Eldorado to allow video gambling machines
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The city council without discussion approved an ordinance Tuesday night legally opening the community for video gambling.
The move comes in response to the Illinois Video Gaming Act passed a few years ago by the General Assembly, but is only now getting ready to be implemented by state gaming regulators.
The ordinance requires operators of such video gaming terminals to be licensed by the city. The annual fee per terminal is set for $25.
The ordinance was approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda as was an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Harrisburg for maintenance of the bike trail between the two communities. The agreement calls for Eldorado to maintain the trail from its city limits south to Wasson Road.
The council approved a new insurance carrier for employee health insurance selecting a Blue Cross policy with a $5,000 deductible. As part of the action the council approved a second resolution to cover $4,000 of the deductible for employees.
When the current insurance company objected, Mayor Rocky James sharply responded telling him he should have brought his best bid first.
"You didn't bring your best estimate," James said.
Despite weeks of wrangling by their Harrisburg council counterparts when it comes to an electricity supplier, the Eldorado council voted to extend their contract with MidAmerican Energy for another three years when it ends in December.
The city currently pays about 5.3 cents per kilowatt hour under the existing contract. Under the new contract MidAmerican will provide power at 4.52 cents per kilowatt hour.
The council disposed of another vacant lot Tuesday when they approved a bid of $3,727 made by James Boyt for a lot at 717 E. Benton St. Boyt's bid was the only one.
In other business the council approved James' reappointments of Greg McKinney to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, Eric Brannock to the Police Pension Fund Board of Trustees and Danny Seagraves to the Wolf Creek Cemetery Board.
The council also gave their consent to a new welcome sign for the south entrance to the city to be installed by the Eldorado V.F.W. post and approved a roadblock fundraiser request by the Eldorado High School softball team for Aug. 18.
Following the meeting James confirmed progress on the city's efforts to create Eldorado's first tax increment financing (TIF) district. He expected the council to vote on the area to be included by mid summer which should include Ferrell Hospital and most of the business and commercial districts in the city.