MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Fire and Utilities Departments took part in the “Touch A Truck” event hosted by the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County on Wednesday.
Touch a Truck is geared toward youth. It gives them a chance to climb on trucks and other heavy machinery of all shapes and sizes used for public safety, excavation and general construction, Mayor Matthew Starr said.
The event was held at Ariel-Foundation Park.
Civil Service testing fills city jobs
Eleven positions have been filled through civil service testing, Civil Service Administrator Tony DeIuliis reported. It has yielded one full-time support specialist in the water billing office, a utility technician in the Utilities Department, five full-time firefighter/paramedics, three police officers through lateral transfers and regular testing and one operations and maintenance technician in the Utilities Department.
Buckeye addition utility project going out for bids
Bid request documents are being prepared for the Buckeye addition project, according to City Engineer Brian Ball.
“This is the project that was in [City Council] committee on Monday that will help 75 households in Clinton Township who have habitual problems with their wells. This is a great project because it utilizes a wide array of funds that were all used to leverage the project finances and result in a major public safety measure for our citizens,” Starr said.
Mount Vernon residents now can ‘Pour It Forward’
The Utilities Department will start the “Pour It Forward” program on July 1.
“This will allow our customers to round up their utility bill where the difference in rounding up goes into a restricted fund to be used to help neighbors who are struggling to keep on their water,” Starr said.
The city’s partner in the project is the Salvation Army of Mount Vernon.
East High Street hosts ‘Summer Front Porch’ concerts
The first event in the “Summer Front Porch Concert Series” was held on East High Street on Friday.
“Spend an evening strolling East High Street and locate the homes where the air is full of music, laughter, and neighborly comfort. Move about the neighborhood as multiple homes will play host for our local performers,” Joseph Bell, one of the organizers, posted on his Facebook page.
The event was free and food trucks were available.
The concert series continues from 6-9 p.m. on July 28 and Aug. 25.
