Charleston set to increase water, sewer rates Tips for protecting personal and financial information when shopping online. CHARLESTON — An increase in Charleston’s water and sewer rates is set to go into place next month. The planned increase is by a lesser percentage than most recent years, Mayor Brandon Combs said during Tuesday’s Charleston City
Charleston set to increase water, sewer rates
Tips for protecting personal and financial information when shopping online.
CHARLESTON — An increase in Charleston’s water and sewer rates is set to go into place next month.
The planned increase is by a lesser percentage than most recent years, Mayor Brandon Combs said during Tuesday’s Charleston City Council meeting.
Previous annual increases in the rates have been as much as 11% and it’s been about 4% each of the last few years, Combs said. The planned 3% increase was based on the management plan the city uses, he said.
“We’ve watched this very closely,” Combs said.
The council on Tuesday voted 5-0 in favor of an ordinance setting the new rates. It has to be available for public review before final approval, scheduled for the council’s April 20 meeting.
Combs noted that the new rates would result in a monthly increase of about $2.50 for a typical household water user.
The new rates are based on a minimum of $16.42 monthly fee for use of 1,000 gallons of water a month. According to city Public Works Director Curt Buescher, an average residential bill would be $86.20.
The council’s other votes Tuesday included approval of bidding requirement waivers for the purchases of five vehicles.
The waivers are allowed because the vehicles are available from either a single vendor or below the bid specification price.
They included a $120,000 purchase of a 2019 tractor with a mower attachment from Rahn Equipment Co. of Danville. Combs noted long-term savings potential with the purchase, as the city had to rent a mower attachment from the company last year at a cost of $12,000.
The mayor also said the $67,493 purchase of a 2020 flatbed truck from the Pilson automotive dealership will allow replacement of a 22-year-old model the Public Works Department now uses.
The purchases also include two pickup trucks from the Pilson dealership for $58,481. Combs said older city trucks they’ll replace will go to other uses, with one being used on the upcoming development of city-owned land near Sister City Park.
The council’s other vote approved a $43,500 purchase from Birkey’s Construction Equipment of Mattoon for a tractor loader.
The council approved each of the bid waivers by a 5-0 vote. There had to be a minimum of four votes in favor of each waiver for approval.
12 photos of Charleston locations from our archives
Wilb Walker Supermarket
1988: Dyalene Haworth shows the ease of using E-Z Shopper grocery cart at Wilb Walker Supermarket.
Square
1980: Charleston square.
North Park house before renovation
1986: Jean Carpenter of Charleston has received a grant to repair her home. A $350,000 grant from Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs will be used to renovate about 40 homes in the North Park neighborhood.
North Park house after renovation
1986: Jean Carpenter on porch of house after renovations.
Mother’s
1988: At Mother’s in Charleston grandmother winks at the patrons who come to wet their whistle. Mothers is a tavern which is known to just about every Eastern Illinois University student.
Hotel fire
1931: The Jefferies building was gutted by fire late Tuesday night. On left is the Winters’ clothing store store with the Charleston Hotel office next on the north, than a vacant room recently vacated by the Huckleberry jewelry store, wit the Rogers drug store on the corner.
Golf Course
1986: Pat Kaiser plans to open his nine-hole golf course by Memorial Day weekend if Mother nature would cooperate.
Eastern Illinois Artist’s Guild
1941: A permanent exhibit of Paul Turner Sargent’s work has been opened by the Eastern Illinois Artists’ Guild at 809 Jack St. built in 1831 by Dr. Aaron Ferguson it is said to be the oldest house in Charleston.
Downtown
1986: Downtown Charleston has been designated as part of that city’s tax increment financing district within so-called blighted areas of their cities.
Coles County National Bank
1992: Coles County National Bank declared insolvent and sold to the Eagle Bank and Trust Co. The Missouri based trust company owns banks in three other Illinois towns, Sparta, Nashville and Highland.
Charleston Plaza
1978: Osco Drug and Eisner food store soon to open at Charleston Plaza Shopping Center. The two stores will occupy 40,000 square feet in the center. A 2,000 square foot Radio Shack store is already open. Another 2,000 square foot store will be occupied by the Book Emporium to open later this year. A total of 9,000 square feet remains to be leased in the center.
Celotex Corp.
1971: Yearly production estimates for the new Celotex Corp. plant north of Charleston is about 130 million square feet of insulation boards.
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