MOUNT VERNON — Two residents decided to give city leaders a piece of their mind at Monday’s City Council meeting.
One came to demand action against a nuisance property; the other came to protest notification that she had to get rid of the trailer in front of her house.
Terri Leighty of 405 N. Mulberry St. spoke to council, asking she be allowed to keep her trailer in front of her residence. She said she recently received notification from the city code enforcement officer notifying her the city’s codified ordinances require such campers to be kept either at the rear of a residence or in an enclosed building, such as a garage. She said she has lived at that location for 30 years; the trailer has been parked in front of her home, on a concrete pad, for about five years.
“We keep our property maintained in a mostly lower-income rental neighborhood,” Leighty said.
She said the trailer does not impede traffic; no one lives in it, and none of her neighbors object to its being there.
“It is a top-of-the line camper and by no means an eyesore,” Leighty said.
She said she agrees with the need to make property owners take responsibility for maintaining their properties, but feels the city should concede on this matter and allow her to keep the trailer on the property.
Councilman Chuck Dice suggested council consider revising the ordinance that sets the rules on trailers, to keep the issue of trailers from getting out of hand, while at the same time, address the concerns of responsible trailer owners, as well as other city residents in a similar situation.
Councilman John Fair said it is possible for Leighty to seek a variance to allow her to keep the trailer in its current location; this could eliminate the need to change the entire ordinance.
Liz Walls of 5 North Gate Drive spoke before council and complained about the condition of 160 Mansfield Ave., a house damaged in a fire about five years ago which she said has become an eyesore and cause of concern among many of the neighbors. She said the property is mowed only occasionally, usually after someone complains about it. After that, she said, it falls back into its former, unmaintained state.
lls said she has heard this explanation for the last five years, and doesn’t think neighbors should have to suffer because of problems with the bank.
Hillier said he appreciates Walls and Leighty coming to council to voice their concerns, and urged concerned residents, including Walls, to attend the city’s Dilapidated Building Commission meeting, which is held the first Tuesday of every month at 8:30 a.m.
Another property was also discussed. Councilman John Fair said he visited the old middle school on Mulberry Street and found what he considers to be several violations of the city’s code as it relates to dilapidated buildings and maintenance of private property. He said he spoke to a neighbor on Monday, who told him juveniles trespass on the property all of the time.
Fair said he noticed several areas where there were gaps or openings that were either exposed to the elements or large enough for animals to get into, which could pose a potential threat to the health and well-being of the surrounding community, and, therefore, violate the ordinance in question. He said many of the windows are boarded up with particle board, which degrades rather quickly and, unlike plywood, can be easily torn off.
City Law Director Bill Smith agreed to meet with Fair in the near future to review the ordinance that sets the rules for dilapidated buildings and property maintenance, to see what possible action could be taken. Fair said he hopes to seek a final resolution to a problem that has stretched on for years.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis said he supports forcing the owner to comply with the terms of the ordinance, but hesitates toward taking action that would require the city to have to pay to tear down the building. Preliminary demolition estimates are around $750,000.
After the meeting, Mavis said he and Safety-Service Director Dave Glass will meet on Tuesday and arrange a thorough inspection, adding that the owner will be promptly notified of any parts of the building found to be in violation of the city’s codified ordinances.
In other business, council:
•Adopted a resolution that gives council’s support behind efforts to urge the National Credit Union Administration, the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of Thrifty Supervision to adopt reforms to combat abusing lending practices by the credit card industry. Councilman D. Derk Demarree said the reforms seek to prevent the way some credit card companies make major increases to the interest rates of its customers, changing a clause that allows for significant penalities, including the doubling of interest rates, and various other provisions. He said credit card holders have enough problems paying on their balances without having to pay extra fees, adding that the problem even affects citizens in a law-abiding community such as Mount Vernon.
•Adopted a resolution that allows the city to take preliminary steps in a project that will widen Coshocton Avenue, from Center Run bridge to Shalimar Drive, and bring about several traffic safety improvements along Coshocton Avenue’s commercial area.
•Adopted a resolution to authorize City Auditor Terry Scott to pay $3,406 to Embarq for annual maintenance on the city’s telephone system. A second resolution allows Scott to appropriate $6,000 for the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display and $2,243 from the Walter & Jane Rudin-Downtown Beautification Fund. A third resolution allows Scott to transfer $85,000 to help pay for the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Newark Road and Blackjack Road, and $102,960 to help secure funding for the purchase of 205 W. Ohio Ave., known as the old Connell’s building. The closing on the building is expected to take place Monday.
•Adopted an ordinance changing the zoning of 403 Newark Road from its current residential (R-1) status to an office institutional (O-I) designation. The legislation will allow the owner, John Lambert of Ameriprise Financial, to move from his current location on South Main Street and operate his business out of the Newark Road address.
•Adopted an ordinance to change the zoning of 210 N. Sandusky St. from its current manufacturing classification (M-1) to a neighborhood commercial district (NCD) designation. According to the request, the owner, Kokosing Valley Development, owns the 70-by-100-foot strip of ground, which lies immediately across from Rolls-Royce Energy Systems and adjacent to the north of the Rolls-Royce parking lot.
The property is the remaining portion of ground that is part of the Westcliff Condominiums. Since the original development of the condominiums, the city changed its zoning code, and the properties’ zoning classification, M-1, became a restrictied district that did not allow for commercial or residential uses. These restrictions make it difficult to put the property to any reasonable use.
The request also states it would be possible to place a building on the property and have adequate parking to serve the building.
•Adopted an ordinance to temporarily authorize a fifth water plant operator for the period between July 1 through Aug. 9.
•Adopted an ordinance to set towing and storage fees, in keeping with state law, for the city’s new impound lot on Greenwood Avenue.
•In addition, Police Chief Mike Merrilees reported there will be a new parking attendant on board by next week to monitor the downtown area and ticket motorists who violate the two-hour parking limit.
