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The Mount Vernon Board of Estimate and Contract passed authorization Friday for the City of Mount Vernon to agree to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s consent order. By this order, the City of Mount Vernon has paid a fine of $40,000 for the environmental concerns at Memorial Field and officially begins the process of cleaning-up the impacted areas at the field.
Based on the order, the community can expect a timeframe of approximately 18 months to remediate the areas and return the park to public use. Should the city fail to adhere to the environmental remediation timeframe, Mount Vernon will face fines and penalties.
“I cried tears of joy at the signing and authorization of this consent order," Mayor Richard Thomas said. "The image of my mother cheering me on from the Memorial Field stands when I was a young man playing sports is one of my most cherished memories. I know she is watching from above and cheering today’s vote.
“All of Mount Vernon’s young people deserve the chance to play at Memorial Field while their friends and family encourage them. This field is our crown jewel, our beloved park, and the community space that we deserve. I thank my colleagues in government for the votes to move Memorial Field forward. We must continue on this aggressive track to make Mount Vernon magnificent again.”
City Council President Roberta Apuzzo said, “The City Council believes in our young people and our parks. I know Memorial Field to be a place of happy memories and it deserves to be so again. We are proud to part of the team returning our Memorial Field to the people of Mount Vernon.”
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