Mount Vernon pushes forward on infrastructure, safety, and seasonal prep

The city of Mount Vernon continues to be busy as we head toward October.

Several projects are still being worked on while others are in the planning and design stages.

Workers wrapped up the stormwater portion of the Mansfield Avenue project recently, according to Assistant Engineer Quinten Platt. He said in a news conference Tuesday that they will be doing final inspections, then be ready to go with the shared use path.

Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr said some of the lines were plugged with dirt and debris, making it very hard for the water to flow and possibly creating backups in the area. He’s hoping the approximately $30 million invested in the infrastructure should help residents.

The city is also nearing completion on the sidewalk project on the inside of Public Square. Workers have been repairing and replacing curbing and sidewalks around the park.

Several projects are being prepped to begin next for MV. Bid winners for the replacement of nearly 3,500 residential water meters should be announced Sept. 26, according to Public Utilities Director Aaron Reinhart. He said they hope to begin soon and have the project completed by April.

Platt also noted they have been reviewing the schematic designs for the new police department on Sychar Road.

There are also maintenance projects and clean-up around the city as it prepares for winter. Public Works Director Tom Hinkle said Captain Hunter’s splash pad and Hiawatha Pool have been closed for the season and winterization has begun on both water facilities. He said they will be making repairs at the water park’s pump house and repairing pebble flex in the zero-entry pool, as well as under the frog slide.

Lights, from street poles to park courts, are also something the city will be monitoring. Hinkle said that as it becomes dark sooner, residents may notice streetlights a little more often. He said that if someone notices a streetlight in need of repair that AEP takes care of any outages. Residents should get the pole number off the yellow tag on the pole and fill out a questionnaire at www.aepohio.com to get the light replaced.

He also noted new LED lights have been installed at the Memorial Park tennis courts, which have a timing system. The lights can only be turned on from 6-11 p.m. each day.