MOUNT VERNON – Crews from the Mount Vernon Fire Department worked on water rescue training on the Kokosing River last week.
Mayor Matt Starr said a couple of the firefighters returned from rescue tech training and assumed the role of trainer for their coworkers.
“They went over to the Kokosing River while it was high and had some pretty strong currents and then worked on patient rescue as well as their survival techniques,” he told the Mount Vernon News.
Police Department hires new patrol officer
The city’s Police Department just swore in Cody Sexton as a new officer, and he started work on Thursday.
Sexton was a lateral transfer with some experience in the sheriff’s office, Police Chief Robert Morgan said.
“We really liked this guy as a member of our team,” Starr said.
Sexton had been working in a county jail when he decided to enter the Patrol Academy and complete his Ohio Peace Officer Association training.
“He did a really nice job interview, and so we’re really excited to see him on board with us,” Starr said.
Less than 10% opt out of natural gas program
The city continued to take calls regarding the natural gas aggregation program, though it slowed down a bit. Close to 9% of the city’s customers opted out of the program, with 91% sticking with the program in which gas rates are negotiated through a broker.
“There were other communities that do gas and electric aggregation, and all say they experienced the same problems that we had with the postal delivery. Which didn’t help them out either,” the mayor said.
Mount Vernon extended its opt-out deadline due to problems with the postal delivery of the opt-out letters.
Open interviews for Hiawatha Water Park
The city and Columbus Pool Management have scheduled open interviews for Hiawatha Water Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15.
The interviews will take place at the water park at 100 Sychar Road, Starr said.
The pool management company has filled many positions but needs more lifeguards.
Code violation notices sent out
Code Enforcement Officer Greg Bemiller sent out 72 property maintenance code violation notices in the first quarter of 2023, Starr said.
The city has cleaned up one property, and three structural condemnations have gone through the Property Enforcement Appeals Board.
Starr said that most of the time, a letter or phone call is all that’s needed to have a property owner correct a code violation, as people are pretty good at responding.
Amtrak plans Columbus hub
Starr, Safety Service Director Rick Dzik, and Councilmembers Mel Severns and Amber Keener attended the State of the Region address for the Ohio Regional Planning Commission held in Columbus. They heard from members of the Ohio and U.S. Departments of Transportation, as well as panelists who shared that they need to think regionally in terms of transportation, infrastructure and connectedness.
“They also shared their announcement that Amtrak wants to set up a hub in Columbus, Ohio,” he said.
Plans would include Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton for rail services, plus rail service connecting Chicago to Pittsburg. The mayor said he didn’t know how far south that rail service might come into Ohio.
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