MOUNT VERNON — On Monday, City Council gave a first reading to legislation funding another traffic study for the Edgewood Road corridor. The city plans to contract with Carpenter Marty Transportation for engineering services and the traffic study, which will include origin and destination information.
City Engineer Brian Ball estimates the cost for the study will range between $30,000 and $50,000. In a Streets and Public Buildings Committee meeting prior to the legislative session, Councilwoman Nancy Vail objected to conducting yet another study, saying that it seems like “every time we turn around we’re doing another study,” but nothing ever gets done.
Chestnut Street resident Dennis Swingle, who has spoken to council before about Edgewood Road traffic problems, showed council copies of engineering studies done in 1979, 1990 and 2005. The studies included suggestions to reroute traffic onto alternate routes; those routes are now blocked by housing developments.
Ball said the consultants will collect fresh information and solicit comments and suggestions at a public meeting in March, and then come up with solutions. Councilman Sam Barone said he could not imagine proceeding too far into the project without a current study and current valid options.
In the committee meeting, council also discussed second-floor renovations in the Plaza Building at 5 N. Gay St. and street projects. Council later voted to approve safety upgrades and create new space for the law director’s office and victims advocate; some of those changes are mandated in order to uphold conditions associated with grant money. Higgins Construction will do the work at a cost of around $32,000.
Council also approved a $47,000 contract with United Aggregates to repair 53 catch basins on Coshocton Avenue/U.S. Route 36. The money will come from the Coshocton Avenue TIF District fund. Ball said the work needs to be completed before the Ohio Department of Transportation begins paving U.S. 36. City crews will repair seven catch basins on High Street.
Legislation dealing with street resurfacing received a first reading. Ball said $200,000 has been budgeted; he would like to pave South Main Street from Public Square to the river and possibly North Mulberry Street. He said there is a lot of uncertainty because he’s not received final numbers from ODOT for the city’s share of U.S. 36 paving and the unknown financial effect of Siemens closing.
Finance and Budget Committee
Superintendents Dave Carpenter, parks and cemeteries, and Tom Hinkle, streets, spoke about equipment needed for their respective departments. Council voted to sell several pieces of outdated equipment and put that money toward purchase of new equipment:
Parks:
- New pick-up truck to replace a 2001 model
- Tractor with mower to replace an 11-year-old model
Cemetery:
- Tractor with loader
Streets:
- Two one-ton pick-up trucks to replace a 1998 1/2-ton pick-up and a 2003 pick-up. The truck replacing the 2003 pick-up will upgrade to diesel, which allows crews to discontinue carrying a generator, and have a utility bed and cap that will hold tools and carry more payload.
- Asphalt buggy to replace a 1990 model. The new buggy will upgrade from propane to diesel and include a lift for dumping rather than requiring crews to shovel out the asphalt.
Executive Session
Council went into executive session to discuss collective bargaining matters and the compensation of personnel in the probation department. It then added and passed two ordinances relating to the executive session.
Council approved a new probation officer position at a rate of $19 per hour. A Justice Reinvestment Incentive Grant (JRIG) will fund the position; if funding runs out, the position will be discontinued.
Council also approved compensation of $21.74 and $22.83 per hour for probation officer No. 1 and PO No. 2, respectively, a 1.5 percent and 1 percent increase. The MERIT Drug Court coordinator will receive $22.74 per hour and the administrative assistant/deputy clerk will receive $19.25 per hour.
Planning and Zoning Committee
Lacie Blankenhorn, development services manager, reviewed proposed changes to city code for address numbering and signage. Some changes were to remove repetitiveness and to correct grammar/punctuation. Highlights include:
- The Knox County Tax Map Department will assign all new address numbers within the city.
- All buildings or properties must display an address either on the building or on a sign.
- Changeable copy and message center signs can be approved by the code enforcement officer rather than the Board of Zoning Appeals; they are allowed only in GB, M-1, M-1A and P-1 where not prohibited by deed restrictions or covenants.
- Sign size moves from a set size for all to sizing based on setback, square footage, road frontage, number of tenants and other parameters.
- Ground signs will require landscaping around them.
Councilman Jeff Gottke requested the zoning committee consult with merchants and/or Main Street Mount Vernon to see if they have any wants or needs regarding signage in the downtown area.
In other business, council:
- Approved the appointment of Susie Simpson and Don Carr as member and alternate member, respectively, of the Board of Zoning Appeals
- Approved the appointment of Sam Filkins to the Board of Property Maintenance Appeals
- Approved payment of bills, transfer of funds and a supplemental appropriation of $3,535.78 grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety for EMS equipment
