MOUNT VERNON – Work on the South Main-Columbus Road intersection project was to begin on Monday after a delay caused by a need to rebid the project.
Greenwich Electric of Mount Vernon will add a signal and turn lane so businesses on the east side can get in and out of their lots, Mayor Matt Starr told the Mount Vernon News. Pedestrian crosswalks will be added in places to shorten how far pedestrians need to walk to cross the streets.
Most of the work should be completed by the end of June. Some follow-up work is likely that could extend through the end of July.
Civil Service
The retirement of Mount Vernon Fire Department Capt. Joe Spurgeon on April 2 after 23 years will open up an opportunity for other fire officers to gain a promotion.
Any current fire lieutenant who qualifies and passes a written exam through the Civil Service Office will have the opportunity to undergo a special assessment on April 16 at City Hall, Starr said.
Civil Service Administrator Tony DeIuliis also wanted to remind local residents that a Civil Service test for city maintenance workers will be given on April 6. Anyone interested can make an application until 1 p.m. on Friday, April 1. Applications are available at the Civil Service Administrator’s office at 40 Public Square, (City Hall), or online on the city’s website (mountvernonohio.org) by clicking on the “Jobs” tab.
Streets
The Street Department began sweeping city streets on Monday, starting with the west side of town with West High Street, West Chestnut Street, West Vine Street and West Gambier Street. They planned to switch to the east side of town for those same streets, Starr said. On Friday the schedule calls for sweeping downtown Mount Vernon very early in the morning.
Crews also rebuilt some catch basins on Division and Hamtramck streets.
“This week, we’ve used 7.9 tons of hot mix to do pothole patching,” Starr said on Friday.
Parks
Parks Department workers cleaned up trash at Memorial Park that blew out of the recycling containers, Starr said. They also cleaned graffiti off tables at Shalimar Park.
The department received the first delivery for chemicals for Hiawatha Waterpark Pool, he said. Paint for the pool floor also was delivered.
“The pool membership information is also in the city's website. And those memberships right now are being handled through the Auditor's Office on the first floor in City Hall,” Starr said.
Engineering
Drainage work was completed where crews had to dig out a ditch at Cooper Street and Cottage Road, he said.
The city has begun work on the cleanup of sod from plow damage and to north-end properties that were damaged from the State Route 13 detour.
“We wanted to wait until it was warmer before we did anything. And then we're going to start brick repair on Northgate Street on Monday as well at eight o'clock in the morning,” he said.
A large pothole has received many complaints.
“It could take us a couple of weeks because we just never know what we're going to get into when we start digging,” Starr said.
Depending on how big the repairs are, it could result in a closure of Gay Street between Chestnut and Sugar, he said.
The municipal parking deck remains closed for public parking. The city closed the lower level completely and limited upper levels for city-owned vehicles only on the advice of the city’s structural engineering consultants with American Structurepoint.
“We don't have their final report, but they said let's just go ahead and just make this call right now,” he said.
