MOUNT VERNON — City Council adopted a resolution allowing the administration to take the next step toward converting South Gay Street from brick to asphalt, a project debated again and again by city officials over the last several months.
Councilman John Fair cast the lone vote against the legislation, and called the project a waste of money. He said it will not only lead to the tearing up of one of the city’s historic brick streets, but will also oblige council to pay large amounts for repairs in the future when trucks tear up the asphalt.
The resolution authorizes Safety-Service Director Dave Glass to enter into a contract with Richland Engineering of Mansfield for services related to the design of the project, to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for project construction.
Council set aside $838,000 in this year’s budget for the project, which is estimated to cost around $1.3 million. The administration plans to fund the rest through a grant and a low-interest loan from the state.
Later in the meeting, Councilman Mike Hillier said the issue of South Gay Street is settled, but he would like to see the city’s plans to hire a team of temporary workers to make repairs on the brick streets kept toward the front of the summer projects.
Glass said the street department superintendent is forming the summer crew, and added that the design is under way to rehabilitate Curtis Street. The administration considers this street to be in the worst condition of all the brick streets in the city.
Council also voted to authorize Glass to advertise for bids for asphalt paving materials and services for street resurfacing this summer. Glass said the city will get an idea of the actual cost through this advertising. He said the cost for asphalt will certainly be higher than last year.
In other business:
•Council adopted a resolution authorizing Glass to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for a drainage improvement project in the area of West Vine Street, which is set to get under way around the beginning of May. Glass said the project involves installing a storm sewer from the alley behind the Woodward Opera House, along West Vine Street to the intersection with South Main Street. He said it was an addition to the storm water project completed last year in the alley. Leftover funds from a Clean Ohio Revitalization Grant, which have already been earmarked for the project in this year’s budget, will be used to pay for the improvement.
•Council adopted a resolution authorizing Glass to sell a 2000 Dodge Ram van formerly used by the city’s water and wastewater department. He said the vehicle needs to be replaced.
•Council adopted an ordinance amending the number and wages of seasonal parks personnel. Changes include a reduction in the number of management personnel at the city’s water park, from five to three, which is part of the administration’s efforts to streamline the management at the water park. Another change was the creating the position of a second pool maintenance worker, who will be specially trained to handle chemicals used to treat the water at the water park. With the change in the management structure, Glass said, the head of maintenance feels this second worker will help in the overall operation of the water park.
•The city received an application to rezone the property at 403 Newark Road from its R-1 residential status to one of office-institutional. In a letter to the Mount Vernon Municipal Planning Commission, John Lambert, senior financial adviser, wrote that, if approved, he plans to move his Ameriprise Financial office from its current location at 236 S. Main St. to the property on Newark Road, adding that he feels his business is a good fit with the rest of the neighborhood, with First Church of God to the north, Accurate Appliance to the south, and Bell Heating and Cooling directly across street.
•Hillier encouraged city residents whose lawns may have been inadvertently damaged by snowplows to contact City Hall and the street department will repair the damage.
