MOUNT VERNON – The city council approved its consent to annex a 105.65-acre property on Martinsburg Road in Pleasant Township submitted to Mount Vernon as an Expedited Type 2 process by Knox County.
“This is consent to the annexation,” Law Director Rob Broeren told the city council. “It is not agreeing to the annexation. That happens down the road and that is not bound by anything.”
Under Ohio Revised Code, the city is required to offer its consent, which establishes what services Mount Vernon would offer if the property is annexed.
Councilmember Mike Hillier said that since the city is not required to offer any of those services, he offered an amendment that doesn’t provide any services. The property would still get fire and EMS services through a contract with the township. At Broeren’s suggestion, he changed his amendment to include stormwater services so the city would collect those fees.
The city council voted down his amendment and approved the consent to annexation. Mount Vernon will provide police and fire protection, emergency medical services and stormwater utility services if the annexation is later approved.
Ohio Revised Code establishes that Pleasant Township will retain any property taxes owed. The city will collect employee payroll taxes.
Hillier said this approval came with no public input. He couldn’t see any reason for the property owners to seek annexation if they weren’t going to develop it.
“If they develop it outside the city limits then they’re still developing it and we have no control over what they do there,” Councilmember Amber Keener said.
Broeren said this approval will go back to the county, and it will send it back to Mount Vernon for a vote on the annexation itself in about 30 days. The city will have between 60 and 120 days to make its decision. It will go before a public hearing.
Water treatment plant upgrade contract approved
City council approved a $261,735 contract with Gray Matter Systems of Warrendale, Pennsylvania to upgrade the water treatment plant’s filter system.
David Hall, the chief operator of the water treatment plant, said that 2½ years ago they started upgrading the technology at the plant, which is more than 25 years old and is starting to fail. The filter control console already failed and in the last month, units at a booster station failed.
He said fortunately the department was already getting ready to install replacements, which will get started next week.
“Once we get New Gambier Road started up, we want to shift to our filter control units and that’s what we're here to discuss,” Hall said.
Volunteers appointed to city board, commissions
Jason West was appointed as an alternate member of the Municipal Planning Commission to replace Todd Hawkins, who was appointed as a regular member of the commission.
Susie Simpson was reappointed to the Mount Vernon Board of Zoning Appeals for a five-year term.
Lacey Filkins was reappointed to the city’s Historical Review Commission on a 6-1 vote. Councilmember Mike Hillier voted against the appointment, stating he did not believe it was appropriate to appoint members who lived outside the boundaries of the historic district.
Police Department staffing numbers set
City council approved a change in the number of employees of the police department, setting it at 10 supervisors (lieutenants and sergeants) and 22 officers – up from 19 – plus one records clerk.
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