The Charleston City Council approved a resolution to purchase a new police pursuit vehicle for the Charleston Police Department at its meeting on Tuesday. 

The purchase was deemed necessary after the department’s 2023 Dodge Durango was totaled in a crash.  

There have been funds allocated for purchase up to $45,000, $23,425 of which was given by the insurance claim and will be put towards the vehicle. 

“The total cost of a new vehicle will be $21,527,” Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs said. 

The vehicle will be purchased from Pilson Auto Center in Charleston.

The council also got a bid from the Houston Galveston Group which specialists in government procurement. 

“Pilson Auto Center’s bid was $1,238 less than our Houston Galveston bid,” Combs said. 

The council amended section Title III 12 chapter three which governs the number of alcoholic beverages licenses that are available to the public. The section was being amended to add one class G license.  

“The class G is our hotel license,” Combs said. 

The application for the Brickhouse Bar and Grill is located at the Unique Suites. 

“We’ve removed the previous class G license for the previous owners,” Combs said. “Someone has approached us, and they want to go ahead and reopen that back up.” 

The council also approved the invoice for bills from Feb. 22 to March 7 and for the most recent pay period that ended on Feb 22.  

For this period, the total gross payroll is $406,314.82. This pay period’s total general fund is allocated $305,056.19 with the highest expenses, and the only to hit six figures, were the police budget with $110,995.64 and the fire budget with $108,056.80. 

Additionally in the general fund, $34,238.27 is allocated for general administration, $17,197.13 is allocated for street services, $15,676.91 for is allocated for building and development, $15,120.28 is allocated for parks and maintenance, $2,077.80 is allocated for city garage, $1,693.36 is allocated for tourism expenses.

In the water and sewer fund is $72,637.59.

In that fund, $11,636.46 is allocated for the Waste Water Treatment Plant, $10,128.60 is allocated for the water billing department, $6,707.91 is allocated for general administration, $3,710.10 is allocated for the city garage.

For the playground and recreation fund, $13,464.22 is allocated. For the library fund, $10,359.70.

The motor fuel tax cost $1,687.50. Current state tax has gasoline at $0.470 per gallon while $0.545 per gallon of diesel fuel. 

Finally, $3,109.62 is allocated to employee benefits. 

The council approved the mayor’s reappointment of Stacy Lynn to the Charleston Historic Preservation Commission. 

Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmcoulombe@eiu.edu.