MOUNT VERNON — As warm weather comes to Ohio, city employees are starting to look at some outside projects.
Street sweeping, bleachers at the ball fields and pedestrian crossing signs are some of the items the city is considering or have done already, according to Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis.
City workers have been busy cleaning the catch basins along several streets. The pea gravel the city uses as a mix with salt for its icy roads gets stuck in the catch basins, and the city spends a good amount of time cleaning them out in the spring. Also, next Saturday, city crews, along with several students involved with the Juvenile Court detention program, will begin sweeping the sidewalk and street on Coshocton Avenue.
City employees have also been replacing the bleachers at Dan Emmett park ball field with new aluminum ones that will seat up to 90 people.
There are new flashing lights installed at crosswalks on East High and North Sandusky streets. These lights will be solar powered once the solar panels are installed.
Mavis reported the city has opened bids on a maintainer the city is looking to buy. Two bids were just under $100,000 for the machine that will help the city grade graveled alleys. Dave Carpenter, city street department director, is evaluating the bids and the city hopes to award them in the next week. City Council appropriated $90,000 in its 2009 budget for the purchase of the machine; the rest will come from the street department budget.
The city is also awaiting the arrival of a new grass fire truck for the city’s fire department. The extended cab truck will include a slide-in pump/tank.
In other news, Mavis reported a meeting he and Phil Samuell had with the owner of the old PPG property went well. The duo discussed the city’s long-range plan to connect the Heart of Ohio Trail with the Kokosing Gap Trail near Foundation Park and some of property would be affected by the project.
Mavis also said he will be contacting Time Warner Cable about the issue with the company not broadcasting last Monday’s council meeting. He would like to verify whether that will be temporary or a long-term issue.
