Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen mints new positions as Chief Hubert attends last meeting

Longtime Mt. Vernon Chief of Police Dave Hubert attended his final board of aldermen meeting as chief on July 28 and was honored for his years of service to the local community.
 
The last for Hubert also marked the first meeting for the newly hired Economic Development Specialist, Meagan Girth. Girth was hired by the city after city administrator Robert Harrington asked the board for approval to create the position at the previous meeting. The board hired for another new position too, approving the addition of Katherine King as the Director of Parks and Recreation.
 
Hubert, who announced his retirement last week, attended the meeting, this time without an official uniform, and received a commendation and award from Brittni Bates, chamber director in Mt. Vernon. The chief was thanked for his service by the board as well.
 
“Thank you for your partnership and for your dedication to the community,” said Bates. “Thank you so much.”
 
Parks and Rec update
During Harrington’s report, he highlighted multiple projects going on around the city. His report detailed the hiring of new Parks and Recreation director King, who is an expert on pool management, he said.
 
The council raised questions about her qualifications to handle the golf course given past struggles with the property. Harrington assured that King intended to spend as much time as it takes to get acquainted with the equipment and procedures involved with caring for the golf course.
 
Harrington stated that he expects King to save the city a considerable amount of money with her experience in pool-related areas.
 
“She knows everything there is to know about the pool, taking care of the pool, the chemicals managing the pool,” said Harrington. “It’s going to save us about $300,000.”
 
Harrington also notified the board that the golf carts, approved for lease at the previous meeting, had arrived.
 
Economic Development Specialist
The position of economic development specialist itself was new for the city, as Girth was hired on July 20.
 
Harrington said that in her first week, she has hit the ground running and has already turned in her first project, a business retention survey.
 
Girth told the board that her goal is to have one-on-one meetings with the town’s foremost employers to identify opportunities for the expansion of workforce support.
 
“She’s done an amazing job for the week she’s been here and I’m looking forward to working with her,” said Harrington.
 
Blue Shield grant
Detective Thomas Taylor arrived to update the council on how the police department plans to spend the nearly $29,000 they received through the Blue Shield grant.
 
The big purchase that the department plans to pursue is that of a UTV or “Gator” vehicle.
 
Taylor said that the machine would be invaluable for the department, allowing them to work their way through crowded areas that may not be suitable for a patrol car, such as at Apple Butter Makin’ Days.
 
Taylor told the board that Tractor Supply in Mt. Vernon had offered them a UTV for a bargain, but Mayor Jason Haymes encouraged him to get quotes from other businesses before making a deal.
 
Much of the grant money will also be spent outfitting each officer with an X26P Taser, as right now there are not enough to supply the department. Taylor budgeted to add six of the tasers to the department.
 
The grant money will also be spent on kits designed to stop bleeding from wounds. The kits include a tourniquet and whatever else an officer might need to stop bleeding in the field. Taylor himself is certified to teach others how to use the kits.
 
Taylor also revealed that the police department is much below its capacity for officers, fielding five while a full force of officers would field 11.
 
Mow money, mow problems
During the presentation of the code enforcement report, the issue of the run-down former KFC property on Mt. Vernon Boulevard was brought to light, mainly by Haymes.
 
Haymes said that he noticed while driving into town that the first thing visitors see when entering the city is the empty building with grass more than four feet tall.
 
The property was an eyesore as far as Haymes was concerned and needed to be remedied, but the process was not straightforward, according to City Attorney Toni Hendricks. The city had already issued the owners multiple notices that they need to cut their grass, but the ownership, tracing back to California, was unresponsive.
 
This left the city with the option of issuing a grass ticket and letting the issue play out in the legal system or mowing the grass themselves. The city chose the latter. As of Aug. 3, the grass had been mowed.