MOUNT VERNON – The city has key vacancies in its Utilities and Engineering departments it needs to fill before the inevitable utility emergencies that occur on cold holidays in winter.
The Mount Vernon Civil Service Office reminds residents that the deadline to apply for the pipe fitter and maintenance worker positions is 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. Applications are available online and in both the Civil Service Office and the Safety Service Director’s office.
“We also have the assistant city engineer that we're still seeking applicant for. And the director of public utilities,” Mayor Matt Starr told the Mount Vernon News.
Several interviews have been held for both positions, each paying between $70,000 and $80,000 annually, Starr said.
The city has an acting utilities director now, but it needs to fill these front-line positions, Starr said.
“Because you know, when we need them the most, on the coldest day of the year, when the water line breaks? Invariably, it's Dec. 31. So it's premium wage and overtime,” he said.
The city continues to accept applications for part-time firefighters, and applications can be found for those jobs online as well.
The city continues to accept applications for lateral transfers of police officers from other jurisdictions to fill the last Police Department vacancy this year.
Applications also are being taken for an assistant law director, with some interviews having been held.
Street Department
Crews continue to pick up leaves citizens have reported, Starr said. The goal was to complete pickup by Dec. 3.
“But there are still some leaves that are hanging on. So we're going to leave one truck with the leaf pickup to do as needed, as called in. And the rest of the trucks we're putting all of our snow equipment on,” he said.
Residents still need to call the Street Department at 740-393-9501 when they get the leaves to the curb, and those leaves will be collected. A snow and freezing rain event forecast for Wednesday should knock the rest of the leaves off trees, he said.
Food For The Hungry Drive Friday
The annual Food For The Hungry drive will be Friday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“This is again our local fundraising effort to support food-based initiatives, notably the Salvation Army of Mount Vernon, Interchurch of Mount Vernon and Knox County, and also Interchurch Social Services Knox County, the main fundraising grant for them,” Starr said.
Food For The Hungry also provides grants for other food-based initiatives, including any location where a meal is provided, like the hot meals program.
“Every night of the week, you can go at a different church in Mount Vernon and get a hot meal, no questions asked. So we've had volunteers who have applied for food support there,” he said.
Another example is Backpacks of Hope, which he said makes lunches for school kids to take home on the weekends because some of them don't get meals at home.
“It's pretty heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time,” Starr said.
Visit the FoodForTheHungryCares.org website on Friday to find a link to view a livestream of the drive or to get updates on the assistance it provides.
Starr dispelled the rumor that food collected by Food For The Hungry goes to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, with the local organization then having to pay to get the food back.
“All of the food that is collected in Knox County stays in Knox County; all of the money that is collected in Knox County stays in Knox County. It does not go out there,” he said. “Some of the money is also used for assistance with utilities and medication and vouchers and stuff like that. So all the money that's raised here stays here.”
