Mount Vernon residents have a tough time walking on snow-covered sidewalks, so City Council began discussions on Monday about shoveling off sidewalks that get covered as snowplows pass by clearing streets.
Whenever a heavy snowfall arrives, residents ask why the city doesn’t clear the sidewalks, Mayor Matt Starr said. An ordinance requires residential and commercial property owners to shovel in front of their properties. But council members reported snow not being removed in front of a number of businesses and homes.
City Council wasn’t ready to commit to shoveling snow Monday night. Members including Mike Hillier and Samantha Scoles were willing to consider getting sidewalks cleared along Coschocton Avenue and at The Viaduct.
The Public Square and other sidewalks in front of city buildings get cleared by the city, Starr said.
Dzik said that after the Public Works Department spends a few days plowing, they need to spend the next couple of days moving snow piles. That makes subcontracting the best choice if the City did take on the responsibility.
Councilman John Francis warned that if the City took responsibility for shoveling snow off sidewalks, it would also become responsible for the maintenance of that sidewalk should it crack and heave up.
“I was born and raised in this city, and the homeowner is responsible for the sidewalk in front of their house,” he said.
Scoles shared seeing something that she described as scary.
“My bigger concern is I saw in two instances during this snow, people in wheelchairs going down to Sharpton Road because they couldn’t get onto the sidewalks,” she said.
Ohio Fire Chiefs center in on best fire station location
Fire Chief Chad Christopher told City Council that an analysis by the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association Consulting Services picked the ideal location for a second fire station. The intersection of Coshocton Avenue and Vernonview Drive would provide the most improvement for the Fire Department and EMS response times.
The consulting fire chiefs don’t look at property. They choose the best geographic location and leave it to the city to pick a site as close as possible.
The Mount Vernon Fire Department’s service area covers 80 square miles — including the city’s 9.6 square miles; Pleasant, Liberty and Clinton Townships; half of Morris Township; the Mount Vernon Developmental Center and the Knox County Airport.
Christopher said the Ohio Fire Chiefs were adamant about picking a fire station site that best serves the city.
City Council will discuss the analysis and station locations in a future meeting.
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