The Chatleston City Council voted on Tuesday to close several streets on or near Eastern’s campus for construction and state exercises.

The city council also voted to close a section of Monroe Avenue to parking, granted funds to Eastern’s athletics department and approved bids for replacing a sewer lift station and construction at 513 Seventh St.

The city council unanimously voted to close Seventh Street between Johnson and Grant avenues from 7 to 11 a.m. on June 12. 

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency will be conducting exercises on and near Seventh Street to test preparedness of state agencies for shooting and hazardous materials situations, Mayor John Inyart said.

The council also voted unanimously to close Fourth Street along the Lantz Arena east parking lot between Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Drive from June 25 to 29. 

A new fire line will be constructed on the east side of Fourth Street to set up a fire hydrant to serve Ford, McKinney and Weller halls.

The council also voted to acquire right-of-way property from several residents near the intersection of Ninth Street and Polk Avenue. 

The purchase will allow the city to widen both streets, Inyart said. 

A date for construction to begin widening Ninth Street and Polk Avenue has not yet been set, said Greg Culp, assistant director of public works. 

Construction is expected to last 12 weeks, he said.

In other business, the council voted unanimously to:

• Prohibit parking on the north side of Monroe Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets and creating a bus stop at the location

• Grant $3,000 in tourism funds to Eastern’s athletics department

• Grant $2,000 in tourism funds to Eastern’s department of kinesiology and sports department

• Approve a bid of $82,149 from Vandevanter Engineering Co. of Decatur to replace a sewer lift station, used to pump sewage uphill, on Stoner Drive

• Approve a bid of $72,456.32 from Kross Masonry of Newman for masonry work at 513 Seventh St., property acquired by the city to ensure the surrounding buildings’ structural integrity

• Approve a bid of $29,213 and $11,500 from GEM Carpentry of Charleston for carpentry work at 513 Seventh St. for structural integrity and to replace second-story windows, respectively.

• Approve a bid of $17,950 from Superior Glass and Aluminum Company of Mattoon to replace a storefront window at 513 Seventh St.

The Charleston City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall. 

 Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].