Joshua Morrison/Mount Vernon News
Travis Rudrick with Custom Wired prepares to install one of 15 security cameras at Mount Vernon City Hall Friday. The cameras, along with new doors and key card system, are part of upgrades to the city’s government hub. [request]
MOUNT VERNON — Security upgrades are ongoing at Mount Vernon City Hall, including passkey entry and cameras.
The new system will allow selective passkey access tailored to employees. For example, everyone would get access to certain exterior doors for entering the building. However, someone who works in the engineering department will only be able to unlock doors for their office.
New doors are part of the upgrade as well.
City Hall will have it's monthly fogging to sanitize against COVID-19 Aug. 7-8.
Mayor Matt Starr said the Mount Vernon Fire Department has gone through training on new equipment used for extractions in such situations as auto crashes where someone is trapped inside the vehicle.
Starr said the equipment works faster than that it is replacing. It is also quicker because they are powered by battery packs, saving the time it would take to hook them up to a power source.
“Basically, it means we’ll get to you quicker,” Starr said. “In those situations, seconds do count.”
Engineer
The railroad is expected to have finished up their work at the Parrott Street intersection this week, with the road project portion starting next week. A contractor will be doing the approaches to the raised railbed, as well as installing a trench drain and a sidewalk.
City crews relocated a waterline at the Mount Vernon Avenue bridge project this week. State contractors have been working on approaches as well as the bridge.
City Engineer Brian Ball and Utilities Superintendent Mathias Orndorf were in Cincinnati this week researching options for sludge removal, Starr said. The city currently pays to have sludge from the wastewater plant hauled away. Starr said if the sludge can be dried on-site, the city can sell it or at least find someone interested in hauling it away for free.
Streets, Parks and Buildings and Grounds
Installation of LED lights has been completed at the city garage on Old Delaware Road, City Safety Services Director Rick Dzik said. Dzik noted that the project wrapped in time to receive incentives provided by the state, which expire at the end of this year.
Similar projects were carried out at the city hall and the fire station. The lights will provide savings in that they use less energy, and the state incentives resulted in savings on the installations.
A drainage project at Ariel-Foundation Park was completed this week in the area of the Pittsburgh Avenue entrance. The project involved diverting road water runoff into a storm sewer; the water had been washing away gravel on the east side of the road. The project was completed entirely in-house.
The street department removed five dead trees this week at the request of the shade tree committee and trimmed trees where they were causing visibility issues.
A contractor completed spraying this week for weeds growing up through the city’s brick streets. Dzik noted that the worst areas appeared to be on-street parking.
The contractors were told to go down every brick street and apply herbicide wherever they found weeds in the right of way.
The contractors will return for another application if needed.