The Centralia City Council has approved a resolution approving a new two-year contract with the Fraternal Order of Police Local representing the patrolman.
The agreement had become stalled when several members of the council raised concern about 12-hour shifts being included in the contract removing the right to change the scheduling. However, after a closed session at Monday night’s meeting, the council agreed to the change which City Manager Lowell Crow says is becoming standard in the industry and can be used as a recruitment tool. The only no vote came from Councilman Andre Marshall. The two-year agreement contains a one percent salary increase in both years.
The council sold the site of a former motel building torn down by the city at 404 North Poplar to United Medical Response of Salem. They were the highest of three bidders at $21,112.
The city received no bids for the sale of four other city-owned parcels of property. They were at 815 Arbor, 1834 Duck Lane, 416 North Maple, and 426 South Pine.
The council approved allowing veterans to buy in four years of service to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund instead of the current two.
The council honored the late Ann Chappell for her extensive community service work by passing a resolution proclaiming October 26th as Ann Chappell Day in Centralia. Several councilmen and Mayor Herb Williams both added their own comments of praise.
