New hiking trails are planned to be constructed on land acquired by the city after the Charleston City Council voted to approve annexation of property at their meeting Tuesday.
The property being annexed is located at 2515 18th St. and is approximately 1.9 acres of land.

Steve Pamperin, the Charleston City Planner, said the land is a vacant and wooded area that they will use to connect the trails around Lake Charleston to Sister City Park.

“Our plan is going to be to extend a walking/biking/hiking trail through there,” Pamperin said. “That path on this property will connect to our existing trails around the lake.”

Pamperin said he hopes the trail project will be done in roughly six months once they start construction.

“We’re looking at it as a late fall/winter project,” Pamperin said. “It’s all going to depend on the public work’s work load and priorities.”

The city council voted unanimously to annex the property into the city.

The city council voted to approve eight of the nine agenda items that were part of the consent agenda, including the approval of raffle licenses.

The Eastern Fraternal Order of Police will be holding a raffle fundraiser to support the organization and raise awareness.

The raffle will be held Thursday through Nov. 14 and will be sold around Eastern’s campus. The winner will be announced at 3:30 p.m. at the University Police Department.

The Charleston Chill Softball Organization will begin their raffle on Friday and will end it on Dec. 5. They are raising funds for uniforms, equipment and tournament costs.

Tickets will be sold around Charleston at businesses and social gatherings. The winners of the raffle will be announced at the Moose Lodge on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

The Ashmore Parent-Teacher Organization is raising funds for field trips and extra curricular activities.

They will be selling tickets in Charleston and Ashmore, at school and in rural and city limits.

The raffle will be Nov. 13 to Dec. 8. The winners will be announced on Dec. 8 at Jefferson Elementary School.

Charleston City Clerk Deborah Muller said the raffle licenses are a routine piece of agenda.

“Anything that is very routine tends to be voted on the consent agenda,” Muller said. “Most of them are the same raffles requested every year.”

Luke Young, a sophomore finance major and student representative for city council, said the student government finished their school initiative with the high schools.

“We are working on inviting the student councils to come to the last home game with us,” Young said. “Student government is going to be out there and we want to invite them to come and hang out with us.”

The city council also made a proclamation about National Business Woman’s Week, which began Sunday and will end Saturday.

Mackenzie Freund can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected]