YOUNGSTOWN Officials seek funds to fight suit

The city is optimistic that a settlement can be reached.
YOUNGSTOWN -- City officials hope a $725,000 legal bill will save many millions of dollars later.
The law department is seeking an additional $300,000 from council to fight a federal environmental lawsuit against the city.
Numbers such as $350 million in costs have been thrown out before. Council has authorized spending $425,000 so far.
The latest cash infusion should pay legal bills for the next six months, said Atty. Iris Torres Guglucello, an assistant city law director involved with the case.
Trial is scheduled for Oct. 1 but Torres Guglucello is "very optimistic and hopeful" that a settlement can be reached before that.
She declined to talk about details, saying she didn't want to jeopardize any settlement.
A settlement will save the city millions of dollars by avoiding construction projects the government was seeking, said Carmen Conglose Jr., city deputy director of public works.
"We'll avoid the large bullet we were facing a year and a half ago," he said.
The details: Last year the federal government sued the city over what it says were violations of the Clean Water Act and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency permits.
City officials originally talked about $100 million worth of work over 30 to 40 years as a reasonable settlement.
The federal government reportedly wanted $200 million worth of work completed in less than 10 years.
The case potentially could quadruple city sewer bills.
Legal fees were projected to top $1 million.
The money is coming from the sewer department's budget.
Councilman Ron Sefcik, D-4th, chairman of council's public utilities committee, said he favors raising the legal spending cap to $750,000, especially if that will take the city through a settlement. Sefcik said he will seek the opinion of other committee members before seeking passage of the legislation.