The City Council Tuesday placed on file for public inspection an ordinance to purchase a right-of-way at 731 Fourth St. to begin construction on the Fourth Street Bridge.

The land would be purchased to give room for construction of the bridge and to move the sewer line that is currently in the Town Branch, said Mayor Dan Cougill. The sanitary sewer interceptor gets flooded with rainwater during storms, causing a large volume of water at the sewer plant.

“Every time we have a big rain event, the sewer plant has a spike of water coming in,” Cougill said.

Duke Bagger, spokesperson for the Charleston Neighborhood Council, presented a petition with 250 signatures to the council, saying his group was opposed to any city money spent on widening the bridge, adding a sidewalk to the east side of the bridge or a path for the Greenway Trail.

The City Council approved an ordinance entering into an agreement with the State of Illinois for a transfer of property on 20th Street. The city needs the property so the street can be straightened out instead of swerving, Cougill said.

“This will allow us to do a land swap with the state of Illinois,” Cougill said.

Also placed on file for public inspection was an ordinance approving the rezoning of the area directly north of 50 N. E St. from a mobile trailer park district to an industrial district. It is still unclear what business will go into the open area, but the Laidlaw Transit Inc. bus garage has considered it for a possible place to relocate, Cougill said.

Council members also approved an ordinance authorizing the annexation of property on the northwest side of Polk Avenue owned by David and Darin Haworth. Annexing the property will allow the residents to have city water and sewer as well as police and fire protection, Cougill said.