MOUNT VERNON — Police Chief Mike Merrilees updated City Council as to the effectiveness of enforcing the two-hour parking limit in the downtown Central Business District when council met Monday night.
According to Merrilees, some areas are not well marked in terms of the two-hour limit; tickets are not written in those areas. The city plans to better mark those areas. He also said no enforcement is being done in front of the Post Office.
Merrilees said that parking meter attendant Chuck Christopher has been on the job since Aug. 11. During that time, 196 parking tickets have been issued, 64 of which are still outstanding. The city has taken in around $2,000; payroll expenses for Christopher are around $2,687, leaving about a $700 deficit.
“I do see that narrowing with the increased signage, and the more areas we will be enforcing tickets,” said Merrilees. “I don’t know that it will ever be a big moneymaker, but I do see that narrowing.”
Merrilees said Christopher’s duties could be expanded to include helping with mailing of notices to those who have unpaid tickets. Preparation of the actual mailing would be done by Merrilees.
Merrilees said his department has had some complaints about the two-hour limit, but also said there are some people who have legitimate reasons for parking in one spot longer than two hours. He cited poll workers and members of one church as examples. He also said the department is flexible in working with individuals who have been ticketed, if they give a valid reason.
A brief discussion was held about the possibility of extending the time frame to three hours, and also whether the time restrictions would be lifted during the holiday shopping season.
Councilman Burt Hanson was concerned that if the time limit were raised to three hours, that would decrease revenue, and the city was already working with a deficit on the issue. Lynne Ricard of the Heritage Centre Association said the downtown merchants feel the two-hour limit has been helpful. She said the time limit could possibly be extended to three hours during the holiday season, but was not in favor of lifting the restriction completely.
Councilmen Mike Hillier and Chuck Dice are in favor of keeping Christopher in the CBD area. Hillier said the city has budgeted for the position; Dice said he’s encouraged by the figures he heard.
“I would like to see it given a little more time,” said Dice
Steve Waers of the Area Development Foundation told council of a joint marketing effort between Knox and Coshocton counties. Two marketing points in favor of Knox County which were highlighted are the excess water capacity, especially in the city, and the availability of the Loma Linda building.
He showed council three promotional items which were mailed to 450 businesses nationwide: a puzzle, a water bottle and a box shaped like a suitcase, with a water bottle and brochure inside. Out of the 450, he said eight good feedbacks were received from companies interested in looking at Ohio, although he did say those companies were not ready to expand or relocate right now.
In other business, council:
•Waived the required three readings and passed as an emergency an ordinance which would allow Safety-Service Director Dave Glass to advertise for bids for the purchase of three new police cruisers.
•Waived the three readings and authorized Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis to submit an application for an assessment grant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to Mavis, the $400,000 grant does not require any matching funds. The money will be used to assess the American National Can site, and any other site identified by the city as needing cleaned up. “Once we get the assessment made, we can go to Clean Ohio to get money to clean up the site,” he said.
•Authorized the city auditor to pay bills and transfer funds.
•Gave a second reading to the rezoning of Chester Park to public, semi-public, and to the rezoning of 5 Coshocton Ave. to neighborhood commercial.
•Gave a second reading to establishing a collection service fee for unpaid utility, property maintenance and hazardous waste bills, as well as delinquent municipal income taxes.
•Gave a first reading to legislation granting Licking Rural Electrification the right to operate in the areas of the city over which LRE has jurisdiction. Currently the only area is the new Sanoh site on Blackjack Road.
In closing remarks, council members thanked all veterans who have served their country, and encouraged community members to be generous with donating items for local food pantries, as well as donating their time to staff the new homeless shelter being planned.
