MOUNT VERNON — City Council members adopted an ordinance on second reading that adds a fourth legal assistant position to the law director’s office.
Council budgeted for the positions covering the fourth quarter of 2024 and fully appropriated them for 2025.
Law Director Rob Broeren said the Mount Vernon Municipal Court is changing its electronic document system to comply with Ohio Supreme Court requirements.
Broeren said that since the 1970s, the municipal court has accepted and scanned complaint filings and police reports related to cases.
“Judge John Thatcher no longer wants to be the repository for the contents, and he is not legally required to do that,” Broeren said.
“Because we still need those documents to prosecute the case, my office will now have to keep those documents.”
That responsibility includes carrying documents to arraignments, housing them, and managing records retention.
Broeren said that maintaining the documents was not a lot of extra work for Thatcher’s staff because they were already scanning the report and complaint. However, Broeren’s office will have to build a new system to manage them, hence the need for a fourth legal assistant.
The law director’s office prosecuted about 2,000 cases in 2024. Each case had five to 10 pieces of paper associated with it.
Broeren said some electronic processing will occur, but the initial part will be paper. He anticipates filling the position in four to six weeks.
Land use and zoning
Land Use and Zoning Chair Amber Keener held a committee meeting regarding rezoning four parcels on South Main Street.
The land is zoned R-1A. Owner Joe Updike is requesting the zoning change to R-3.
The planning commission split the vote at its November meeting, sending the matter to council without a recommendation.
Council members gave the zoning request a second read on Monday and will conduct a public hearing on Feb. 24.
They could make a recommendation on the rezoning themselves or send it back to the planning commission for another vote.
Legislative action
Council members gave a first reading to the following legislation:
•Creating city inspector and communication director positions
•Authorizing the administration to bid and contract for the Mansfield Avenue multi-use path
•Amending pay grades for the assistant director of plant maintenance, fire marshal, administrative chief deputy clerk of court, and first deputy auditor
•Authorizing the administration to advertise bids and award a qualification-based contractor for inspection and engineering services during construction on the multi-use path
•Accepted the Municipal Planning Commission’s recommendation not to vacate an alley between East and South McKenzie streets
They took the following additional actions:
•Gave a second read to legislation applying for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund for the wastewater treatment plant
•Appointed Curtis Adams to the Board of Zoning Appeals and Tom Mickley to the Civil Service Commission
•Reappointed Nicholas Myrda to the Recreation Board
•Gave a second read to approve the five-year update to the Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow County Solid Waste District plan
•Adopted a resolution to submit an application to participate in Federal Community Project Funding for municipal buildings
Public participation
Joshua Morrison addressed council about how the city handles public records requests. He referenced his records requests over the past several years and his filing contempt of court petitions against the city.
“Transparency is not a privilege; it is a right. Accountability is not optional; it is essential. Integrity is not a suggestion, it is a requirement,” he said.
Knox County Health Commissioner Zach Green updated the council on city statistics through Knox Public Health. He noted that the 119 confirmed Lyme Disease cases in 2024 were lower than the 136 in 2023.
Influenza is officially at peak season, as evidenced by wastewater sampling. Norovirus continues to be extremely high. RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is plateauing, and COVID-19 is declining.eauing and COVID-19 is declining.
