Committee to submit ODNR NatureWorks grant for Arch Park, will add missing legislation after vote

Mount Vernon committee members said they will submit an Ohio Department of Natural Resources NatureWorks grant application for improvements to Arch Park before the program eadline on June 2, planning to file the missing authorizing legislation at the next full council meeting if needed.

The grant application covers a neighborhood park project that staff estimate has an opinion of probable cost of about $250,000; the county llocation available for Knox County through NatureWorks was stated as $47,681. Committee members said they expect to combine the NatureWorks award with other local or private funding and then return to council for budget authorization and additional required steps.

Tanner, a staff member, said the city mailed about 384 survey packets this week to residents in the area the city called the Arch Park neighborhood (Sandusky West up to Fountain Street and south of High Street to Arch Avenue) to gather input on flood mitigation, sidewalks and street lighting, accessibility and transit, and specific park amenities. "We want the people that would most likely utilize this park, to have the first input on what would go in that park," Tanner said.

Brian, a city staff member, provided background on NatureWorks and the city's recent use of the program. "NatureWorks is a fantastic program. It's been around for decades," Brian said, noting previous local projects including the pool, sections of bike trail and work in Foundation Park and American Heritage Park. He said the NatureWorks program operates on a county allocation and that Mount Vernon has in some years taken an extra turn to use unspent county funds.

Because the committee will not meet again before the June 2 grant deadline and two council members were absent from the meeting, staff said they plan to submit the application without one piece of required legislation and then amend the application after the next council meeting if the DNR permits it. "We are going at the direct direction of the safety service director," a committee speaker said, and another member added they would "turn in the grant with a missing piece, which is the legislation." Staff emphasized they expect the DNR to allow follow-up on the missing paperwork given the city's performance record and relationships with the agency, but they did not present a formal vote at the meeting.

If the grant is awarded, staff outlined three further steps they expect: council approval of the 2026 budget, legislation authorizing bidding for the project, and formal acceptance of the award and funds. The project team also said they may pursue private donations or use previously deposited money from American Electric Power (AEP) to close funding gaps; Brian said he could not disclose the AEP compensation amounts because a nondisclosure agreement covers those figures.

Staff described one likely element under consideration: a public restroom modeled on the Harmony Park restroom design for which the city already has engineering stamps and permits. Tanner and staff said using the Harmony Park design would let the city move more quickly if the community supports that feature, but they said the final scope will be determined by survey results and public engagement scheduled for June and July. They also noted procurement options such as competitive bidding with alternate bids for a precast restroom versus an on-site build to encourage pricing competition.

Committee members said Arch Park had lost a water fountain and pavilion as part of a transmission-line rebuild by AEP; those structures were demolished and the city received compensation for them. The transmission-line work and easement shift were described as making a larger usable area in the park.

Next steps: staff will collect returned surveys and begin public engagement through June and July, submit the NatureWorks application before June 2 with the missing legislation to follow, and return to council for budget and bidding authorizations if awarded.