MOUNT VERNON — A proposed energy improvement district could make it easier for commercial property owners to receive state funding for improvement projects.
The Knox County Land Reutilization Corp, aka Knox County Land Bank, asked Mount Vernon City Council on Monday to create an Energy Special Improvement District (ESID).
Sam Filkins, vice president of the land bank, said the ESID is a way for property owners to get loans to pay for building improvements that will bring down energy costs. Improvements that qualify include energy-efficient windows and doors, HVAC and water upgrades, and insulation.
“It costs zero money to the taxpayers, and zero money to the city,” he said of the program.
Loan money comes through PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), a state initiative that promotes energy-efficient projects. The city has to approve the ESID because the property owner will repay the PACE loan through an assessment on the building’s property taxes.
“When they pay their taxes, they will also be paying down their loan,” Filkins explained.
The district is whatever parcels want to participate. Initially, the district will be the former News building at 18 E. Vine St. If someone else wants to participate, the property owner asks to be included in the district.
“No other property owner will be forced to participate,” Filkins said.
The loan is against the building, not a person. If tenants or owners change, the loan remains with the building.
The process starts with the property owner doing an energy audit of the building. The owner then proposes improvements and shows where the improvements will make a difference in energy consumption.
The city has to approve the project. The property owner is responsible for finding a lender for the PACE loan. If the owner defaults on the loan, a lien is placed on the property. Filkins said the city has no liability.
Filkins said the administration building in Cooper Progress Park is a potential location to join the ESID.
“All of those windows will need to be replaced because they have asbestos. That’s a large cost,” he said. “So, if we can help by offering somebody this loan program where they don’t have to take it out of their immediate pocket … that’s going to really help us get that building up and running again.”
Council members gave a first reading to legislation establishing the ESID.
Council members gave a first reading to a number of other pieces of legislation. Legislation includes reappointments to various city boards; authorization to participate in urban forestry, purchasing, and bridge inspection programs; supplemental appropriations and fund transfers; and fixing the hourly employees in city departments and updating the codified ordinances.
Relating to infrastructure projects, council members gave a second reading to legislation authorizing the bidding and contracting for the Mansfield Avenue water line project and first readings to legislation authorizing two other projects:
•Participating in the Ohio Public Works Commission capital improvement program for the Stump/Northview water and sewer project
•Acquiring two lime silo/slaker systems for the water/wastewater department
Council also gave a second reading to legislation authorizing Request for Proposals for outside management of Hiawatha Water Park
Because council did not have a quorum at last Monday’s meeting, council will hold a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 19. The agenda includes the above legislation and two additional pieces of legislation: the salary for human resources director and the Cooper Progress Park development plan.
The meeting starts at 7 pm with two executive sessions. The legislative portion starts at 7:30 pm.
Public participation
During the public participation portion of last Monday’s meeting, Clinton Township residents Jennifer Grubaugh and Lyle David Daniels spoke about the temporary storage site for lime sludge.
Referencing the Sept. 5 overflow of the embankment surrounding the piles of lime material, Grubaugh said that according to definitions from the Army Corps of Engineers, what actually happened was an overtopping breach.
“It’s not a long shot to assume that if it’s not repaired, that same thing will happen again. It’s also not a long shot to state that even if it is repaired, it’s going to happen again,” she said.
Daniels apologized for a portion of his outbuilding encroaching on city property, saying it was not his intention to trespass. He noted that the city’s street superintendent helped him stake out the building and said he had taken care of the strip of land that belongs to the city.
Referencing the lime residual left in his yard following a spill in July, Daniels said responsible contractors have to pay for and/or take care of whatever losses may occur on adjacent property.
Acknowledging that the city hired Kokosing Construction to do the work on the lime field on behalf of the city, he said, “I do think the spirit is the same, and I would ask that the same courtesy be given to me and my family and my neighbors as you would require any other contractor to do if they had made that same mistake.”
He also asked the city to create a special remediation team to clean up the lime sludge on his and neighboring properties.
