Mt. Vernon aldermen talk major park improvements

City looks to enhance Spirit of ‘76 Park, including leaky swimming pool upgrade
 
The Mt. Vernon Board of Aldermen approved paying for two concept drawings, one for the Spirit of ’76 Park and the other for the city pool, at a total cost of $7,675.00, during their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 24. The park and pool concept drawings will be created by Olsson Engineering and Westport Pools, respectively.
Max Springer, city administrator, presented the board with two possible concept drawings from Olsson for the Spirit of ’76 Park during his department report and recommended they go with the first one.
“Concept #1 offers the best solution,” he stated in his report. It will allow us to build one new ball field, rehab the existing Mighty Mite football field and build another set of restrooms and a new concession stand. It would include the road build out from the main parking lot to East Street and add two new parking lots. The plan would also allow us to build an ADA compliant playground, renovate the pool and pool house, move the shop building have some money to make some improvements on the other parks.”
Springer also told the board he had contacted Westport Pools and asked them if they could provide them with a concept drawing of the pool renovation.
“I have asked them to include a lazy river, zero entry ramp with rail, beach entry with children’s play features, a zip-line swing, rock climbing walls … (a) large slide and large umbrellas for shade,” he said in his report. Alderman Lowell Phillips asked Springer to also have Westport do something with the pool’s north entrance.
The board approved both concept drawings; the Spirit of ’76 Park will cost $2,000 plus reimbursable expenses, while the pool drawing will cost $5,675.00.

In other business:
The board also approved the replacement of two hydraulic actuator valves on the HVAC unit at City Hall at a cost of $2,562.00. Additionally, the board passed two new ordinances. The first one stated that the proposed Mountaintop Homes Development is consistent with zoning regulations and the comprehensive plan adopted by the city.
The second ordinance approved a new contract between the city and the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission (MJMEUC); the new ordinance approves a change in the billing practices between the city and MJMEUC.
The board also heard from Donna Pritchard, who asked for an update about what was going on in the Sunset Heights Addition, where she lives, since the flooding on May 28. Springer said an engineering team was looking at the original study of Sunset Heights from 1990 and were working on a new study; he added that he had spoken with them a week earlier, and they would have a new study completed either that week or the following week.