A new setup at Village Hall

The new year brings a new look for Coal City’s village hall. The main meeting room in the building at 515 South Broadway Street now features a large, U-shaped table for the mayor and village board of trustees.
Built by Mueller Custom Cabinetry, a local business, the new structure is part of an improvement project that also includes a fresh coat of “orange cognac-colored paint” for the walls of the meeting room, village administrator Matt Fritz said.
The shape of the new table is an improvement over the old, straight tables the board has been using for many years.
“It looks great. Now we can see each other,” Mayor Dave Spesia said at the first village board meeting of the year on Jan. 8.
Officials also thanked the public works department for their part in completing the upgrades.
In addition to the city logo and a few farm tools signifying Coal City’s agricultural legacy, there’s also an item now displayed on the meeting room’s south wall that may appeal to those with an interest in local history: a 1981 letter from President Ronald Reagan commemorating Coal City’s 100th anniversary.
The budget for the improvements, which are the first significant upgrades the village hall has had since the 1990s, was under $30,000, Fritz said. The plans also include additional new tables and seating to accommodate other functions, along with improved audio/visual equipment.