AUSTINTOWN Youngstown project prompts request of panel

The city is slated to receive the funding it needs for the project from other sources.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Youngstown officials had the opportunity this morning to persuade a committee to change some of the criteria used to award Issue 2 funding to local road and sewer projects.
The District 6 Public Works Integrating Committee was to meet at 9 a.m. at the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments offices to discuss their state Issue 2 funding criteria. The state requires the committee to re-evaluate the criteria every year.
City's position
City officials have said they think the committee should have a more uniform method of giving projects credit for regional importance during the funding process.
This year, the city applied for $946,000 in state Issue 2 money funds to help pay for the Federal Street reconstruction project. The committee awards points to projects based on several criteria.
Projects that receive the most points are recommended for funding first. The committee continues to recommend that the state fund projects based on points until there is not enough Issue 2 money left to pay for an entire project.
After a debate that was heated at times, the committee awarded the Federal Street project 10 out of 30 points under its regional importance criteria. The project did not receive funding.
Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey had asked the committee why the Federal Street project received less credit for regional importance than road re-paving projects in smaller communities.
Carmen Conglose, the city's deputy director of public works and a committee member, also had argued that the Federal Street project would encourage business development downtown and improve the region's economy.
The project
The Federal Street project would remove the Federal Plaza and rebuild the street between Phelps and Walnut streets, reopening Federal Street to traffic.
Neither Conglose nor McKelvey could be reached Thursday.
Mahoning County Engineer Richard Marsico, who serves as committee chairman, said the committee was open to suggestions from the city.
"They're a member. If they come up with something, we're going to listen," he said.
City officials also had asked why the committee did not award the project points for the effect it could have on traffic. Conglose presented the committee with traffic counts from Federal Street before it was closed, as well as traffic estimates if it is open.
Committee members said they don't award points based on old traffic counts or on traffic estimates.
The city threatened to sue the group and appealed to the Ohio Public Works Commission. That appeal was denied.
The state Department of Development later committed $500,000 to the project. City officials said they will borrow money to generate the remaining $446,000.
A $2.08 million federal grant is funding the bulk of the project. The city expects to start work on the project in mid-August.
hill@vindy.com