Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr shared updates on the City with The Morning Thing on Friday, 1/31/25.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation.

Topics included:
A discussion about current construction and maintenance projects for the city. He shares the progress of these projects:
– the Splashpad.
– the Mansfield Avenue Shared Use Path
– the Dan Emmett Community Development Block Grant area.
– Fairgrounds Water Line and resurfacing project.

Mayor Starr gives updates on the Wastewater Treatment Plant project:
He says that other mandated upgrades will have a price tag of $45 million. He says they are trying to find various sources of funding to help with the cost.

Mayor Starr says that City Auditor Pay Mayville has resigned effective February 14.
The Republican Central Committee will be tasked with finding a replacement once he officially leaves office.

Mayor Starr Mayor Starr gives an update on other city departments.
– He gives an update on the city filling potholes and if someone sees a pothole to report it to the street department at 393-9501.
– He gives kudos to the plow drivers for going above and beyond their normal duties during snow events.
Park and Pavilion reservations are now available online at the city’s website at (currently) mountvernonohio-dot-com
– They will also be launching a new website soon and re-doing the city’s business videos on their website.

Mayor Starr talks about the listening tours for the new facilities.
– There has been concern about how the facilities will look.
– He says the public comment period for the new police department will end February 23.
– More listening tour dates are planned in February and March.
– He adds that there is an online survey for the public to see if they would like to give input.

Mayor Starr talks about the happenings of Liberty Crossing, the major development on Newark Road.
– Result in 230 apartments, 90 townhouses and 43 patio homes and 93 traditional homes.
– He says that this project has been in the works for quite a while.

Mayor Starr shares updates from Mount Vernon City Council:
– Oppose an ATT tariff revision that shifts the cost of relocating lines to the city.
– He says if the revision would have been approved, the city and taxpayers would have had to pay for the re-location.
– He says they have 80 volunteers to serve on committees and boards for the city.
– They had a second reading for re-zoning at 0 Parrot Street. He says the decision could be precedent setting in the state of Ohio.
– The city received permission from the council to apply to the Federal Community Project Funding program to find funding for buildings and other pieces of infrastructure.

Mayor Starr shares an update from the Mount Vernon Police Department
– He says they are updating information regarding the public comments for the new facility.
– He says the police department is fully staffed.
– He says the Police Department’s award ceremony is tomorrow.

Mayor Starr shares an update from the Mount Vernon Fire Department.
– He says that they are constantly working on training including completing ice rescue training.
– He adds that the entire department is fully staffed. 
– He also gives award recipients from the Fire Department Award Ceremony.

Mayor Starr shares his immediate goals for February:
– He is proud that they did not use an interim budget. They passed the budget which allows decisions to be made now as opposed to waiting for an interim budget to be finalized.
– He wants to have the design team picked for planning the new buildings
– He says they also will be releasing an employee handbook and handbook for board members for the first time in the city’s history.

Mayor Starr shares his goals for 2025:
– He wants to make sure that the auditor’s office runs smoothly
– He says they are in the process of property acquisition for the South Sandusky Street Corridor Project.
– He says the buildings in Memorial Park are being replaced.

Mayor Starr gives some calendar events for February.
– Groundbreaking on Liberty Crossing on February 5.
– The Mount Vernon Arts Consortium will give an update on the season February 8.
– There will also be a joint meeting of Mount Vernon Council, Knox County Commissioners and regional planning commission meeting to talk about the comprehensive plan.

He also shares the way you can pray for him and the city.

To stay in touch with the City, go to:
Website – http://www.mountvernonohio.org
Facebook – The City of Mount Vernon
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YouTube – The City of Mount Vernon
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