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Charleston Mayor John Inyart talks with city manager Scott Smith about additional funds for the Coles Together project. (Mitch Surprenant/The Daily Eastern News)

City approves hike in ambulance rates

By: Matt Hopf/City Editor

Posted: 1/16/08

Charleston City Council voted to increase the ambulance rates at Tuesday night's meeting.

Mayor John Inyart said the purpose of the rate hikes is to keep up with Medicare and Medicaid rates - and with the costs of providing the service.

The rate hike was unanimously approved.

Approving funds to Coles Together was also unanimously passed.

With the agreement, Coles Together will hire Buxton ID to conduct retail development research for Charleston and Mattoon.

The firm will look at businesses where money is spent outside the area and create a list of retailers and restaurants people support in other communities.

Inyart said he believed many of the same places would be on both lists.

Teaming up with Mattoon for the project will save each city $25,000.

In other business, the council agreed to put an ordinance on file for public inspection, which would allow Eastern to operate smaller vehicles on city streets within the university's boundaries.

Council member Lorelei Sims brought up concerns on whether the vehicles would be using Lincoln Avenue.

City Manager Scott Smith said he spoke with Gary Reed, director of Facilities Planning and Management at Eastern, and they plan on using the inner areas of campus, such as Fourth Street and Grant Avenue. It would be unlikely the vehicles would use Lincoln Avenue.

The vehicles Eastern would upgrade would be similar to golf carts and "three-fourths scale vehicles," Smith added.

"This ordinance is mirrored off the program from (University of Illinois)," Smith said.

Also put on file for public inspection was an ordinance that would prohibit parking from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Ridgefield, Fairfield, Woodfield, Cooperfield and Stonefield lanes.

Inyart said he didn't know if he could vote on the ordinance because he owns property on Cooperfield Lane.

"You can as long as you make full disclosure," said City Attorney Brian Bower.

The next city council meeting is 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.

Matt Hopf can be reached at 581-7945 or at mthopf@eiu.edu.