MOUNT VERNON — Administration officials expect to roll out the city’s deer management program by Sept. 1.
Mayor Matt Starr said that for the first year, hunters will be able to get three tags inside the city limits under a controlled hunt, in addition to three tags outside the city.
However, hunters are only allowed one antlered deer in the two jurisdictions.
The city is working with Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources Wildlife Officer Austin Levering on the guidelines. All hunters are required to have a hunter safety certificate.
Permits will be $20 for in-county residents in addition to the State Division of Wildlife ODNR’s license and fees.
For out-of-county hunters, the fee is $100.
Permit fees will go to the recreation department.
Residents wishing to brush up on their archery skills can do so at the archery range behind the Ramser 4-H Center on the Knox County Fairgrounds.
Administration officials started the 2026 budget process with the intention of again adopting a full-year budget vs. an interim and supplemental budget.
Safety Service Director Tanner Salyers said having the full-year budget in place enables the city to bid projects earlier, get better pricing, and “get better deals for the taxpayer.”
Street crews complete pothole patching
Public Works Superintendent Tom Hinkle said crews completed most of the pothole patching.
“Now it’s just about filling in repair work, utility repair work, or any roads or streets that may get dug up the rest of this summer,” he said.
Now that the wood chipper is repaired, crews will start tree trimming in alleys. The city only trims branches in the right-of-way, essentially anything that impedes vehicles, whether it is sight line or branches touching the vehicles. There are about 25 miles of alleys in the city.
Hinkle reminds residents that as it gets dark earlier, residents can go online and report street light outages directly to AEP. Reporting information includes the utility pole number or the nearest address of the outage.
In preparation for students heading back to school, the city turned on flashing beacons and painted and striped crosswalks in school zones.
Workers repair tennis/pickleball courts
Workers repaired nets at the tennis/pickleball courts in Memorial Park because they were coming loose at the foundation. They also resealed and painted the court with new markings for both activities and are replacing lights and the light controllers.
Hinkle said the idea behind replacing the controllers is to better manage lighting when no one is using the courts.
The Capt. Hunter’s Landing splash pad in Riverside Park will close on Tuesday, Sept. 2. It will reopen on Memorial Day 2026 and close the Tuesday after Labor Day.
Cemetery expansion completed
Crews finished excavating the new section in Mound View Cemetery and seeded the area. Next year, crews will place pins and reference points for new grave sites and asphalt the road.
Hinkle expects the city to start selling lots by the end of 2026.
He reminded residents that items placed on grave sites must be on the east side of the headstone. Items on the west side will be removed; residents can reclaim the items at the cemetery office.
Workers spruce up City Hall
Workers painted the windows and sashes in City Hall as well as the exterior. They also installed a new fire alarm and repaired two chimneys on High Street buildings.
Crews complete East Vine sidewalk
City Engineer Brian Ball reports crews completed the sidewalk project on the north side of East Vine Street. They still need to sow grass seed.
The Mansfield Avenue shared-use path is underway, and citywide paving starts Sept. 11. Administration officials will open bids for constructing the salt barn on Sept. 4.
Terracon is conducting geotechnical exploration and testing to support the design of foundations and parking lots at the new police station site on Sychar Road.
A meeting to explain alternatives to repair the Knox Cattle Company dam on Yauger Road is scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. at The Woodard Opera House.
Utility workers install new line on east side
The distribution crew completed a main-line installation in the White Heirs area, transferring seven customers to new copper lines.
“Six of them were on existing galvanized lines, so it was nice to get those switched out and placed,” Josh Belts, assistant director of utilities, said. “It’s pretty much buttoned up out there, we just have a little bit of top soil and seed as things settle out.”
Workers will begin using cameras to look at sewer lines later this month. Crews will do a little bit of “sewer rooting,” so homeowners who are experiencing problems are encouraged to call the city.