Mount Vernon council moves to demolish condemned buildings

While Mount Vernon City Council made themselves at home in their new chambers Monday, their minds didn’t wander far from their previous home and the buildings that surrounded City Hall.

Council approved finding a firm to demolish the buildings on North Main and East Chestnut streets, which were condemned by the Board of Property and Maintenance Appeals on March 24.

Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers said the windstorm that rolled through the county in mid-March exposed the damage the buildings had sustained over the years.

“While that windstorm did not considerably damage the buildings, what it did do was show us … we got to see behind the façade of that building the sustained damage that building has been sustaining for who knows how long,” Salyers said. “It has become a public safety emergency, and we need to secure a contractor to not only eliminate the public safety risk, but also to secure that whole area.

“The question is why are we taking all three of those buildings and why not just the Curtis building, I would encourage you to look in the corner of the back of those buildings. You can see the building on the corner of Chestnut and Main is already bowed out and they are all leaning on each other. Once we take one down, the others are coming with it.”

The city has worked with Bebout Masonry and removed the historical pieces of the Henry B. Curtis building, particularly the keystones, Salyers said. He noted once they have brought the buildings down, they will look to create secured parking in the area for the justice center.

Council suspended the rules requiring three readings and passed the legislation because the property board set a 90-day limit for demolishing the condemned buildings.

In other news, council:

•Gave second readings to resolutions authorizing for bids for the Blackjack Wetland Project and the Veterans Walk of Honor project.

•Passed a resolution authorizing the city to participate in the ODOT cooperative purchasing program for road salt for 2026. Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers said the city used a lot of salt this past winter with 31 weather events effecting the city. He noted they will have a new salt barn to keep extra salt and they are considering alternatives to pre-treating the roads for next winter.

•Gave a first reading on selling property on Sychar Road next to the proposed police station. The city may move the building there to another city owned property, preferably for the parks department.

•Gave a first reading on a proposed contract with College Township and Kenyon College for providing fire and EMS services.

•Approved filing an application with the state to participate in the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program for a study on the North Sandusky Street project. The project would improve the safety of the road and for sidewalks in the area.

•Authorized the safety-service director to enter into contracts for brownfields remediation for the justice center project and South Sandusky Street Improvements project.

•Approved amendments to the ordinances regarding curbside recycling. The amendment would make it so trash haulers in the city would offer recycling options on the same schedule as their trash pickups.

•Approved amendments to the “taxi cabs” ordinance in the city.

•Gave a second reading on an ordinance establishing compensation and benefits for the services and resource coordinator position.

•Gave a first reading on an ordinance regarding vehicle storage within the city.

The next meeting will be Monday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Municipal Center.