In the Dec. 30, 2021 issue of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, we listed a number of goals for the community for the coming year.
So, how did the community do in tackling many of those goals?
Trash rollout in
Mount VernonThere were hiccups along the way, but the trash containers were delivered in late June for the first pick-up date of July. Glass recycling was an issue that got addressed by late fall, and the council took no action on a policy for snowbirds at thee Monday, Dec. 5 council meeting, nor have low to moderate income issues been addressed for the City of Mount Vernon. It wasn’t as smooth as it could have been for a rollout, and there are still areas that may need addressing, but it was also a significant change for the community.
Pool plans The aquatic center study has had two public sessions now and is continuing to collect input from citizens via another survey at https://watersedge.mysocialpinpoint.com/mvswimming. The study has indicated how much of an issue members of the community think the pool has been. The life span of our current pool has been decades longer than most pools ever last without critical failures. That guidance will give the council and city the needed feedback of where a new pool would best be locatedand the scope of the project. That final recommendation will come spring 2023.
Signage and wayfindingThere have been a number of community meetings on the wayfinding signage project by Confluence, with them going back to the drawing board on final designs for the signs. The project is also on delay because of proposed improvements coming from the roundabout at Hwy. 1 and Business 30 that the Iowa Department of Transportation will be making, reducing the roundabout back to a single lane, as well as Confluence coming back with new designs.
Housing options/projectsAddressing needs at the low to moderate income housing thresholds is a continued point of discussion, with a Cedar Rapids developer trying to get a project going in the Ash Park historic neighborhood. That project didn’t advance because of concerns to make the building not detract from other historic buildings in the district, but it is not something Mount Vernon or Lisbon is giving up on. In fact, other issues have risen that need to be addressed in these communities as we’re looking to increase our populations, including childcare initiatives and needs in the community.
New superintendentIt wasn’t just a new superintendent at Lisbon Schools last year. Lisbon hired Autumn Pino as a shared superintendent with Springville in February. The district also had to replace secondary principal Aaron Becker and activities director Eric Ties at the end of the school year, leading to a transition of several in leadership positions at Lisbon Schools. Lisbon also was able to locate a science teacher weeks before school started, bringing to a close a long search for a certified teacher in that subject.
We’ll have our hopes, wishes for the Mount Vernon and Lisbon communities for the 2023 year in an upcoming editorial page of the Sun newspaper.