MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council is the second entity to approve Together Knox, the updated comprehensive plan for Knox County.
Council members waived the third reading and unanimously adopted the plan at their Monday meeting. Keener said she took the legislation to its final reading because it is “important to get started.”
The Regional Planning Commission approved the plan in March. The Knox County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on it on May 1.
The city and county are the only ones required to approve the plan. Mayor Matt Starr noted that other agencies have endorsed it.
Council member Tammy Woods questioned whether any villages have approved the plan.
Council member Amber Keener said those communities approved it through their vote at regional planning.
“I think one important piece of having the city take part and have a chapter was the fact that we were able to really chart our own path,” she said.
“I think that that was very influential in including things like new developments needing to have sidewalks and connectivity because it is something that people love around here, that connection to the trails.”
Keener noted that the city retained the plan’s recommendation to explore building codes in Knox County. The county removed that section from its plan.
“It is not telling us that we have to put building codes in place. It was just something that stakeholders thought was important,” Keener said, adding that she is not a building code proponent.
“When we’re getting multiple voices, I think it’s important for us to recognize that that was a voice in the room. Even if we choose not to do it, it is important that it remains in there because somebody thought it was important enough to say.”
Other legislative action
Council members waived the three readings and accepted a donation of a carved pirate and palm tree statue from the Kokosing Valley Rotary Club.
The donation includes two years of maintenance.
The city will place the statue at Captain Hunter’s Landing, the splash pad in Riverside Park.
In preparing the site for the splash pad, the city removed two trees nearing their end-of-life. City Engineer Brian Ball said the wood is dense and ideal for park benches.
Dave Crego carved the statue from the trees.
In addition to adopting the comprehensive plan and accepting the statue, council members took the following actions:
•Authorized the transfer of two parking lot parcels on South Gay Street to the Knox County Land Bank
•Gave a first read to legislation regarding Medical Mutual’s health insurance coverage
•Authorized supplemental appropriations, including $57,510.43 for the East Vine Street sidewalk project and $820,000 for the Riverside Park neighborhood revitalization
•Approved rezoning four parcels on South Main Street from R1A to R3
•Gave a second reading to legislation adding another police officer
•Gave a first read to an ordinance replacing pages of the codified ordinances
Public participation
Kathy Tate, president of the Knox County Democratic Party, spoke about parking issues at the party’s office at 9 E. Vine St.
Decreased parking and sidewalk access due to the 18 E. Vine St. construction has made it difficult for people to reach the office. Tate believes the city should repair and maintain the sidewalk at the corner of Gay and Vine streets because so many people use it.
She acknowledged the after-hours parking in the Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Park National Bank lots but said it was insufficient.
Tate encouraged the city to conduct a parking survey to assess future needs and to investigate traffic control timing on the weekends.
