STATE ISSUE 2 Projects will vie for Ohio funding

The committee will announce the projects getting state Issue 2 funding later this month.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- A nine-member committee was to hear presentations today to fund 62 road and improvement projects in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
The 62 projects cost tens of millions of dollars, and the District 6 Public Works Integrating Committee has only $7.6 million in state Issue 2 funding to award. That means most of the funding requests will be rejected.
The committee was to meet today at the Austintown Township Administration Building on Ohltown Road for more than seven hours to hear presentations from officials from the two counties as well as cities, townships and villages in Mahoning and Trumbull counties seeking state funding for their proposals.
The projects include road upgrades and resurfacing, water main replacements and sanitary sewer improvements.
Presentations scheduled
For the first time since state Issue 2 funding began in 1988, the local integrating committee has scheduled times -- in seven-minute blocks -- for each presentation. In years past, presentations were done on a first-come, first-served basis.
"We were asked by township trustees, who have full-time jobs, to develop a schedule so they don't have to sit in the meeting all day waiting for their turn," said John Getchey, executive director of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, which oversees the integrating committee.
Today's hearing is a preliminary review of the projects, he said.
"The committee will go through all of the projects and then set up a meeting in each county to give preliminary ratings to each project," Getchey said. "Then the committee will meet and make a final decision on what projects will receive funding."
The final decision is expected during the third week of this month, Getchey said.
Dividing the money
District 6, which includes Mahoning and Trumbull counties, is receiving $7.6 million this year in state Issue 2 funding for road and improvement projects. Because of the limited funding, officials in the Mahoning Valley communities usually seek money for one or two projects that cost under $1 million, Getchey said.
The proposals are:
Austintown -- Phase IV of the Wickliffe drainage upgrade by Oakwood Avenue.
Berlin -- Shenandoah Drive resurfacing.
Bloomfield -- Flagg East Road upgrade; Creaser-Ashtabula Road resurfacing.
Boardman -- Indianola Road/Southern Boulevard detention basin project.
Braceville -- Jewel North Road upgrade.
Bristol -- Housel-Craft Road upgrade.
Brookfield -- North Stateline Road rehabilitation project.
Campbell -- Wilson Avenue waterline project.
Canfield city -- West Main Street safety upgrade project.
Canfield Township -- St. Andrews culvert replacement.
Coitsville -- Coitsville Township storm water management program, Phase II.
Cortland -- Rosewae/Charles storm sewer improvements, Phase I.
Craig Beach -- Idylwild Avenue storm drainage improvements, Phase II.
Fowler -- Cadwallader-Sonk Road upgrade.
Goshen -- Duck Creek-Pine Lake Road safety upgrade.
Green -- Egypt Road safety upgrade.
Howland -- Howland Glen School retention pond improvements.
Hubbard city -- West Liberty Street safety upgrade project.
Hubbard Township -- Masury area pavement maintenance project.
Jackson -- Blott Road safety upgrade project, Phase II.
Johnston -- Irishtown-Southworth Road safety upgrade.
Kinsman -- Morford East Road safety upgrade.
Liberty -- Red Oaks Drive storm water management project.
Lordstown -- Hallock-Young Road resurfacing and safety upgrade; 24-inch water supply line to General Motors.
Lowellville -- Wood Street storm water management project, Phase I.
Mahoning County -- County 2003 infrastructure program; Westglen/Shields Road sanitary sewer; Gibson Road turnpike crossing; facility power correction and security rehabilitation and upgrade.
Mahoning Valley Sanitary District -- Administration and filter building upgrade project.
McDonald -- Sixth Street safety upgrade project.
Mecca -- Phillips-Rice Road safety upgrade, Phase I; Morrell-Ray Road safety upgrade.
Mesopotamia -- Combs Road safety upgrade.
Milton -- Scottcliff area roadway improvements, Phase I.
New Middletown -- Calla Road 10-inch water main replacement, Phase I.
Newton Falls -- Broad Street water main replacement; Milton Boulevard sanitary sewer relocation; water main valve replacement.
Newton Township -- Bright-Baldwin Road upgrade, Phase I.
Orangeville -- Emma Street upgrade.
Poland Village -- College Street and Marion Drive storm water management project.
Poland Township -- Bendemeer Drive storm water management project.
Smith -- North Benton Road area safety upgrade project.
Springfield -- Phil Rose Avenue pavement safety upgrade, Phase II.
Struthers -- Waste treatment plant improvements, Phase II.
Trumbull County -- Brookfield west hill area sanitary sewer improvements; Trumbull County's 2003 bridge replacement and upgrade; Braceville-Robinson Road water main extension; county 2003 structure rehabilitation project; Brookfield Center South/Brookfield Industrial Park area sanitary sewer project; county's 2003 road improvement project.
Vernon -- Milligan East Road safety upgrade.
Vienna -- Coal Road safety upgrade project, Phase II.
Warren city -- Comstock Street NW paving and storm project.
Weathersfield -- Carver-Niles Road safety upgrade project.
Youngstown -- Federal Street reconstruction project; McGuffey Heights sewer separation and drainage improvement, Phase I.
skolnick@vindy.com