BENTON — The Benton City Council approved a resolution to transfer $200,000 from Capital Improvements to the I-57 Interchange Fund at Monday night’s meeting.

City Clerk Brook Craig tells us the transfer will finish the city’s obligation of $600,000 to fund the first phase of the I-57 Interchange Project that will be constructed at Petroff Road in the near future.

In other business, the council approved the design engineering phase on a project to replace water mains on North Main Street from the Benton Square to Joplin Street and allowing the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to begin testing for an eligibility list for future police department openings. Applications can be picked up in the City Clerk’s Office.

Four people were appointed by the council to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Julie Payne Hubler will serve a three-year term while Coy Cockrum, Victor Shockley and Kyle Wayne Neal will all serve a four-year term.

The council accepted the resignation of Chris Hammons from the Benton Municipal Airport Board. No one has been appointed to his spot at this time.

Four bids for mowing were opened, but no decision was made. David Garavalia, with the Zoning Department, will go through the bids and tell the council who meets all requirements in the near future.

The council also approved an agreement for professional services with Chastain and Associates for the DuQuoin Street Bridge over Sugar Creek. This bridge is going to be replaced with a new bridge meeting the current design guidelines. The new bridge will be designed to accommodate the design traffic as part of the interchange modification project.