By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com reporter
MOUNT VERNON — City Council moved quickly through its legislative agenda Monday, waiving the required three readings and passing resolutions providing for enhancements to Ariel-Foundation Park and the downtown bike connector trail, and approving an annexation agreement with Pleasant Township and a contract with the Public Defender Commission.
A $100,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will fund improvements to the Harcourt Road entrance to Ariel-Foundation Park. Improvements include 100 feet of brick road at the entrance; the rest of the road extending to the drainage area will be tilled, materials added, and then repacked. The road will also be widened to 18 to 20 feet to accommodate two cars.
Bids for connecting the Kokosing Gap Trail in Memorial Park to a terminus at South Gay Street and South Main Street will go out in March. Work includes converting the railroad bridge to a pedestrian bridge and rebuilding the small trestle across Dry Creek. Converting the railroad bridge will also enhance the safety of students taking that route to school. Funding sources are $81,709 from the capital improvement fund, $24,650 left from the bowstring truss bridge project and $36,000 from the Knox County Park District. It is anticipated the project will be completed by fall.
The agreement with Pleasant Township enables a lot currently straddling the city-county line to be annexed into the city. Plans call for a house to be built on a 0.376-acre parcel situated east and north of the Keith and Deanna Badger residence on Ohio 229 east. The two residences will share and maintain a private driveway.
The Public Defender Commission contract calls for the city to pay $45,000 for legal counsel for indigent violators charged under city code, an increase of $23,000 compared to the last three years. The POC requested $50,000; the city made a counter offer of $40,000 and the two parties ultimately settled on $45,000. Council already appropriated $22,000 in the 2015 budget; City Auditor Terry Scott will review the budget and make a recommendation from which accounts the remaining $23,000 will be taken.
Council discussed all four resolutions in committee meetings held prior to the 7:30 p.m. legislative session. Council also discussed proposed utility work on Pleasant Street between Main and Mulberry streets. Council has to decide whether to combine the utility work with brick street paving at a cost of $326,374. Funds for the utility work come from the city’s utility funds; money for the brick paving will come from the street resurfacing budget. The 2015 budget allocates $419,000 for street resurfacing. If council elects to replace the bricks since the road will already be torn up for the utility work, it will leave around $200,000 for resurfacing.
Council gave a second reading to the resolution authorizing the safety-service director to enter into bids for the 2015 resurfacing project. Another committee meeting will be held prior to the Feb. 23 council session.
