YOUNGSTOWN CIVIC CENTER Council approves motions for project

Council defeated a proposed ban on so-called assault weapons.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council asserted its authority over the convocation-center project by passing two motions by a 6-0 vote Wednesday evening.
The motions, made by Councilman Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, called for all decisions regarding the project to be approved by at least four councilmen and for at least one councilman to travel with city officials on any out-of-town trip related to the center.
Gillam said he made the motions because he wants council to be informed about matters pertaining to the project before learning about them in the press.
McKelvey's comments
Mayor George McKelvey said he fully supported the motions but believed they are redundant because council already has legislative authority over the project.
"Council has authorized every activity that has occurred in the negotiation process involving the arena project," the mayor said. Councilmen have received any information they sought from the administration on the project, he added.
With Councilman Ron Sefcik, D-4th, absent on vacation, council also voted 6-0 to defeat an ordinance that would have banned possession or sale of a variety of guns defined as "assault weapons."
Gillam, chairman of council's safety committee, said he believes the ordinance could have caused someone returning from legitimate target shooting to be arrested if police were to find a gun banned by the ordinance in that person's car.
"As the ordinance is right now, it would be detrimental to people who are innocent who are involved with gun clubs," he explained. If Police Chief Robert Bush wants council to consider the matter again, Gillam said he should present a more tightly written ordinance.
Entertainment district
Council also approved an ordinance approving the designation of a 120-acre downtown entertainment district, bounded by South Avenue, Watt Street, Rayen Avenue, Fifth Avenue and the railroad tracks across the Mahoning River from downtown. The district includes Anthony's-on-the River and the B & amp;O Restaurant.
Jeffrey Kurz, the lawyer for the Youngstown Arts and Entertainment District Association, which pushed for the designation, said the designation opens the door to a wide variety of government and other community beautification and improvement grants.
He also said council's action means voters in the entire city, not just one downtown precinct, would have to vote downtown dry for the district to become dry.
The district would get 15 new liquor licenses selling for $1,875 each if pending legislation passes the Ohio Legislature and authorizes the new liquor licenses in communities with populations of 20,000 or more. The threshold is 100,000 population, and Youngstown's population is about 80,000.