Mount Vernon council adopts routine and emergency resolutions; ordinances advance
Loading...
Summary
The council adopted several resolutions and ordinances on April 15 — including road salt procurement, demolition RFQ for downtown buildings, disposal of surplus vehicles, a Safe Streets grant pre‑application, auditor payment authority, and brownfields remediation — and advanced or read multiple ordinances.
Mount Vernon City Council on April 15 approved multiple resolutions and ordinances, combining routine financial housekeeping with several time‑sensitive actions.
Key outcomes at a glance:
• Resolution 2026‑34 — ODOT cooperative purchasing program for road salt: council suspended rules and adopted the resolution so the city can participate in statewide procurement and better secure quantities and rates for 2026. Staff discussed pretreatment methods (including beet‑juice brine) and storage considerations.
• Resolution 2026‑35 — RFQ for demolition of three downtown properties (behind 40 Public Square): adopted as an emergency following staff testimony that recent storm damage exposed structural risks; staff will issue an RFQ and coordinate historic salvage with preservation partners.
• Resolution 2026‑38 — Disposal of surplus police vehicles: suspended rules and adopted; staff will auction unneeded vehicles to clear impound space.
• Resolution 2026‑39 — Safe Streets and Roads for All grant pre‑application (SR‑13/Upper Fredericktown Road): suspended rules and adopted to allow staff to file a pre‑application by month end; staff cited a $500,000 local contribution toward an estimated $10 million construction need if the grant is later awarded.
• Resolution 2026‑40 — Auditor payment authority (then‑and‑now certification): suspended rules and adopted to authorize the auditor to pay several outstanding obligations (audit firm fees, EPA discharge fee, wastewater closing cost) described by staff.
• Resolution 2026‑41 — Brownfields remediation contracts (Mount Vernon Justice Center and South Sandusky Street improvements): suspended rules and adopted; staff explained environmental assessments at several sites (including coal‑waste legacy areas) and said use of Brownfields funding and qualified consultants is necessary to clean sites for public‑works use.
Ordinance actions:
• Ordinance 2026‑06 (curbside recycling): amended and adopted as housekeeping to remove conflicts with prior legislation.
• Ordinance 2026‑09 (taxi regulation): suspended rules and adopted to shift taxi oversight to the utility commission.
Votes and procedural notes: several resolutions were advanced by suspending the three‑reading rule because of deadlines or procurement timing; one attempt to suspend rules (Resolution 2026‑36, sale of 69 Sycar Road) failed and that item received a first reading instead to allow additional committee review.
Next procedural steps: staff will issue procurement documents, file the SS4A pre‑application before the deadline and return to council for contract approvals and further public meetings as required.
