Council drops controversial pieces of stormwater legislation
Joshua Morrison/Mount Vernon News
City councilmember Sam Barone listens during Monday's City Council meeting. Barone proposed a draft for a stormwater utility that excised many sticking points for council in an effort to craft and pass the legislation. [request]
MOUNT VERNON — In an effort to move things to a conclusion, Mount Vernon City Council is poised to drop the more contentious pieces of its proposed stormwater utility.
Tiered billing would have allowed the city to complete private stormwater projects, then bill back the cost to property owners in the area of the improvements. This caused an uproar by residents of several subdivisions in the area of the Cattleman’s Dam after the city said it would take the lead on repairs to the dam’s infrastructure, and recoup the cost by assessing property owners.
The city has since dropped its offer to do the work.
It further addressed a concern that rates for the stormwater utility would start at $6 per month and increase by 2 percent every year, and replaced it with a scheduled fee increase starting at $4 in 2020, moving up $1 per year to $6 by 2022. The automatic increase was done away with, and any increases will have to be approved by the council. The rate, which will be attached to monthly water bills, will stay at $6 after 2022 until the council decides to raise it.
The draft legislation further does away with several proposed credits for non-residential users, including credits for building natural water collection apparatus, such as rain gardens. It also removed a provision that water could be shut if the customer is not paying the monthly utility fee.
Council’s reaction to the proposed legislation was mostly positive. Council President Bruce Hawkins asked that there be a specific definition for what constitutes non-residential parcels; Councilmember Tanner Salyers said he feels credits should be offered to those who build rain gardens and bioswales, as they would offer an incentive to construct environmentally-friendly ways to capture water and allow it to filter down, without losing it to the river.
Barone further set an accelerated schedule for passing the legislation. It is to come up for first reading at the Oct. 28 meeting of the City Council, have a public hearing and second reading Nov. 4, and third reading Nov. 12.
Mulberry School CRA
Council heard another option to demolition and redevelopment of the property that houses the old Mulberry Street School —turning it over to the Knox County Land Bank.
Area Development Foundation Vice President Jeff Gottke spoke on Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs) at the invitation of the council. Gottke, who is also president of the land bank, wound up his talk on CRAs and the school by giving the land bank’s acquisition of the property as an alternative to purchasing and development of the property by Joel Mazza. Mazza is seeking a CRA for his project, which would tear down the school and develop the site as apartments. The CRA would give Mazza real estate tax abatements on the apartments for up to 15 years.
Gottke said if the land bank acquires the property, demolition of the school would be funded through “a written commitment from local philanthropic partners to fully cover the costs.” The land bank would then market the property for development.
It was suggested that the city continue to work on the CRA agreement with Mazza, and let the land bank continue its efforts to acquire the property on parallel courses. Gottke said he isn’t sure that is feasible, however.
A trash hauler operating in the city spoke to the council regarding Mayor Dick Mavis’s clarification of the requirement for licensed haulers operating in the city to provide recycling to all their residential customers. Mavis has introduced new language to the city’s trash hauler ordinance, which clarifies that haulers must offer recycling in their contracts with residents. The contracts are to include the cost of recycling in the contract and can not break it out as an optional, “subscription” style service.
Mark Phillips, with Mid-State Waste, said recycling can be a costly challenge for haulers. He stated that he provided all customers with recycling bins in one contract, but many chose not to recycle. The money Mid-State spent on bins was wasted, he said. Phillips said he offers recycling, but encourages customers to provide their bins and give notice that they are participating in recycling.
Business owner Kim Weitkamp addressed the council on several issues facing North Main businesses as well as promoting a dozen businesses involved in various types of art in downtown. Weitkamp asked that parking times be extended to three hours to better accommodate people who take classes at the art-oriented businesses. She further said something needs to be done about unsightly buildings and sidewalks at the entrance to North Main along Chestnut Street.
In other business, council:
•Approved the advertising of bids and entering into a contract for the estimated $2 million rehab of the city’s underground water reservoir near New Gambier Road. The reservoir was built in 1952 and is showing signs of concrete failure, City Engineer Brian Ball said. The project would further update the reservoir’s valve house.
•Approved a contract with Jones & Henry Engineering to inspect sanitary sewer pump stations. Assistant Utilities Superintendent Ken Griffith said Jones & Henry will assess several under-performing pump stations to determine if they are running at their original capacity. The data will be used to establish a maintenance program for the stations, Griffith said.
•Approved the appointments of Phil Herald, Jim Sulzer and William Smith to the zoning board of appeals (BZA) for five-year terms and approved Otho Eyster as an alternate to the BZA.
•Authorized the purchase of a trackhoe for the utilities department. The trackhoe is expected to cost around $57,000, Utilities Superintendent Mathias Orndorf said.
