All told, the demolition is expected to take about six weeks. The brick removal should take about seven to ten days, Dzik said, followed by another three to four weeks to tear the rest down.

Hamtramck Street will be closed off and on during demolition. The city will allow the use of the one-way street as a two-way for residents only, so they can get in and out of their homes.

The city issued a demolition permit in December. The permit was good for six months, with the option to renew for another six months.

Dzik said it is unclear if the permit’s six months are up, due to the halts caused by the coronavirus and stay-at-home order. However, if a renewal is needed, the city will probably grant it, Dzik said.

The school has been known to be used as a temporary residence for the homeless as it sat vacant. Mount Vernon Police Chief Robert Morgan said he is not aware that anyone has been staying there recently, and it is up to Mazza to make sure no one is inside during demolition.

Streets

A broken cable resulted in a traffic signal at Pleasant and North Division street dangling several feet lower than normal.

Streets Superintendent Tom Hinkle reported that the messenger cable on the signal broke, dropping the signal down to nine feet from the street surface. Nothing was damaged other than the cable, and crews were able to restring the light.

Two streets workers were brought in last Saturday to remove several downed trees from the right-of-way. Clean-up and removal followed Monday.

Addressing residents’ complaints, the city cleared around several blocked culverts that were not draining surface water as they should. A drain was installed at a Spruce Street property where water was ponding up after rains.

Crews will be pouring asphalt in a trench in front of driveways on Belmont Avenue next week. The trench was created after the city did curb and sidewalk work on the street.

The city is further carrying out pothole patching and mowing as time and weather permits.

Police

The police department is about halfway through a state certification process, Morgan said. The state certification, through the Ohio Collaborative created during Gov. Kasich’s administration, involves updating policies to ‘best practices’ identified by the collaborative, as well as an assessment process.

The policies were identified in eight key areas, including the use of force, bias-free policing, vehicle pursuits and recruitment and hiring. The changes came about in part due to the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014.

The policy portion of the process is complete, and the PD is now operating under them.

Morgan said he has been working on the certification since January, and it is expected to be completed in the next several months. The certification is at no cost to the city.

Mayor

The city’s expanded summer recreational program is underway, with several arts and entertainment groups preparing events. Mayor Matt Starr said he expects multiple events to start up in August, at the latest.

A schedule will be available on the city’s website. Posters will also go out with a QR code that, when scanned, will link directly to the schedule. There will be events at all city parks, Starr said, including the newly-dubbed Riverview Park near the viaduct.

Following up on a video marking Memorial Day, a Fourth of July video for the city is in the works. Starr said three groups are collaborating on the video. The Ariel-Foundation Park Conservancy is working on a segment marking the park’s fifth anniversary. Mount Vernon Nazarene University is preparing a piece on freedom and freedoms, and the Woodward Opera House will put out a music video.

The three videos will be available to view separately or together, Starr said.