Mount Vernon officials outline sustainability plan covering wastewater, trees, pollinators and neighborhood paths

City officials and community volunteers presented a broad sustainability and resiliency update at a Mount Vernon city meeting, outlining an estimated $45 million wastewater phosphorus-reduction project, a proposed citywide shade-tree master plan, a pollinator corridor and several community-led projects including a food forest at Arch Avenue Park.

The presentation focused on required regulatory work at the wastewater plant and a package of nature-based and community-driven measures meant to reduce stormwater impacts, expand tree canopy, support pollinators and improve walkability. A city official said reducing phosphorus at the wastewater treatment plant is mandatory under Ohio environmental rules: “We have to reduce our phosphorus,” the official said, adding that the current design estimate is about $45,000,000.

Why it matters: the wastewater upgrade responds to state and federal environmental requirements and carries a large price tag with implications for future utility budgets and capital planning. The shade-tree and beautification work, pollinator corridors, composting pilot and shared-use path under discussion affect neighborhood quality of life, stormwater management and public health across Mount Vernon.

Wastewater and sewer system work City staff described a design to reduce phosphorus at the municipal wastewater treatment plant and said the project will include facility upgrades. The city official said the current planning estimate is about $45 million but added the final bill likely will be reduced through design decisions; some costs may be passed to customers through normal rate and inflation adjustments. The presentation also noted an ongoing Ohio EPA order tied to pump-station protections and that remediation around a north-end pump station has already reduced overflows tied to downspouts that had been connected to the sanitary sewer.

Sewer infiltration was highlighted with figures given during the meeting: presenters reported the system pumps about 2.5 million gallons that serve customers while roughly 4.5 million gallons return to the sewer plant, a gap that indicates infiltration and inflow that the city is still tracing.

Trees, shade master plan and tree care Speakers proposed creating a formal shade-tree master plan to guide future plantings, inventories and maintenance. The plan would require staff time, technology and funding; presenters said they would try to identify money to support the work and to formalize a committee to oversee the plan. The presentation framed tree canopy expansion as a climate- and cost-saving strategy: shade reduces urban heat islands, lowers energy costs and can help with stormwater uptake.

Presenters discussed an existing program to buy and manage post-planting water bags and reported the city recently encumbered funds to purchase additional bags to support new plantings. Staff said the Arbor Trust would fund the purchase and noted previous purchases and program logistics, including coordination with contractors who mow and maintain city properties.

Pollinators, food forest and community programs Community members described a planned food forest at Arch Avenue Park and current programming at the Arch Park Community Garden for children and a Green Teen internship model. Bill Arons, a neighborhood volunteer, outlined the food-forest concept and permaculture techniques including layered plantings and hugelkultur mounds. "A food forest is a pretty simple idea...the idea is to take the shape of a mature forest and apply food species to that," Arons said.

The city and volunteers also discussed creating a pollinator corridor, expanding pollinator habitat and reducing routine mowing to support native plants. Staff said seed was purchased for Columbus Delano areas but that seasonal timing had forced a change in the schedule; staff proposed using an annual rye cover crop this spring and following up with native seed later.

Pilot composting, tire collection and grants Officials described a planned household food-compost pilot limited to a small group of neighboring homes (participants and an exact duration were discussed but not finalized in the meeting). The city confirmed a successful tire-collection event from the previous year and said it expects to run another event with grant support. Presenters reported active work on several grants, including ODNR applications and a planned submission to a regional sustainability recognition program (presenter referred to MORPC’s Sustainable 2050-style recognition) and outreach to OSU Extension and local partners for tree and fruit-tree grants.

Active transportation and site-specific projects Staff described the Mansfield Avenue shared-use path as a key piece of the city’s walkability plan that will connect the North End to downtown and parks and help people without motor vehicles travel safely. Staff also reported on a floodplain/flood-control modeling effort on the North Fork of the Coquosene River and on a planned watershed master plan to refine flood-risk mapping and potential mitigations.

Decisions and next steps Presenters said they will pursue a formal committee for sustainability, follow up on grant deadlines (an April 1 application deadline for one program was noted), and refine costs and timelines for the phosphorus project and other initiatives. Staff requested follow-up meetings to walk project sites (for example, Martinsburg Road sidewalk/tree conflicts) and said they will return with more details, cost estimates and grant materials.

Votes at a glance - Acceptance of prior meeting minutes: motion made and seconded; passed by voice vote. (Mover/second not specified in the transcript.) - Adjournment: motion made and seconded; passed by voice vote.

What was not decided or remains unspecified Meeting speakers identified several items that require more detail or formal approval: the final scope and funding plan for the wastewater phosphorus project; the duration and exact participant list for the household compost pilot (presenters mentioned both "10 homes" and an uncertain duration and explicitly said the timescale was not recalled); exact grant award outcomes; and final selections for tree removals or retention along Martinsburg Road pending a site walk.

The city official and community volunteers asked residents, neighborhood groups and school representatives to join a formal sustainability committee and promised to return with a formal plan and funding proposals for committee consideration.