MOUNT VERNON — Public participation spanned nearly 30 minutes of Mount Vernon City Council’s meeting on Monday. Topics ranged from property maintenance to the west-end levee to recycling.
Upland Terrace residents Don Carr and Jeff Doup spoke about an unmowed vacant parcel on Vernonview Drive between Upland Terrace and Woodside Drive.
Joshua Williams owns the 40-acre parcel under the name Arista Villas Mount Vernon LLC. Williams previously proposed rezoning the parcel to accommodate a 232-unit townhome community.
The Municipal Planning Commission denied the request in May.
City code requires a grass height of 8 inches or less. Area residents contacted the city’s property enforcement officer in June.
“It has become a nuisance, with residents reporting an increase in critters overrunning the neighboring property. There are reports of a growing number of raccoons, skunks, and groundhogs invading adjacent properties,” Carr said.
“The property is not only an eyesore to the neighborhood and community, but it’s being seen as a possible safety and health hazard.”
Carr said one neighbor reports an increase in severe allergies; he and two others contracted Lyme disease. Acknowledging there was no way to state for sure the unmowed parcel caused these conditions, he said it was an “incredible coincidence.”
Referencing Williams’ previous and potential plans to develop the parcel, Doup said, “[Josh] has been notified and it’s not been done. … If we can’t trust him with small things, how can you trust him with whatever he wants to do there?”
“I feel like we need to get it mowed in the next two weeks. People potentially are getting sick,” Councilman Mel Severns said.
The city has the authority to mow the parcel and assess the cost to the parcel’s property taxes. Law Director Rob Broeren will talk with Safety-service Director Rick Dzik.
Levee
Following up on comments from council’s July 23 meeting, Tonja Kent questioned whether the city was being penalized for the decertification of the west-end levee.
Noting one of a city’s priorities is the safety of its residents, Kent said, “The mayor agreed that half of the city is in danger. It makes our evacuation process even shorter.”
Kent asked council to imagine the millions of dollars the city could have received since 2016 when it first learned the levee was decertified.
“Why isn’t there repercussions or accountability for this?” she asked.
Citing several available FEMA grants, Kent said she did not understand why the city has not utilized the grants.
“There’s no match,” Law Director Rob Broeren replied. “All of those grants require significant dollars in match, and the city did not have that money.”
“I feel like we’ve got to figure out a first step dealing with this levee,” Councilman Severns said. “We’ve got to start somewhere. I don’t know the questions to even ask.
“But I hear you,” he told Kent. “… Somewhere, somehow we’ve got to take a first bite and a first step in the levee issue.”
“I wish I had a solution. I feel the pain … and I don’t know how to solve it,” Councilwoman Janis Seavolt agreed.
Councilman Mike Hillier noted city officials previously said the first step is to survey the levee in the fall.
“If they’re doing anything else, they haven’t told us,” he said.
“I know they talked about doing a survey when the leaves fell off in the fall, but I think it would be a good idea to at least promote the next step after that — what will that survey tell us. I think that would answer a lot of public questions,” Council member Tammy Woods said.
NCA
Council members waived the required three readings and passed a resolution appointing four members to the NCA (New Community Authority) Board. Citizen members are:
•Jason Hall, Modern Builders
•Tony DeIuliis, resident interested in serving
•Erin Daniels, math department chair at Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Council members appointed Jeff Gottke, president of the Area Development Foundation, as council’s representative.
The board includes three representatives appointed by the mayor. Mayor Matt Starr’s appointments are the safety-service director, city engineer, and himself.
Council also gave a second reading to an ordinance accepting the NCA petition.
Legislative action
In other legislative action, council members approved supplemental appropriations, which include $116,000 and $160,000 in Ohio Department Safety-Ohio EMA RAPA first responder incentives to the police and fire departments, respectively. The money will be given to eligible first responders.
Appropriations also included $50,000 from the Ariel Foundation to help underwrite the cost of Hiawatha Water Park and a $50,224 ODOT reimbursement for contract engineering.
In other action, council:
•Gave a second reading to a resolution approving the comprehensive development plan for 301 and 303 N. Norton St.
•Approved selling an impounded vehicle after waiving the three readings
•Waived the three readings and transferred funds, including $60,000 to sludge removal
•Waived the three readings and adopted an ordinance amending the duties of the municipal planning commission to include reviewing and making recommendations to council on petitions to vacate alleys or streets
•Gave the first reading to an ordinance creating positions for three human resources interns at a rate of $12 per hour
Miscellaneous
The lower two levels of the city parking garage will be striped this weekend. No parking will be enforced on Thursday and Friday.
The city received a clean audit for 2022. The audit revealed no findings and no comments.
The city sent out letters to residents in neighborhoods with noncompliant stormwater retention ponds. Councilman Hillier suggested the city hold community meetings with the residents to answer questions and explain the process.
Rumpke officials explained the company’s rates and how a billing mixup occurred.
