MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council’s meeting on Monday was relatively short but covered a variety of topics, including late bill payment.
Newly appointed City Auditor Paul Mayville presented a fund transfer of $11,000 and $13,566.50 of Then and Now bill payments for the council’s approval.
Mayville said Clark Schaefer Hackett contacted him about the firm’s annual audit of the auditor’s office. During the audit, he learned the city had five unpaid invoices totaling nearly $11,000 dating from May through September.
However, the line account did not have enough to pay the invoices, so Mayville requested the fund transfer.
This is the first year the city contracted with CSH for the audit. The firm Wilson Shannon and Snow conducted the audits for more than 10 years.
“We were under that auditing firm when significant theft occurred out of the court,” Law Director Rob Broeren said. “I and other members of the administration did not feel that was acceptable [to continue with the firm].”
Safety-service Director Tanner Salyers said the city notified the State Auditor’s Office the city continued using the same firm.
“They were shocked it was still happening as well,” he said. “It’s standard practice when there’s theft in office that you change the auditing firm. We did not do that. I don’t know why.”
Mayville noted that through the mandated reporting process, the State Auditor’s Office would also have known the city did not change its audit firm.
CSH’s contract is for $33,596. After paying the five invoices and completing the audit, the city will still owe $10,001.96. Mayville will return to the council at that time and request another fund transfer.
He expects CSH to finish the audit in the next few days.
Then and Now payments
Mayville asked council’s approval for three additional late bill payments totaling $13,566.50.
The one to Target Solution Learning LLC for $4,778.28 was for a system the city no longer uses. However, Salyers said the city could not get out of the contract.
The other two (to Google LLC for $4,388.22 and the Knox County Board of Commissioners for $4,400) had insufficient money in the line accounts. The council previously approved fund transfers and, on Monday, authorized paying the bills.
American Heritage Park
A resolution renaming the area around the CA&C Depot American Heritage Park was up for a second reading. Council members suspended the rules and took it to its final reading, passing the resolution unanimously.
Olivia Toth, marketing manager for the Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau, spoke to the council during a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting. She noted the CVB is charged with promoting and publicizing Knox County and Mount Vernon.
The CVB is located in the CA&C Depot.
“One of our biggest roadblocks or challenges we see sitting in that building is that people don’t often know what is in that building or what is offered from the city and from our staff as being a resource center as being that first window and welcome center to the city and the county,” she said. “So that’s just something we wanted to start talking about.”
Regarding American Heritage Park, she said, “It’s so much more than just a park.”
“It really is this impact of what it means to enter Mount Vernon and what the opportunities are.
“Like the actual Statue of Liberty, our Statue of Liberty is really that shining beacon of opportunity, but it ties into our rich history, our influence on our industry locally, and our dedication to service,” she said.
Toth presented ideas for rack cards, staff buttons, signage, and other ways to promote Liberty Plaza and American Heritage Park as more than just a park.
The city will dedicate the Statue of Liberty on Monday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m.
Legislative action
In addition to passing the park and financial resolutions, council members took the following actions:
•Gave a first reading to legislation authorizing the safety-service director to release a Request for Qualifications and identify and contract with a firm to oversee construction of the police station and courthouse
•Waived the three readings and adopted legislation to dispose of police department vehicles and reappoint William Smith to the Board of Zoning Appeals
•Gave a second reading to an ordinance setting compensation pay grades for supervisory and professional personnel
•Heard the first reading of an ordinance fixing the number of personnel in the police department
•After discussing it in executive session, waived the required three readings in regular session and adopted an agreement with the Bargaining Unit Employees of the City of Mount Vernon, Dan Emmett Chapter of/and the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Local 11/American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.
The agreement is retroactive to July 1. The employees received a base adjustment similar to other employees and a 5% wage increase each of the next three years. The agreement requires crew leaders to attain specific certifications. Other employees can move to a higher rate if they attain certifications.
Miscellaneous
SSD Salyers reported there will be no fall cleanup day.
He also reported that the city will launch its new website on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Residents can still access previous information, but Salyers said the new site is more accessible and fresh.
The goal is to limit users’ clicks to three as they search for information.
Council members also heard an update from Area Development Foundation President Jeff Gottke on the Knox County Comprehensive Plan.
