YOUNGSTOWN Arena queries to go in writing
The city will start tapping into the arena's funding.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council wants to turn a storm of words into a flurry of paper.
James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, council's finance committee chairman, is suggesting that the city and members of the board established to oversee development of a downtown civic arena put their questions about the project in writing.
The questions would be answered by the city's law director or Community Development Agency, which monitors the spending of Youngstown's federal money.
That way, both sides will have some answers before the two sides meet, he said.
"I am confident that this approach will afford us the opportunity to more clearly define our respective role," Fortune said.
The arena board has asked to meet with council to clarify weeks of sharp dispute over who controls the $26.8 million in federal funds secured for the project so far.
Needs time: Council needs a chance to prepare for the board's concerns, said Rufus Hudson, D-2nd. Questions without answers make for little progress, he said.
"We just go around and around," Hudson said.
Fleshing out the questions will give more order to the process, said John R. Swierz, D-7th.
The approach can be a productive one and is a reasonable way to define the discussion, said Leonard Schiavone, the arena board chairman.
Time remains a concern, however, he said. The board had wanted a meeting as soon as possible. The project must get started before funding is jeopardized, he said.
"Hopefully the process will not drag on and drag on and drag on," Schiavone said.
The idea might slow the project some, but that's not such a bad thing, said Charles P. Sammarone, city council president. Moving too fast will put everybody in trouble, he said.
Tapping the fund: Meanwhile, the city will start tapping into the arena funding.
An ordinance for Wednesday's council meeting appropriates $56,100 to pay arena-related costs.
MS Consultants will be paid $35,100 for its environmental assessments of potential sites. Gateway Consultants Group will be paid $21,000 for its site selection analysis.