The Centralia City Council will continue the discussion on the 2021 fiscal year budget that begins January first in a work session prior to the regular City Council meeting Monday night. City Manager Lowell Crow indicated discussion would begin on how to move forward with payment for police and fire department expenditures now that voters had rejected a half-cent sales tax increase. The council will also discuss the operating budget, water and sewer budget, and revenue.
At the regular meeting to follow, the council will consider approval for a new liability and worker’s compensation insurance package through Dimond Brothers Insurance that will save the city about $300,000 in the coming year. They were the lowest bidder at $707,734. The savings will help plug a deficit estimated at more than $600,000 in the first draft of the budget presented to the city council two weeks ago.
The council will be asked to move forward on the demolition of four more homes that have fallen into disrepair at 507 North Sycamore, 735 South Maple, 618 East Kell, and 118 North Pleasant.
The council will be asked to move forward to close streets for the traditional Christmas Stroll that will take place from three to seven the evening of Friday, December 4th. The City of Centralia Downtown Merchants are planning the traditional ornament hunt and horse-drawn carriage rides as part of the event.
Several groups have agreed to provide entertainment including Rock 101, Centralia Cultural Society Choir, and Centralia Carillon.
The Centralia Downtown Co-Op is seeking permission to decorate the windows of the vacant Illinois Theatre as well as on city light poles downtown in November and December.
The council will be asked to approve $116,647 for oil and chipping of city streets under next year’s motor fuel tax budget.
The work session begins at five and the regular council meeting follows at six.
Both will be conducted by Zoom Conference Call.
To join by link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88266220817
To join by phone: Dial: 1-312-626-6799
Meeting ID :882 6622 0817
Anyone wishing to address the Mayor and City Council during public participation should contact the City Clerk, Kim Enke, at kaenke@cityofcentralia.org or call 618-533-7636 by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting to receive further details about how to participate.
