MOUNT VERNON — City Council passed several pieces of legislation on Monday that allow the administration to move forward with infrastructure projects, including improvement projects in the area of Blackjack Road, the rebuilding of a portion of Curtis Street and the Lowe’s crossover roadway.
Council adopted one resolution authorizing Safety-Service Director Dave Glass to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for roadway improvements, as well as water and wastewater line extensions, in the Industrial Park along Blackjack Road. The improvements include widening Blackjack Road, including a portion of the roadway that runs about a half mile south of Moundbuilders Guidance Center.
Glass said the project is meant to promote further industrial development in the area. Councilman John Fair said the area south of the center is the location where industrial development may take place in the near future.
The project will also include changing the layout of the roadways in the area so that Industrial Park Drive is in line with the portion of Blackjack Road that veers to the south around the center.
Council members said confusion arises over the difference between Blackjack Road, which intersects Newark Road, runs west and then veers to the south, and Blackjack Road extension, which runs east and west and intersects with Granville Road.
Councilman Bruce Hawkins suggested renaming the roadways, so that Blackjack Road would be that portion of roadway that runs from Newark Road to Granville Road; Industrial Park Drive would include the portion of Blackjack Road that runs north and south.
Council also adopted a resolution authorizing Glass to advertise for bids and enter into a contract for Curtis Street brick pavement improvement project. The portion of the street between Mansfield Avenue and North Mulberry Street, which has been tagged by the administration as being in the worst condition of any brick street in the city, will be completly rebuilt.
Fair said the rebuild would be similar to a rebuild of McKenzie Street, and includes replacing curbs and gutters.
Council adopted a resolution allowing Glass to enter into a contract for the design of a roadway that would link Coshocton Avenue and Yauger Road. The roadway will run along the western sides of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on Coshocton Avenue and Ohio Heritage Bank on Yauger Road.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis said bank officials have given support for the project. Lowe’s officials have expressed support for the project, he said, but he has met with difficulties in his attempts to obtain a formal approval from the company.
Glass said he will not formally enter into the design phase until Lowe’s gives final approval.
Council President John Booth said the new roadway, which the administration hopes to begin building later this year, will be a real asset for the Coshocton Avenue area.
In other business, Council:
•Adopted legislation authorizing Glass to enter into contract for engineering services for future improvements to the city’s plaza building on Gay Street, the home of the Mount Vernon Police Department and Municipal Court. Glass said a recent assessment of the building found that it was structurally sound but needs major rehabilitation, including a rehab of the building’s parapets and two of its parking garages. He said the rehab project will cost somewhere around $700,000; a new building could cost up to $10 million. The rehab would allow the building to last for another 10 to 15 years, according to Glass.
•Adopted a resolution allowing the administration to apply for Community Housing Improvement Program funds in 2008 for the Pleasant Street and Sychar Road area. The mayor said the applications will be for about $500,000 for home repair, the construction of a Habitat for Humanity house on Sychar Road, rental rehab and rehab projects for owner-occupied homes. The legislation also allows the administration to apply for a neighborhood revitalization grant in the amount of about $300,000 for that can be used for improvements projects in the same area. Both applications must propose to help low- and moderate-income areas of the city. The mayor said he will not know until October whether the city will receive the money.
•Adopted an ordinance authorizing Glass to advertise for bids for a new traffic signal at the intersection of Blackjack Road and Newark Road, which is expected to be installed later this year. Fair praised the legislation, adding that he considers the intersection to be dangerous.
•Adopted an ordinance authorizing Glass to make any and all temporary repairs to Gay Street, between Howard Street and Chestnut Street, before that portion of roadway is converted from brick to asphalt later this year. Fair voiced his opposition to the project, adding that he won’t support spending any money to repair a street that is going to be torn up and paved over with asphalt. He voiced his opposition to the conversion project and cast the lone vote against the legislation allowing for temporary improvements.
•Adopted a resolution authorizing City Auditor Terry Scott to make a supplemental appropriation into the insurance trust account in the amount of $28,200, into the TIF-Construction account for future improvements in the Industrial Park for $17,300 and into the County Auditor Deductions account in the amount of $352.
•Adopted a resolution authorizing Glass to sell a 1991 Ford Type III emergency squad.
•Adopted a resolution authorizing Scott to pay Claredon National Insurance Co. $896 for legal services rendered in 2007.
•Adopted a resolution authorizing Scott to transfer $1,400 into the Cemetery Equipment account for data processing equipment for the Cemetery Department.
•Gave a first reading to five ordinances that would increase the salary of city department heads, who are not members of collective bargaining units, by 3 percent.
•Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters and topic involving land acquisition. No further action was taken.
