The Collinsville City Council has postponed the vote on the future of the Miner's Theater.

Although the council was expected to decide Monday night, the agenda item was instead pulled from the agenda to give the Collinsville Recreation District and the Miner's Institute Foundation the opportunity to talk and work out negotiations, according to City Manager Scott Williams.

The proposed ordinance amendment, if it had been approved, would have allowed the Collinsville Recreation District to sell the historic building to the Miner's Institute Foundation without having to pay back the TIF funds that were used to rehabilitate parts of the building.

Under the current ordinance, the district would have to reimburse the city 25 percent of the $235,000 in TIF funds if it doesn't retain ownership of the building for four years.

Shelly Steuart, president of the Miner's Institute Foundation, addressed the council and asked they forgive CARD the TIF funds and allow them to turn the building over to the foundation.

"Then, MIF can take the deed of the building and forward motion can once again proceed," she said. "Shuttering the building for three years does no one any good. Give the Miner's Theater a fighting chance to once again become the crown jewel of the metro east."

In other action Monday, the council:

* Approved the $1 sale of retired K-9 dog Blaze and the transfer of ownership to his handler, Officer Michael Bauer. Bauer will keep the former police dog as a household pet.

* Approved the purchase of two new police cruisers for $53,406. Some of the equipment in the old cruisers will be moved to the new ones, but, because of the difference between the vehicles, some new equipment will be required. "There will be some cost to retrofit these new vehicles," said Police Chief Eric Van Hook.

* Approved the sale of two previously seized vehicles through a public eBay auction. The two vehicles, a 1998 Ford Expedition and a 1999 Ford Expedition, have been used by the Police Department since their seizure. However, the high mileage and increasing cost of maintaining them necessitated the sale, Van Hook said.

* Authorized an engineering agreement and a joint agreement between the city and the State of Illinois to begin a Safe Routes to School project on Camelot Drive. The project involves installing sidewalks along the roadway and is funded by a state grant. "Kids in that neighborhood walk back and forth between Renfro School and the middle school," said Mayor John Miller. "The residents are tickled pink with this project and it is long overdue."