Councilmen to visit arena in Texas city

Councilmen are to make the trip despite the mayor's request that they wait.
& lt;a href=mailto:rgsmith@vindy.com & gt;By ROGER SMITH & lt;/a & gt;
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Some city council members want to see for themselves, by themselves, the type of arena the administration is exploring.
A couple of members and one council candidate expect to travel later this week at the city's expense to Hidalgo, Texas, to check out the Rio Grande Valley Events Center.
City administrators aren't invited.
The city of Hidalgo, on the Mexican border, is building a $20 million, 5,500-seat arena that opens in October. The city has a $9 million federal loan and is borrowing the rest.
Global Spectrum is managing the building. Global is a partner of the developer that the city of Youngstown has been negotiating with to build a similar-size arena downtown.
Mayor George M. McKelvey acknowledged Monday that the city is researching how much it would cost to build and operate a Hidalgo-type project here. The city has about $25 million remaining on a federal grant to build such an arena.
Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, said the two-day fact-finding trip will help council members better understand what city negotiators are doing.
Critical of mayor
Gillam has been critical of the mayor in recent months about a lack of information on project talks. Last month, Gillam sponsored legislation requiring city officials traveling to any arena project-related meeting to take at least one councilman, too.
"Everybody has their own concept of this thing. As council ... we need to go out there for answers," he said.
Gillam said he, James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, and Mark S. Memmer, who won the recent Democratic primary in the 7th Ward, likely will make the trip. Michael Rapovy, D-5th, also might join the group, he said. Memmer was invited because he is expected to be elected in November, Gillam said.
City council's travel budget will pay for the members' travel, he said. Memmer is to pay his own way.
The fact-finding mission is unusual for council members.
Councilmen in recent years typically have limited their travel to twice-annual trips to National League of Cities meetings. Even then, fewer than half of council members usually makes the trip.
Another trip planned
Council members are to travel despite McKelvey's request that they wait. The councilmen are well intentioned, but they may end up traveling to Hidalgo twice within a month, he said.
The city should have cost figures for a Hidalgo-type area in two weeks, McKelvey said. He expects his finance and law directors to make a similar trip two weeks after that. McKelvey asked Gillam to delay the trip so city officials could join council members and better explain what's happening.
Gillam, however, said council members want to take an independent look at the Hidalgo building.
McKelvey said he will make clear to Global that the council members do not represent the city in contract negotiations.
One council member doesn't understand the need for such a trip.
Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, questioned why some of his colleagues want to make a fact-finding trip now. Atkinson first wants to see what deal the administration comes up with. Then, council can explore the deal and decide whether to approve it, he said.
& lt;a href=mailto:rgsmith@vindy.com & gt;rgsmith@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;