Provider contract approved by Charleston City Council

Corryn Brock, News Editor

The Charleston City Council approved a service provider contract with and an ordinance to lease land to Government Telecommunications Consortium during its meeting Tuesday night.

The agreement is “for the purpose of erecting, operating, maintaining, repairing and replacing a telecommunications tower and appurtenant facilities,” according to the ordinance.

The contract is for five years of service and Government Telecommunications Consortium will be responsible for expending “reasonable funds in an emergency with written notice to the Board” and  “securing bids and request for proposals for hardware, software, and other telecommunications services and make recommendations for the selection of vendors for adoption by the Board” among other tasks listed in the agreement.

The council also voted to approve the closure of Cobble Lane at the railroad trestle which began Monday and will end Jan. 29. 

The council approved the sole bid for providing concrete materials for targeted sidewalk improvements.

The bid was given to Mid Illinois Concrete, Inc. for a price of $108.50 per cubic yard in a contract not to exceed $151,900.

Mayor Brandon Combs made several re-appointments during the meeting.

Tim Jacobs, Ryan Siegel and Jim Wood were reappointed to 5-year terms on the Board of Zoning Appeals & Planning.

Timothy Keefe was reappointed to a 3-year term on the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees.

Terry Allen and Al Green were reappointed to 4-year terms on the Electrical Commission.

Stan Adkins, Marissa Grant and Cynthia Nichols were reappointed to 3-year terms on the Charleston Tree Commission.

Two raffle licenses were approved during the meeting.

One raffle license was for the City of Charleston Employee Recognition Dinner on Feb. 25 at the Moose Lodge, 615 Seventh St., and the other license was for a musical/art benefit sponsored by HOPE at 8 p.m. on Jan. 18 at Mac’s Uptowner, 623 Monroe Ave., to raise funds for Debbie Whitworth for medical expenses.

Two proclamations were made during the meeting.

Jan. 26 through Feb. 1 was named School Choice Week.

The proclamation recognized “the important role that an effective education plays in preparing all students in the City of Charleston to be successful adults” and that “quality education is critically important to the economic vitality of the City of Charleston.” 

The proclamation said the reason for celebrating the week was “to raise awareness of the need for effective educational options” for millions of students, parents, educators, schools and organizations.

The second proclamation recognized February as Black History Month.

The proclamation described the month as “a time for all Americans to remember the stories and teachings of those African Americans who helped build our nation, took a stance against injustice to build lives of dignity and opportunity, advanced the cause of civil rights and strengthened families and communities.”

The proclamation also said that the city “wishes to recognize the outstanding contributions of African Americans, commemorate the achievements of the African-American community in the City of Charleston, and to remind everyone of African-American heritage, culture and history.”

No public presentations were given during the meeting.

The next Charleston City Council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall on Feb. 4.

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