The Centralia City Council approved a resolution for a redevelopment agreement with Freight Car Locomotive Experts (FCLE) at Monday night’s meeting, giving the company a ten-year loan with a five percent monthly rate to support the purchase of machinery, equipment and inventory as the business grows. Council members agreed that supporting the growth of this industrial business was in the best interest of the city. FCLE President and CEO James Danielwicz was present at the meeting and thanked the city council for its support, optimistic that the company will be able to attract new employees with the help of the loan. The agreement will become the USDA IRP Loan Program once awarded to the City of Centralia.

There was great participation at this council meeting, as well as extensive public comment. Dave Boswell and members of the Raccoon Lake Association spoke to the council about the issue of allowing duck hunting on Raccoon Lake. Hunting there has been illegal for years due to proximity to residences within the Centralia city limits. Boswell presented arguments for and against changing the rule, but no action was taken or planned by the council.

Also discussed during public comment were electric bills and the city’s opt-out electric aggregation agreement with Homefield Energy, as well as a recommendation from Mary Jones of the Centralia Tourism Commission to reallocate funds from Celebrate Centralia and Summer Market to the printing and advertising part of the tourism budget.

The council approved a resolution for González Companies, LLC to perform preliminary engineering and engineering inspection services for the 2025 motor fuel tax street maintenance program. Also approved was a resolution for the purchase of a 2022 Dodge Durango from the Kansas Highway Patrol for $34,500.