Mount Vernon narrowly accepted a $2 million grant for constructing a new police department building. The City Council approved the agreement at a meeting last month, just a week before the deadline.
Councilmember James Mahan said he accepted at least part of the blame for the delay in accepting the One-time Community Investment grant after he misplaced the email for the agreement with the State of Ohio Office of Management and Budget. Draft minutes of the city council's September 23 meeting reported that Mahan moved to suspend the required three readings of the resolution. The resolution said, "the City must sign the agreement by the end of September 2024 or it will lose the money."
According to draft minutes, councilmembers Tammy Woods and Mike Miller expressed concern that the legislation was added to the agenda late. The motion to adopt the resolution passed on a 5-2 vote, with Woods and Miller voting against it. In remarks from council at the end of the meeting, Miller said department heads must work together on the new municipal court and police station.
State Sen. Andrew Brenner announced the grant in June, as reported by Mount Vernon News. Construction of a new municipal court building will require the police department to vacate its current building at 5 Gay Street. It will move to city property at 71 Sychar Road, across from Hiawatha Water Park.
The City Council's next scheduled meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, according to the city website. Committee meetings will precede this regular meeting, with their starting times listed on the agenda.
