The Mount Vernon City Council has approved its annual agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for snow and ice removal on state highways within and adjacent to the city. This decision was made during the council's meeting on September 8.
"We have traded some areas for our maintenance and for their maintenance. That way, we don't have the city, the township, the state, salting and treating the same areas of the roadway just because of jurisdiction," said Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers, according to a YouTube recording of the meeting.
The agreement also includes provisions for purchasing salt to maintain city streets. According to the resolution in the meeting agenda, the Ohio Revised Code permits ODOT's director to manage snow and ice removal on state highways within city limits if consent is provided by the city. Political subdivisions like Mount Vernon may also handle snow and ice removal on roads under state or local control.
The resolution outlines that ODOT will conduct snow and ice removal operations on portions of U.S. Route 36, as well as State Routes 3, 13, 229, 586, 661, and 768 within Mount Vernon's boundaries. In exchange, Mount Vernon will manage these tasks on sections of those routes located outside city limits.
The agreement specifies that it does not include snow and ice removal from driveways, parking areas, or intersecting roads and streets.
