MOUNT VERNON — On Monday morning, the Knox County Board of Commissioners met with Rob Clendening of the Knox Soil & Water Conservation District. Clendening reported on two places along the Heart of Ohio Trail where erosion is threatening the foundation on which the trail will be built.

According to Clendening, one of the places where erosion will be a problem in the near future is near Mount Liberty; the second location is on the south side of Mount Vernon. Clendening said that Brian Ball of the Army Corps of Engineers had inspected the two locations, and given him suggestions and estimates for permanent solutions to the erosion problems.

Ball suggested the use of a stone buttress at the base of the two embankments, according to Clendening. The buttresses are basically wedges made of stone that would support the base of the earthen embankments. At the location outside of Mount Liberty, the buttresses would be supplemented by covering the embankment with stone as well. However, the extra material required near Mount Liberty would also be more expensive, said Clendening.

Ball gave Clendening an initial estimate of $120,000 for 120 feet of work along the Mount Liberty trail embankment, and a $240,000 estimate for 600 feet of work at the Mount Vernon location. Clendening also said Ball was using federal prevailing wage rates for his estimates, and that costs might be lower if local suppliers and contractors were used.

Clendening suggested that a possible solution at the location south of Mount Vernon would be to move the trail as far as possible from the area affected by erosion. He said it might be possible to buy or lease extra land at that location in order to divert the path away from the problematic area. Clendening acknowledged he was not reporting the best news, suggested the commissioners take some time to think over the matter.

Clendening also reported that the leech pond at the Knox County landfill has been emptied and the contents spread on the landfill grounds. He noted that a new aeration pump will be needed at the landfill, and said he would get quotes for one in the near future.

The meeting was also attended by Jarrod Hittle, urban conservation specialist with the KSWCD, who was recently hired.

Also on Monday morning, the commissioners opened bids on the renovation of what will be known as the Child Advocacy Center, which will be located next to the Memorial Theatre on East High Street. The commissioners received 11 bids for general contracting, electrical work, plumbing, heating and cooling and combination bids. The lowest of the combined bids was from Claggett and Sons of Newark; it bid $294,000 for all aspects of the project. Roger Shooter, director of the Department of Jobs & Family Services, said he hopes a bid will be chosen by the end of the week in order to get the project moving.

The commissioners finished their morning schedule with a brief meeting with Shooter, who distributed the latest statewide unemployment figures. The statistics showed that Knox County’s unemployment rate had risen from 5.2 percent in April to 5.4 percent in May. For last month, the unemployment rate in Knox County was higher than the nationwide average of 5.2 percent, yet lower than the statewide average of 6.3 percent.