MOUNT VERNON — Dan Fox of North Jefferson Street spoke to the Mount Vernon City Council Monday night about the noise from the Airco on Greenwood Avenue.

According to Fox, the noise starts at 6 a.m. and continues until 6 p.m. He noted that he’s glad Airco is here and that the city needs the business, but he asked the council to address the noise.

“I feel it in my house, this sound,” he told council members. “It’s disrupted our little part of the neighborhood.”

City Council Director Rob Broeren said city noise ordinances apply to residential areas. Airco is located in Heartland Commerce Park, which is zoned industrial.

The Knox County Land Bank manages the HCP. Land Bank President Jeff Gottke agreed with Fox about the noise but said “unscientifically” Airco is below the 85-decibel level set by the state.

He said some of the noise originates from an air compressor on a trailer. Airco has said they will move the trailer to the other side of their building. If that doesn’t reduce the noise enough, the company said it could enclose the compressor.

Additionally, Gottke said HCP’s Property Owners Association might be able to adjust its rules to discourage the noise.

Glenn Shugart, director of operations and quality control for Airco, told Knox Pages late Tuesday afternoon that the company is in the process of relocating the air compressor.

“It should be ready by Friday, hopefully,” he said.

Shugart said much of the noise comes from inside the building. Airco ordered a new door that workers are installing.

New TIF District

Council members approved on second reading legislation creating a 30-year term Tax Increment Financing precinct on Upper Gilchrist Road.

TIF covers Rockford (The Retreat at Mount Vernon) and Lemon developments, plus 12 acres of frontage on Coshocton Road.

TIF only applies to commercial properties.

“TIFs don’t lower taxes, they redirect (the taxes on) the improved value into a fund controlled by the city,” explained Gottke, president of the Area Development Foundation.

“So then that fund can be used for public improvements.”

Public improvements include roads, stormwater, and water/sewer lines within the TIF area. The Upper Gilchrist Road TIF can only cover improvements within the city limits.

The town boundary on Upper Gilchrist is just north of the Schlabach development.

The Rockford development received a 15-year tax abatement. Setbacks take priority over TIFs, so the Upper Gilchrist Road TIF would kick in for years 16-30.

Rockford estimates the city will collect about $8 million in the TIF fund for years 16-30.

However, TIF starts for Lemmon’s development in year 1.

Under a TIF, the schools are made whole. In other words, the city will use TIF money and pay Mount Vernon City Schools and the Knox County Career Center the amount they would have received if the TIF had not existed.

In addition to establishing the TIF district, council members passed legislation establishing a specific fund (TIF-Upper Gilchrist Road Fund) to hold the money raised through the TIF.

Legislative action

Council members took the following actions during their legislative session:

•Given first reading to legislation accepting the amounts the Budget Commission determined the levies will generate: 2.6 mill general fund levy, $1,010,600; and .30 million each police and fire fees, $117,000 each

•Cancelled the three treatments and approved the appointment of Emil Diener to the Shade Tree and Beautification Commission

•Approved on first reading to pay bills, fund transfers and supplementary grants

• Stopped the three treatments and accepted the terms of the national opioid settlement with Kroger Co.

• After discussing it in an executive session earlier in the evening, approved an agreement with the Mount Vernon Firefighters and Paramedics, IAFF Local 3712, regarding wages and benefits