Youth get involved with city

Members of the Posey County Community Foundation Youth Council met with city officials Wednesday to find out what they city needed for its riverfront renovation projects.
Phase I of the project is complete and the silo has been torn down — city officials are now gearing up for Phase II of the project.
The group, represented by eight students at the meeting, bounced ideas off Mount Vernon Mayor John Tucker and councilman Steve Fuelling, which included raising money to purchase new playground equipment for the Sherburne Park, and benches and picnic tables for the area.
The youth group, accompanied by PCCF Director and Young Professionals of Posey County member Johnna Denning, is planning on doing fundraising throughout Mount Vernon, especially at local businesses, to raise money to complete their projects.
The riverfront project is being helped along by the Master Gardeners, the Mount Vernon Garden Club and member of the Azalea Trail organization. However, this
is the first group to come to the city council members to find out what else is being envisioned for the riverfront redevelopment.
Tucker and Fuelling indicated their excitement that the group of young people approached them to see what they could do to help.
Between the PCCF Youth Council and Young Professionals of Posey County, the groups
brought up the idea of buying an inflatable projection screen to play movies on for when the riverfront project is complete.
"It's encouraging to see young people buying in," Tucker said.
The city is hoping to begin Phase II of the riverfront project by March.
The bids have returned with Deig Brothers of Evansville bid $1,010,141.00 and Ragle Inc., of Newburgh, put in a bid for $1,020,686.47.
Since the project is being largely funded by a grant through the Indiana Department of
Transportation, the bids and specs had to be inspected by INDOT engineers and legal department before the bids are awarded by the city.
As of the newspaper's deadline, the bids and their specs are being looked over by the city attorney.

Sara Manifold

Mount Vernon City Council member Steve Fuelling, right, talks with the Posey County Community Foundation Youth Council, including Layton Hopper, center, about the riverfront project.

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Sara Manifold

At left is Mount Vernon Mayor John Tucker. At right, Youth Council members Kassidy Wolfe and Megan McDonald take a look at the plans for Phase II of the riverfront project.

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