YOUNGSTOWN Council intends to end $120,000 CIC contract

CIC is proposing an $8 million addition to the Voinovich center.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council wants to dissolve its contract with the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., the city's downtown redevelopment agency.
Council passed a resolution of intent to dissolve the contract by a 6-0 vote Wednesday. Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st and CIC vice president, was absent.
An ordinance authorizing the board of control to dissolve the city's contract with the nonprofit CIC will go before council at 5 p.m. June 16.
Under the contract, the city pays about $120,000 annually to the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to oversee the CIC, said council President John R. Swierz.
If the ordinance passes, it would end the city's contract with, and city funding for, the CIC, but the city can't abolish the agency, Swierz explained.
The city provides CIC with funding, but the corporation also derives rent and parking lot income from properties it owns, Swierz said.
When he was 7th Ward Councilman, Swierz co-sponsored legislation with Ron Sefcik, D-4th, to dissolve the contract with CIC in November 2001, and the legislation went to council's finance committee.
Councilmen, dissatisfied with the amount of activity generated by CIC, then agreed to give CIC six months to produce more results, Swierz said. Swierz added that, when he represented the 7th Ward, he believed CIC hadn't been sufficiently productive.
In CIC's defense
Some CIC board members -- which include several council members and the board of control -- have argued in the past that lacking city funding and little demand for the buildings hindered redevelopment.
They also point to numerous successes, from salvaging some rundown buildings to demolition of the old Higbee building and later erecting the George V. Voinovich Government Center.
CIC is in the midst of proposing an $8 million addition to the Voinovich Center for the state Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Mahoning County Children Services Board.
Top CIC officials couldn't be reached to comment.
Council's action came on the eve of CIC executive committee meeting to discuss the CIC executive director's position.
CIC is expected to announce the hiring of a new director at that meeting. The chamber fired the previous director, Robin Rogers, in March.
She is the subject of an investigation in which police have subpoenaed bank records in the theft of 16 checks totaling more than $39,000 from CIC.
Mayor George McKelvey recently proposed establishing a new CIC centered on the proposed arena and hotel-conference center project downtown, similar to the Gateway Development Corp. in Cleveland, which was used to build Gund Arena and Jacobs Field.
Last week, McKelvey voiced his support for the agency to counter the perception that the proposed new CIC is meant to undercut the current board.