MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council gave the first reading Monday night to an ordinance rezoning 38 acres at 17795 Coshocton Road.
The current zoning is mixed-use: single-family residential (R1), general business, and planned neighborhood development (PND).
Rockford Construction requested a zoning change to R3, which paves the way for constructing The Retreat at Mount Vernon, a 496-unit multi-family apartment complex.
The 38 acres are part of an 84-acre parcel fronting on Coshocton and Upper Gilchrist roads. The city annexed the 84 acres in 2014.
The Mount Vernon Planning Commission approved Rockford’s rezoning request at its March 10 meeting.
Corey Theuerkauf, vice president of land for Rockford, told council the complex would have two entrances on Upper Gilchrist Road and one on Coshocton Road. The Coshocton Road entrance will be right-in, right-out only.
Theuerkauf and Rockford CEO Bob Yoakam reviewed the preliminary plans they shared at the planning commission. Plans call for four phases, with potential construction starting in 2023.
Yoakam said the complex would generate approximately $347,000 in annual city income tax (assuming a 50-50 mix of residents working in the city vs. outside the city), $295,000 in yearly utilities, and $204,000 in tap fees.
Council will give the ordinance a second reading at its April 11 meeting and hold a public hearing at its April 25 meeting.
Council members gave a second reading to an ordinance creating the position of project manager in the engineering department at an annual salary of $52,000.
“With developers coming in, we are getting a lot of public record requests. It’s very difficult to get to,” Mayor Matt Starr told council. “We want to get council’s view before getting the engineering department involved in the organizational structure.”
Starr listed several areas of responsibility the project manager would assume:
•Records retention and retrieval
•Contract management, removing this responsibility from the development services manager
•Sediment erosion control for all projects within the city (including ensuring no sediment leaks onto sidewalks or roads)
•Facilities planning, including vehicle maintenance and five-year plan updates
•Managing the public outreach/education activities required for the city’s MS4 stormwater program
Starr said the project manager would also be responsible for reporting and scheduling, including quarterly reports to council.
“Ultimately, it’s getting good information to council for you to be able to make informed decisions,” he said.
Council did not appropriate money for the position in the 2022 budget. The project manager would start July 1, which means a $26,000 cost this year.
Auditor Terry Scott said the city would fund the position through savings in the contracted services account, stormwater funds, and $13,845 saved because the assistant city engineer position did not start on Jan. 1.
In other business council took the following actions:
•Approved leasing the former Duke’s Quick Lube building at 311 S. Mulberry St. to Specialty Outdoor Services for $800 a month. SOS will pay utility bills and property taxes.
•Postponed indefinitely a resolution adopting rules of conduct for council meetings with the request that new legislation be written specifically clarifying rules for public participation and invited presentations
•Approved compensation rates for part-time firefighter/EMTs ($13-$15/hour depending on certification level) and time-and-a-half for the holidays New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day
•Approved increases in hourly compensation for seasonal employees in the parks, streets, cemetery, and water/wastewater departments, and at Hiawatha Water Park
•Authorized participation in a cooperative salt purchase program
•Approved the appointment of Ahmad Takrouri as the city’s citizen member to the Knox County Regional Planning Commission
•Gave second readings to two ordinances annexing 14.038 acres on the west end into the city from Clinton Township
•Gave the first reading to legislation updating the city’s codified ordinances
In an Employee & Community Relations Committee meeting, council members discussed whether to have a police presence at their meetings.
“In this day and age, I think we need to have safety and security here while we meet for council meetings,” Councilman Mel Severns said.
Years back, council had an officer present but discontinued the practice.
“When we thought there was going to be an issue, we asked for an officer, and they had an officer who was on duty come in,” Councilman Mike Hillier said. “Can that still work?”
Police Chief Robert Morgan previously attended meetings but is no longer doing so. The cost for an officer is $90 minimum.
Councilman John Francis asked the administration to research the possibility of installing panic buttons and other security measures in council chambers.
