Another year has come to pass in these communities we call home, and a number of our goals for these communities saw work on them, as we noted in the Dec. 16 editorial. Here are some of the goals we have for the 2022 year:
Smooth rollout of
new trash programIt’s going to be a huge change for Mount Vernon when they move to automated garbage pickup with Republic Waste Management, and while the city has been sweating some of the small details in the contract in recent meetings, getting out and communicating these changes to citizens is the next step. Getting citizens to understand the new system and what it means to their pocket books is important, and implementation to the garbage and recycling bin changes is something that we’re hopeful rolls out smoothly.
Pool plans for the future The RFPs for the pool study are in, with four bidders currently bidding for the project. This year would be a good time to delve into the future of a 60-year-old facility many people enjoy using in the summer, and what they might like to see to make that a facility that will serve for another 60 years. The costs are probably not going to be small on any project that involves a new pool, but getting the information and investigating what the best option moving forward will help the project not make too many waves.
Signage and wayfinding Almost two years after the Hwy. 30 bypass has been completed, one of the key aspects the City needs to make a headway on is signage off of the highway. One of the concerns that was raised when the bypass came to this community is people who are new or visiting this town for the first time aren’t being directed to more of the uptown shops and restaurants that comprise this community’s amenities. COVID-19 impacted meetings on this project, but it’s time for us to prove to be the welcoming community we are and help travelers find their way to these destinations they are seeking, as well as help those businesses in uptown benefit from the increased travel to our community.
Housing options/projects move forward One of the discussion points by the Mount Vernon City Council in the past months has been the study put out by the Mount Vernon Housing Commission, noting a need for more housing in the Mount Vernon community for all income brackets, but especially at the low to moderate income level and for senior citizens looking to migrate from current homes to smaller building spaces. As the bypass has just been completed and our area schools continue to highlight their strengths, more people are going to be looking at these two communities as places to locate or relocate. It’s time to really make efforts to advance new housing options in the Mount Vernon and Lisbon communities that cater to a wider market of home buyers and renters. The potential space along Business 30 for residential development makes a lot of sense for Mount Vernon City council to look at.
New superintendent found Lisbon’s going to be hiring a new superintendent for Lisbon and Springville schools by the beginning of this year. Right now, it’s a challenging time for schools, with many districts dealing with staffing issues related to COVID-19 and the ramifications of that to come. Our hope is that this new superintendent has the time to work with the current superintendent this school year to help with transition and help with the guidance for these two school systems in the coming school year.