MOUNT VERNON – Utility crews were making temporary repairs to an abandoned water meter on Gambier Street near the downtown area. In the long term, the city will have to go in and install a new sidewalk, curb and gutter. But it needed to get it in safe condition before the First Friday event that was held on June 3.
“The Street Department did a really nice job setting up, working in and helping to clean up the Memorial Day Parade, with getting the barricades out and everything collected,” Mayor Matt Starr told the Mount Vernon News.
The parade and memorial were a memorable experience for the town, he said.
Crews also rebuilt a catch basin at Vine and Sandusky.
Other work they performed included grading more alleys as needed around town.
“We also did work with Experience Mount Vernon where they hung the flower baskets and the banners on South Main Street. It's a great partnership to have with Experience Mount Vernon, and they do a nice job helping to bring economic activity and social activity and just fun to the downtown area,” Starr said.
Sewer repairs
Residents of the Clintonville subdivision are being asked to schedule a time with the city for dye testing of the sanitary sewer lines that have been replaced.
Representatives of the Engineering Department need to go into each home and put a small dye table in each toilet and sink. Toilets will be flushed and water run in each sink so inspectors can check nearby sewer manholes to make sure the sewer is flowing properly and that dye is not seen where it shouldn’t be.
“We're asking residents to make sure that they call our Engineering Department at 740-393-9528 to schedule a 30-minute time slot for the test to be completed in their homes,” Starr said.
The homes are on Pearl, Fern and Grange streets.
Police answer more service calls
In May, the Mount Vernon Police Department answered 1,415 calls for service, compared to April, which had 1,259 calls. March was about the same at 1,240, and February had 1,138 calls.
Traffic stops have gone up with 427 in May. Traffic citations rose to 195 for the month, up from 121 in April, which Starr said was a typical month.
The community advocate logged 229 calls in May.
'Love: What Matters'
The Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival hosted a special show, “Love: What Matters,” on Saturday at the Woodward Opera House, Starr said. It was the major fundraiser for the festival.
July 4 planning complete
“We completed our logistics planning meeting for the Independence Day celebration and the fireworks show on July 4,” Starr said. An FAQ will be released with event details.
