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Mount Vernon council adopts PIO position, approves grant and appropriations measures
Summary
On March 23 the council adopted an ordinance establishing compensation for a community development/public information officer and passed two resolutions creating budget lines and supplemental appropriations for a probation incentive grant and an OWDA wastewater design loan; several other ordinances received first or second readings.
Mount Vernon — The City Council on March 23 adopted an ordinance establishing compensation, benefits and terms of employment for a community development/public information officer and approved multiple housekeeping resolutions that create budget lines and authorize supplemental appropriations for grants and loans.
Councilmember Miss Kener moved adoption of Ordinance 2026-05, which sets the pay and terms for the new community development/public information officer role. Supporters said the role will centralize external-facing economic-development work, pursue grants and manage crisis communications. "I think that this is an important role at this point for the city," Miss Kener told council during third-reading debate.
Separately, the council suspended the rules and adopted Resolution 2026-31 to create lines in the 230 (probation) fund to track a $29,000 incentive payment and to rename and create a wastewater OWDA fund (formerly a 7-Eleven fund) to track a $2.3 million OWDA loan for design work. Resolution 2026-32 then made the supplemental appropriations so departments could spend the funds and pay vendors promptly.
City finance staff said the probation money was an earned incentive under a two-year grant, and that the OWDA loan was being placed in a dedicated fund to improve tracking and auditing. Mr. Brinkman explained to council that the probation incentive is being added because "we hit our incentives and they said, 'Because you hit your incentives, here's some more money.'" The OWDA design loan will allow wastewater staff to proceed with engineering work.
Other business: Council gave first readings to ordinances regarding curbside recycling changes, taxi-cab regulation updates (staff noted that ride-hailing platforms remain specifically exempt from local regulation), and a services coordinator position. Several items were scheduled for committee discussion at the April 13 meeting.
Votes and procedure: Ordinance 2026-05 (community development/public information officer) passed on third reading after a recorded roll call of councilmembers. Resolutions 2026-31 and 2026-32 were adopted after suspension of rules to allow spending to proceed without delay.
