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 city staff member who reviewed several contracts for the session, told the council, “We were pretty good on all of them. We’re good.”

Why this matters: the items touch city technology, data and core infrastructure spending. Council members pressed for review of contracts and indicated the pump station work will not move forward until legal review is complete.

Public works details and procurement

Public Works identified an ordinance to authorize the purchase of one combo vacuum truck and listed funding sources as state aid and sewer capital. Staff also listed “2 equipment sewers” in the item description; the transcript did not clarify whether that refers to two pieces of sewer equipment or a different line‑item, and the council did not record a further breakdown at the session. The Edison Avenue pump station upgrade general construction and equipment procurement contracts were both held pending corporation counsel advice; staff asked that the council keep those items pending while legal questions are resolved.

Human resources and personnel items

The council accepted an add‑on from city council staff to rename Fourth Street Park as Gus The Wizard Williams Park; that rename will appear on the agenda. The department of buildings submitted an ordinance granting a 12‑month leave of absence to Miguel Wolf from his permanent position as an office assistant so he may serve as a building clerk; council members asked whether the building clerk position is a civil‑service tested post and whether an existing eligible list exists. Staff said they would check and report back.

Labor contract and bargaining unit items

The agenda also lists an ordinance to ratify and approve a contract between the City of Mount Vernon and the Uniform Firefighters Association, Local 107. A council member requested further discussion with the mayor to “delve into what we’re ratifying”; the transcript shows the contract was listed for the agenda but council did not take a final ratification vote at this work session.

Assessment and mapping contract

The Department of Assessment presented a proposed contract with MRB Group (engineering, architecture and surveying) for mapping of the entire city. Staff described the contract as largely a records‑and‑parcel mapping service that updates parcel owner, address and acreage information after deeds are recorded; the session recorded an annual cost of about $22,000. Council members asked whether the work duplicates existing GIS projects; staff explained this contract feeds the city’s parcel/assessment database used by the assessor’s office and the public parcel portal.

Appointments and resolutions

The clerk submitted two resolutions appointing members to the Mount Vernon Economic Development Task Force. One resolution would appoint Constance Jerry Post to a two‑year term effective Feb. 26, 2025, to Feb. 25, 2027. The council held one appointment for further review and called another for placement on the next meeting’s agenda.

Executive session and roll calls

Council members moved into an executive session for a personnel interview. The motion to enter executive session was seconded, and the roll call recorded unanimous support (ayes from Councilman Boxer, Councilwoman Gleason, Councilman Poteet, Councilman Thompson and Council President Brown). After the interview the council voted unanimously to exit executive session on roll call.

Remarks and community note

During closing comments a council member noted a recent death of a 13‑year‑old student and asked the community to support the family; another council member mentioned a GoFundMe page and asked for donations. Those remarks were recorded during the general comments portion of the work session rather than as part of an agenda action.

What remains next

Most items were placed on the next formal meeting agenda for further consideration or action; the Edison Avenue pump station contracts remain agenda pending while the city awaits corporation counsel guidance. Several items involve external approvals or additional clarification (civil‑service listing for the building clerk position; contract terms for the firefighters bargaining unit) that staff said they will return to the council with more detail.