MOUNT VERNON — The city will be fielding bids for a number of fall projects in the coming weeks, including the new Hiawatha Pool Complex.
Mayor Richard Mavis said that bidding for the new pool will be opened on Sept. 14 and demolition of the old complex should be well under way by mid-October.
Meanwhile city employees are busy moving equipment out of the old pool area before demolition begins. Benches, tables and chairs, plumbing fixtures and valves, anything that can be used elsewhere is being removed.
Mavis said that an auction had been planned to raise money for the pool fund, however there might not be much left that is worth buying.
“Most of the things there are pretty well used up; the facility was not in good shape.” said Mavis, adding that the city may still attempt to set up a short auction so that residents have a chance to get a piece of memorabilia.
Looking forward to the new pool complex, city officials recently visited the city of Heath to observe their pool operation and gather potential ideas.
Council members Chuck Dice and Nancy Vail, City Auditor Terry Scott and Safety-Service Director Dave Glass joined Mavis on the visit.
“We looked at their pool operation and we talked about the logistics of handling entry into the pool; about having electronic passes and how they deal with them,” said Mavis. “We also talked about the ability to take credit cards to buy season passes and to use them at the concession stand.”
According to Mavis, the city plans to implement the electronic ID feature at the new Mount Vernon complex, enabling pool staff to better control who enters the complex.
Mavis said that Scott has agreed to supervise the implementation of the ID and credit card programs at the new pool.
A number of other city projects are on the schedule:
•The city has received approval for its Marita Drive sewer project which will open for bidding next week.
•A $104,000 storm water project will also open for bidding next week. According to Mavis, the project will alleviate problems in the Woodward Alley, which sits between Vine and Gambier streets.
“People who use that alley in the winter time know that the storm drainage off the roof runs into that alley and forms a sheet of ice that makes it almost impassible,” said Mavis. “This project will allow that runoff to be carried underground over to Gambier Street.”
•Also likely to bid next week is the Parrot Street traffic sign project. Asphalt work and the required widening of Newark Road to accommodate the signal has turned an $85,000 estimate into $150,000, more than the city has set aside for the project.
“This project is pretty critical,” said Mavis. “There is a lot of traffic coming to and from the school and it has been a high accident area. Fortunately, we haven’t had any fatalities.”
Mavis said the city will likely go forward with bidding the project to see what kind of estimates come back. In the meantime a meeting will be held to discuss options for covering the increased cost, which could include using funds from other budgeted projects that will not be done this year.
•The city also plans to resume its bricklaying work on Ohio Avenue this fall.
“Council has given us approximately $100,000 to do brick street work this year,” said Mavis. “Our plan is to complete the Ohio Avenue paving project.
“(Previously) we did the curbs and we went as far as we could until we ran out of money, then we stopped the project. Now we want to complete it.”
In addition to the new undertakings, city officials also plan to inspect one of their recently completed projects. Members of City Council are scheduled to take a tour of the Mount Vernon’s new water treatment lab on Sept. 11. The lab is finished and is currently in use, according to Mavis.