YOUNGSTOWN End is near for arena board
Council will likely deliver the final blow Wednesday.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- James E. Fortune Sr. can't think of a reason why city council would change its attitude before Wednesday about eliminating the civic center board.
A solid 5-member majority established itself Friday evening, although it was a vote short of immediately passing the items needed to dump the board.
Moves also fell a vote short to let the city's board of control -- the mayor, finance director and law director -- do feasibility studies and seek requests for project proposals.
Instead, another vote will be at a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday. Six votes would be needed to pass the items.
Presuming that voting doesn't change, a final vote would be at council's regularly scheduled Wednesday meeting.
Four votes would be needed there to eliminate the board and approve the project items.
Breakdown: Fortune, D-6th, was joined Friday by Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, Rufus Hudson, D-2nd, Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, and Michael Rapovy, D-5th.
John R. Swierz, D-7th, cast "no" votes. Ron Sefcik, D-4th, was absent. He announced earlier he wouldn't be attending and said he would vote "no," too, if he had been.
At issue is who will have authority over the proposed downtown project and the $26.8 million federal funds secured.
Fortune called the impasse with the arena board regrettable. He likened the situation to a parent -- council -- dealing with an unruly child -- the board. The toys must be taken away, Fortune said.
"I wish it could've been different," he said.
Mayor George M. McKelvey declined to comment on council's actions until the voting is final.
Robert VanSickle, civic center board chairman, said the group would wait for Wednesday's outcome. The board will decide what to do next at its regular meeting Thursday, he said.
Despite council's actions, technically the board is a development corporation that the city can't kill. Without city funding, however, the organization has no mission.
Reaction: Tom Humphries, president and chief executive of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, called the pending action troubling.
An arena board is the proper way to develop the project, he said. Humphries said he hopes council can find a way to accommodate the board and move the project ahead soon.
Three site-related items did pass council.
Legislation authorized the control board to do three things: Buy property between the Market Street and South Avenue bridges, do more environmental studies, and study the site's road, water, sewer and other utility needs.
The city already established it would pick and buy the site and has been working toward that for months.
Swierz voted for the items because he supports the city's handling the site.
What's next: Fortune said the control board could get started right away with the project once the items pass. The control board won't have to bring negotiated contracts back to council before they become final, he said. In the past, council has required the control board to do just that on economic development items.
Fortune said the project will be within the federal grant guidelines of a "convocation/community center" but didn't know beyond that what it would be.
It's unclear who in city hall would be doing the work.
The city economic development office will play whatever role McKelvey assigns, said Jeffrey L. Chagnot, development director. There was a little talk a few months ago about the office being involved but nothing firm, he said.
The office probably would have to hire somebody if it is put in charge of the project. The four-person staff is busy enough with industrial parks and small business programs, he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com