MOUNT VERNON — Two items in the downtown area were discussed at Monday’s Mount Vernon City Council meeting.

First, council agreed to a plan to expand the Veterans Walk of Honor on Public Square.

City Recreation Officer Geoff Oliver presented his plan for the expansion of the walk because the city is close to filling the current area with bricks devoted to area veterans. Oliver said there are 45 bricks still available to be engraved with a veteran’s name, out of the 2,600 bricks in the current design.

His plan would include two additional sections on the northeast corner of the current display and would add a little more than 1,000 bricks. There are water and electrical lines under the square that would have to be replaced with any expansion, but Oliver said his idea would keep the city from needing to move or replace any trees.

Oliver estimated the cost to be about $5,500 for the project; the money would be taken from a perpetual care fund that was set up when the original design was created. Individuals pay $50 for a brick to be engraved with a veteran’s name, and part of that money is set aside for the future care of the walk. There is approximately $70,000 in the fund.

Oliver said the expansion should be able to handle requests for another 25 to 30 years. The city would purchase the 1,000-plus bricks, giving about 100 to Ralston Memorial so they would be ready to be engraved.

Council agreed to the request and asked Oliver to contract out the work for both phases as soon as possible.

Second, council entered into an agreement with the Mount Vernon Parking Co. on a parking lot owned by the city on the northwest corner of Mulberry and Vine streets.

The agreement will allow the parking company to operate and maintain the parking lot. After the city seals and stripes the lot this spring, the parking company will take over any maintenance and monitoring of the lot. It will create 10 paid parking spots on the east side of the lot as rental spaces, and have 10 spaces with a three-hour parking limit for customers in the downtown area.

The parking company will take over the operation of the lot effective March 1. It will soon erect signs in the lot with the new rules. Those interested in paying for a rented space can contact the parking company.

In other news, council:

•Honored Dale Tier and Sara Pifer with proclamations for their years of service to the city on the Mount Vernon Parking Co. Tier has been a volunteer member of the company for 25 years, including 11 as president; Pifer has been a member and secretary for 22 years.

•Passed a resolution confirming the mayor’s appointment of James William “Bill” Alley to the Zoning Board of Appeals, replacing Stephen Carpenter.

•Passed a resolution confirming the mayor’s appointment of George Curry as the citizen member to the taxicab board for a three-year term.

•Passed a resolution for the safety-service director to advertise for bids and enter into a three-year contract for janitorial services for City Hall, the plaza building, the fire station and the tax office.

•Passed a resolution authorizing the safety-service director to enter into contract with Malcolm Pirnie Inc. for design services for the septage receiving station at the wastewater treatment plant.

Upgrades at the water treatment plant are needed to help with the fats, oil and greases management program. The addition of the septage receiving station will allow the city to address loading spikes, store the septage for testing prior to treatment, and remove rocks, trash and debris from entering the wastewater treatment plant process streams.

The complete upgrade will cost $11.9 million. The city will be able to use a funding option from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that will pay for the $1.5 million septage receiving station from the interest expected to be paid for the total project.

The design of the septage receiving station will cost $138,000.

•Authorized the auditor to pay four bills for services provided in 2009.