The Charleston City Council entered three different agreements at its meeting on Tuesday.
The first was a reentry into an agreement with the Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust insurance program.
According to the resolution, the ICRMT provides insurance for the city, its workers and property. Charleston is one of over 600 public organizations that are insured under the program.
According to Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs, the city has been in partnership with ICRMT for over 20 years, and it has been a strong one.
The current contract will expire on Dec. 1, 2025, and the new contract will go into effect on that day and expire a year later.
The cost will be $883,045 and will be facilitated by the city’s insurance broker, Dimond Bros. Insurance Agency in Mattoon.
The cost is around an 8.5% increase from last year, according to Combs, which was along the lines of the two other bids the city received.
Combs said the strong relationship and the recommendation from Dimond Bros led to the renewal.
Second, the Council entered into an intergovernmental agreement with National Purchasing Partners.
The city will join NPP as a participating agency, which will allow Charleston to have contracting and procurement opportunities, according to the resolution.
Combs said this agreement will allow the city to save money.
“These different purchasing groups have helped us with the purchase of some really good things at a lot better cost than if we weren’t in these purchasing groups,” Combs said.
Third, the Council approved a resolution for site hosting for electric vehicle chargers.
At previous meetings, the City Council received recommended locations to build EV charging stations as part of a city transportation electrification plan from REACH Strategies, a clean energy company from California.
The site hosting agreement adds charging stations to Linder Sports Complex, Lake Charleston and the Charleston Carnegie Public Library.
Each site will have two charging stations, with four ports in total.
The total cost of installation is estimated to be $1,045,517, and $836,414 is estimated to be covered by federal grants.
The breakdown of each location goes as follows:
- The Linder Sports Complex’s equipment is estimated to cost $262,940, with an additional $69,000 going towards construction. The federal grants are estimated to cover $274,432 of the cost.
- The estimated cost for equipment for Charleston Carnegie Public Library is $262,840, with an additional $69,000 going towards construction. Federal grants are estimated to cover $274,352.
- For Lake Charleston, the estimated cost for equipment is $274,437, with an additional $74,000 going towards construction. Federal grants are estimated to cover $287,630.
The chargers will be installed and maintained by Blink Charging out of Miami.
The Council also heard a presentation from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s disaster recovery agency.
Harold Nunez, a public information officer for SBA, said the organization was in Coles County assisting businesses that were impacted by the algal bloom in Mattoon that contaminated the area’s water supply over the summer.
The organization was at the meeting to inform the Council of their presence and their economic disaster injury loan.
According to Nunez, the loan is attained through a declared emergency and has a deferment of 12 months, with the lowest interest being at 4%. The deadline to file is Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.
That date is also when SBA’s disaster recovery specialists will leave the area. Their temporary office has been located at 700 Broadway Ave. E., Space 8, Mattoon.
According to a press release by the SBA, loans can be up to $2 million.
Finally, Tuesday marked the last meeting for Council Member Tim Newell.
Newell worked in several positions at area banks and was a teacher at Charleston High School before joining the council in 2009.
Members of the council expressed their appreciation of Newell’s work, one of whom was Council Member Jeff Lahr.
“I’ve certainly enjoyed serving with you,” Lahr said. “I’ve enjoyed our friendship.”
Combs spoke on his personal experience with Newell, who Combs said taught him chemistry in high school.
“I don’t call you Tim — I call you Mr. Newell, and that’s just out of sheer respect for all the things I’ve gotten out of you,” Combs said.
Combs recalled a time when Newell brought him to a Council debate and said that Combs would be able to participate in such a debate if he was elected.
“Thinking that I was going to be able to serve with someone that I admired and looked up to for so many years of my life — it just was a sincere honor,” Combs said.
Combs said that Newell remained the same no matter what position he served.
“Wherever you have went, you have brought nothing but a positive attitude or positive growth,” Combs said.
Newell spoke about his time on the Council fondly.
“It’s really been great being a part of this organization,” Newell said. “The group of people that makes this operation are fantastic. I’ve always been impressed.”
Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
