MOUNT VERNON – The lagoons Mount Vernon uses to store discharge from the city’s water treatment operations are filling up, so the city will hire a contractor to empty the lime sludge out of one lagoon.
City Council approved a transfer of $750,000 at its April 4 special meeting to make funds available for the contracting job.
“We have two lagoons on the west end of town, and one is full and the other one is filling up rather quickly. The type of discharge is the kind of material that is pulled out of the clarifying tanks,” Mayor Matt Starr told the Mount Vernon News.
The discharge is benign, but the city can’t take the chance it hardens and clogs the discharge pipe in the lagoon, he said.
Last month, the city removed more than 150,000 pounds of hardness from the water it supplies customers, Starr said. The lagoon that will be emptied is estimated to have between 35,000 and 50,000 cubic yards of discharge to remove.
Residents in this part of town, at the merging of Harcourt Road to State Route 229 and West High Street, will experience a steady stream of heavy trucks probably starting in May, Starr said. During this time, the park-and-ride lot will not be available for use. The recycling dumpsters also will be removed from the site.
As of now, the city plans to take the discharge to its Street Department site at 1700 Delaware Road.
“We've got 40 acres out there that we're going to have it stockpiled and it will be a mountain or a hill of white stuff. It's something that we'll have to address,” he said.
Engineering Department
All of the sanitary sewer lines have been installed for the Clintonville project. The crews were wrapping up the storm sewer installation, which should have been completed on Friday, he said.
The Sandusky Street sidewalk was poured, with grading and seeding about 75% completed, Starr said. The city hopes to finish the project this week also.
By the end of Friday, the final bricks were to be laid for the North Gay Street repairs. The tree lawn was being put back on the curb, after which it was to be backfilled and then seeded.
Structural reinforcement plans for the municipal parking garage are moving ahead.
“We're close to having a long-term shoring plan. And so we're still talking with structural engineering consultants. We hope to have a list of what is needed next week,” Starr said.
A small part of the parking garage needs additional bracing, but the city chose to be conservative on risk management.
The city still needs to get a new building for a courthouse, police and law offices, with a committee meeting later this month on them, he said.
Street Department
The curb and gutter work on North Gay Street has been completed.
“We did some ditching and berming on New Gambia Road and Upper Fredericktown Road,” Starr said. “Also, our Street Department has been grading alleys, so long as weather permits.
Parks Department
All of the bathrooms and concession stands in city parks have opened.
“All of our trash barrels are out, and we put up the garden fencing at the community garden at Arch Avenue Park,” Starr said.
A few seasonal employees also have been hired.
Police Department
Knox County resident Ben Fike was sworn in as a Mount Vernon Police officer by Police Chief Robert Morgan.
After serving in the U.S. Army, Fike attended and graduated from the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in 2019. He worked in private industry before testing for a position with Mount Vernon, Starr said.
Fire Department
The Mount Vernon Fire Department trained on extrication from motor vehicles to prepare for accidents.
“Unfortunately, we will start responding to more motor vehicle accidents. That's what the trend is,” Starr said. “We hope that we don't have to, but it's important that our crews continue to sharpen their skills for vehicle extrication and treatment.”
Tree City USA at Ariel Foundation Park
Mount Vernon’s Shade Tree and Beautification Commission will co-host the 2022 Tree City USA Awards Program on April 21 at Ariel-Foundation Park.
Anyone interested in attending should contact the city engineering office for reservations.
“We're going to have arborists and people from natural resources and other decision-makers from other communities coming around here,” Starr said.
The conference will be educational and will show appreciation for those who keep city trees in good shape, as trees “are kind of the lungs of the earth,” he said.
The Village of Gambier, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Kenyon College also will help with the conference and the Tree City USA Awards program.
