Heated negotiations over a cable contract between the city and Mediacom ended in agreement at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The negotiations concerned the 15-year length of the contract with Mediacom, which was disputed down to an agreement of 10 years with an automatic five-year extension if the city does not have complaints at the seven-year mark, when the contract will be renegotiated.

Council members Marge Knoop and Larry Rennels said Tuesday they had received numerous complaints that the contract was too long. In addition, other council members voiced concern over the length of the contract because of recent poor television reception.

“I haven’t watched a race in months that hasn’t been off and on,” said council member John Winnett.

Concurring, Mayor Dan Cougill and Rennels wanted to know when the “hum bar” would go away. The “hum bar,” Cougill said, is the horizontal line that runs horizontally on the screen.

In response, a Mediacom representative said those problems would be fixed as soon as an agreement with the city was reached. Now that the council and Mediacom decided on the 10-year contract, the reception problems are set to be fixed Dec. 18.

The contract states that Mediacom is the city’s cable provider for the next 10 years and, following state law, in seven years the contract must be renegotiated. If in that seventh year the city is not happy with the cable service, they will not have to abide by the automatic five year extension agreed to.

In addition, nowhere in the agreement does it mandate the city must keep to the agreed-upon contract until the seventh year if they are unhappy.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, a historic preservation ordinance was presented. Nora Pat Small detailed information about the ordinance that is designed to attract business as well as retain it through preserving the historical buildings and look that Charleston has.

One of the ways to stimulate economic development in Charleston, Small said, is through historic preservation. It creates jobs, leads to more tourism and business and enhances the overall quality of life in the city. Small’s presentation was an informational for the city and nothing has been voted on.

In addition, at the meeting the council approved an allocation of $850 in tourism funds to put up a billboard on Route 16 coming into town from Mattoon advertising the Square and the stores it offers. The decision was made to aid economic development for the city.

The council is also allocating $2, 422 in tourism funds to the Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site for promotion and more than $4,000 in tourism funds will be expended for three marketing projects. The projects include brochures for stops on Interstate 57, the regional tourism office, the Discover Central Illinois Magazine and for the 2003 Charleston tourism guide.

Also proclaimed Tuesday is that December is the month of Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. The tentative date to kick the month off is Nov. 25, and throughout the month red ribbons will be distributed by the police department and other city departments.