MOUNT VERNON — The city of Mount Vernon is raising pool membership rates for out-of-towners even as it seeks to bring in more customers from surrounding communities.
Following discussion Feb. 19 about costs of running the Hiawatha Water Park, the city has proposed to increase pool memberships for non-city residents, but keep memberships for city residents unchanged. Announcing a new pricing structure at Monday’s meeting of Mount Vernon City Council, Mayor Matt Starr said the decision to leave memberships for city residents at last year’s rates was to place “not too much of a tax burden on” residents. The cost for a family membership for city residents obtained at the “early” rate in April will be $200, and $220 after May 1.
Rates for non-residents have adjusted up all across the board, including single memberships and senior memberships.
Walk-in rates will remain the same as last year, $8 per day and $5 for children five and under.
Despite charging them more, the city will try to get more non-residents to come to the pool in 2020, however. Starr said a mailer campaign targeting Bellville that brought in $7,000 last year will be tried in the Marengo/Chesterville areas of Morrow County, with the hopes of bringing people from that area to the water park.
In a related matter, Parks Superintendent Dave Carpenter said the wage for Hiawatha lifeguards will be increased by 30 cents to attract and retain the needed number of lifeguards throughout the pool season.
First-year lifeguards are currently paid $8.70 per hour. The pool needs a staff of 50 lifeguards for the season.
The pool does not make money and typically runs a deficit. Starr said the pool ran a deficit of $50,000 last year.
In other business, the council approved an ordinance to allow Mount Vernon Police Chief Robert Morgan to hire two additional patrol officers and one corporal above the number allowed by ordinance. The hirings will allow Morgan to fill expected vacancies before they become vacant to let the training begin for the new patrol-level officers.
The vacancies will open at the patrol level as two patrol officers are promoted to corporal. The corporal positions will open as two corporals advance in openings for sergeant.
The sergeant openings come after Morgan, formerly a sergeant, was promoted to chief. A second opening will come in late April with the retirement of Sgt. Troy Glazier.
The new corporal will be added to the ranks before the two advances to sergeant. That corporal will be promoted by Morgan; the corporal will serve as a shift supervisor until the sergeant position vacated by Morgan can be filled.
Once Glazier’s retirement goes through, another patrol-level officer will be promoted.
Council further approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would make it eligible for opioid settlement dollars. The MOU states that the city can receive a portion of the settlement dollars distributed by a foundation board.
The Ohio Municipal League is urging local governments to sign the MOU. The MOU gets Mount Vernon’s foot in the door; the specifics of how the foundation will work is still being ironed out.
Council held the first reading of an ordinance to create a second assistant law director in Broeren’s office. The position will pay $50,000 and be full time, according to the ordinance.
Council has scheduled a committee hearing to discuss the issue at its March 9 meeting; Broeren said he “will share why I think it is imperative” that the position be added at the committee hearing.
An ordinance regarding street resurfacing was given the first reading. A preliminary list of 13 projects estimated at $1.23 million was provided at Monday’s meeting. City Safety Services Director Rick Dzik said approximately $550,000 is available for asphalt resurfacing, with additional money available for alleys and chip and seal.
