MOUNT VERNON — City Council gave unanimous approval Monday to an emergency ordinance authorizing the Safety Service Director to seek bids and enter into a contract for the South Main Street corridor improvement project.
While the project will involve things like moving light masts, rebuilding crosswalks and improving traffic light controls and adding some street lights, Jim Brown of the Shade Tree Commission explained there will also be upgrades to the trees and plantings along Main Street.
He said several of the trees in the area are root bound and need to be replaced. The flowering pear trees will be replaced with hornbeam and other non-flowering trees so there will be no petals or fruit to deal with. Some of the tree pits will be enlarged and three will be added in the area of the MVNU buildings.
Where ash trees were lost in the lower section of Main Street, they will be replaced with royal oak.
He also described how some pits will also receive new shrubs and flowers.
An executive session on property acquisition lasted about 10 minutes longer than scheduled and at one point raised voices could be heard from behind the closed door, but no details could be made out.
•Authorized the auditor to make supplemental appropriations, including $2,569,000 for the city’s share of the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge project and $187,000 from the Ariel Foundation for the Downtown Mount Vernon Corridor Project.
•Authorized the auditor to transfer various funds.
•Authorized the Safety Service director to sell a 72-inch PTO-driven mower no longer needed for public use.
•Confirmed the mayor’s appointment of Bev Hamilton of North Main Street to the Metropolitan Housing Authority to fill the unexpired term of Dee Mickley, which expires Dec. 31, 2019.
Auditor Terry Scott also reported that Developmental Disabilities had provided a $12,000 grant to help with the expansion of the parking available at the Harmony Playground at Municipal Park.
Dedication of the playground is set for 1 p.m. Thursday.
Safety Service Director Joel Daniels reported that he had been notified that the gravel parking lots at the site of the old Hatfield Garage and the Office Bar will be paved with concrete.
