Mount Vernon council advances multiple ordinances for consideration — AI pilot, sewer equipment, city mapping — and holds personnel executive session

MOUNT VERNON — At a Feb. 24 work session the Mount Vernon City Council placed multiple ordinances on its next meeting agenda, including a proposed pilot program to build an artificial‑intelligence environment, a Dell VxRail support contract to be paid from ARPA funds, a $22,000 contract for citywide parcel mapping, and a planned purchase of sewer equipment and a combo vacuum truck. Two contract items for the Edison Avenue pump station were held “agenda pending” pending corporation counsel review. The council also went into and returned from an executive session for a personnel interview by unanimous roll call.

The council’s management services and public works tallies led the session. Management Services presented a set of proposed ordinances: a budget transfer for 2024 expenditures; a Dell VxRail support contract that staff said would be paid from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds; a proposed agreement with Sunlight Technology Inc., doing business as Readily, for a pilot program “to create an AI environment for the city”; and an ordinance to dispose of damaged and nonfunctional equipment.

“Item number 1” through “item number 5” were listed for the agenda by staff, while two Edison Avenue pump station items (a general construction contract and an equipment procurement contract) were marked agenda pending because council was waiting on corporation counsel’s advice. Johan, a…