City Council to vote on raffle license for Five Mile House

Corryn Brock, Staff Reporter

The Charleston City Council will vote on raffle license for the Five Mile House Foundation to raise funds for the Barn and Blacksmith Shop Project, as well as on other items, during a city council meeting Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at 520 Jackson Ave.

According to the application for the raffle license, the funds raised during the raffle will go towards the blacksmith shop, the carpenter and a community gathering space.

According to the Five Mile House website, the building will be constructed by the dismantling of the Commodore Perry Davis Barn and then reconstructed to appear as “a smaller but similar configuration at the Five Mile House.” 

The raffle will include items as well as a 50/50 drawing, according to the website. A 50/50 raffle drawing is when half of the funds raised by the purchasing of raffle tickets is given to the person whose name is drawn during the determination of the winner.

If approved, one resolution to be voted on will enter the City of Charleston into an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation to assist in the funding of a resurfacing project on Lincoln Avenue beginning west of Douglas Drive and ending east of Madison Avenue.

IDOT will be the primary source of funding, however the city will be expected to pay an estimated cost of $153,900 to come from the MFT fund in the 2020 fiscal year.

Mayor Brandon Combs will also ratify a proclamation declaring Sept 17. through Sept. 23 Constitution Week.

The proclamation is to occur every year according to Public Law 915. The law was originally adopted by the United States Congress and signed into effect in 1956 by President Eisenhower.

The proclamation asks citizens to reaffirm ideals the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787, and also to vigilantly protect freedoms guaranteed to them in the Constitution.

Three other action items will be voted on by the city council including: a resolution to authorize expenditure of tourism funds for Candy Crush 2018 as well as the reappointment of Steve Hutti to a two year term on the Police Pension Fund Board of Trustees and Larry Shobe to a three year term on the Charleston Tree Commission.

Following the voting on action items time will be reserved for members of the public to address the city council. The council will not vote on any matters brought to them at that time and are not required to take any action on the items brought forth. Those wishing to address the council are asked to speak into the microphone, limit speeches to three minutes, and avoid repetitive comments, according to the council’s agenda.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].