The Centralia City Council approved a resolution to apply for an an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant with the goal of providing additional safe walking and bicycling routes within Centralia. The grant would fund 80 percent of eligible preliminary engineering, design, construction, and construction engineering and 50 percent of right-of-way and street lighting for pedestrian facilities improvements.
Grant-funded work would take place along portions of Gragg Street, Cormick Street, Rexford Street, IL-161, Franklin Street, Jackson Avenue, Pleasant Avenue, and Country Club Road. In order to meet requirements to receive the grant, the city also adopted a bicycle, pedestrian and streetscape plan outlining the proposed pedestrian traffic improvements.
A resolution for an OSLAD grant application was also approved with the goal of funding a 30’ by 60’ pavilion to be constructed at Laura Leake Park. The grant would provide $86,000 and require matching funds of $43,000.
In a report, City Manager Kory Smith discussed the bill passed by the Illinois state legislature eliminating the state grocery tax but giving municipalities the option to impose their own sales tax to replace it without a referendum. When Illinois stops collecting the 1% sales tax on behalf of municipalities, Smith says his office plans to introduce an ordinance for the council’s consideration to effectively replace it with a 0.5% municipal sales tax, a 0.5% decrease from where the tax currently sits. Smith says sales tax revenues are important to allow the city to refrain from increasing its property tax levy and put money into police and fire pension funds.
In other action, the council renewed a line of credit with Midland States Bank and approved new contracts with Metro Ag for the removal and transport of sludge from the wastewater and water treatment plants. The new contracts include a slight increase in the per-gallon rate for the wastewater plant and a change from a per-gallon rate to a per-cell rate for the water treatment plant.
Mayor Bryan Kuder issued a proclamation acknowledging the week of September 17 as Constitution Week, commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
Public Property Maintenance Operator Bobby J. Patton II was recognized with a service award for ten years of service.