcomes. It provides hands-free quality CPR during cardiac arrests, and medical studies have shown the use of the system can improve the survivability rates of the patient. 

The city applied to receive grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Rural Payment for Health Care Providers through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the purchase of the systems should not exceed $79,552.05. 

The funds were granted for the purchase of the medical equipment for ambulance services to assist with providing medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The council unanimously approved $79,086.39 for the Loxa Road Trailhead Improvement Project.

The amount will cover the cost of concrete and other additional building materials.  

The project will improve the site by adding concrete parking, a new restroom facility and other amenities at the location site.

The concrete materials contract was awarded to Mid Illinois Concrete with a contract price to not exceed $31,395.00 and the building materials contract was awarded to Kirchner Building Center with a contract price not to exceed $47,691.39.  

The council also approved a petition letting Loretta Lahr, Councilman Jeff Lahr’s mother, rebuild her damaged house on the remaining foundation.

Loretta Lahr’s home was damaged by a fire last spring and is proposing to rebuild the home on the existing foundation. 

The proposal went to the Board of Zoning Appeals and was voted 5-0 to recommend the approval of the ordinance. 

 The city council voted 4-0 with one abstention from Jeff Lahr due to his connection with the petitioner. 

The approval of an electric sub-contractor for the $7.5 million wastewater treatment plant nutrient removal project was unanimously approved by the council. 

The amount of electrical work on the project is in excess of $1.2 million.  

The company doing the electric work is Commercial Electric, who has done all the electrical work at the wastewater treatment plant for more than 30 years. 

The city council approved the mayor’s reappointment of Matthew Mittelstaedt, Michael Watts and Heather Hutti-Kelly to three-year terms on the Tourism Advisory Board, TAB, Dale Wolf to a three-year term as ex-officio member of the TAB and Ian Pendergast-White to a three-year term on the Charleston Tree Commission.

The city council also approved of the appointment of Tina Held to a five-year term on the Charleston Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.  

Rob Le Cates can be reached at 581-2812 or at rllecates@eiu.edu.