URBAN RENEWAL Warren officials consider applying for federal Weed and Seed funding

The mayor points to blight eradication as one of the goals.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city is considering applying for federal Weed and Seed declaration, but with an application deadline just weeks away the prospects for this year appear dim.
The U.S. Department of Justice provides federal grants to communities on a competitive basis. The program focuses on community policing, neighborhood restoration and increased law enforcement.
Councilman Alford L. Novak, D-2nd, has been pushing the idea for the last several years, but says the city has never applied for the funding.
"There was never the support on council," he said.
He hopes that's about to change.
"We're going to be working diligently on the grant application process and working hard to meet all of the deadlines," said Mayor Michael J. O'Brien.
The grant is set to be discussed at a meeting of council's police and fire committee, but the meeting date hasn't been set.
The idea is to eradicate blighted areas of the city and make them more attractive, O'Brien said.
Novak hopes the money can be used to target drug activity in the city.
"We're dealing with the worst drug problem that I've seen in my 51 years of living in Warren," he said.
Cathy Bercheni, the city's equal employment opportunity coordinator, is one of those assigned to work on the grant application.
"It's very competitive," she said.
Plan's focus
The city will develop a plan involving law enforcement and other agencies to target crime and provide victim services, neighborhood restoration and conflict resolution.
Even with the backing of council and the administration, the city's chances for funding may be slim.
The application deadline is April 28 and work on the application just started.
But Novak believes it should be pursued next year if the application can't be completed or gets turned down this time.
"I think it's important, and we could use that federal money," he said.
The mayor also believes it's worthy of further pursuit.
Youngstown has had a Weed and Seed program in place since 2000 targeting much of that city's South Side with crime prevention and neighborhood enhancement programs.
The name comes from the idea that you weed out the criminal element from a neighborhood while seeding it with human services including treatment and prevention and neighborhood revitalization.
Girl Scout involvement
The Girl Scouts Lake to River Council works with Youngstown's Weed and Seed program with an after-school program for girls.
Each school day, 10 to 60 girls attend the program in the Martin Luther Lutheran Church building working on computers, Girl Scout badges or their homework, said Karen Conklin, executive director of the Girl Scout Council.
She said the council also would be interested in working with Warren if that city establishes a Weed and Seed program.
"We talk with the city to find out what the city's mission is around Weed and Seed and how we can plug into it," Conklin said.
Weed and Seed involves a two-step process. A community first must achieve recognition status before it's eligible for funding.
To get recognition status, a community must develop a strategy for a particular geographic area that's been identified for high crime. Weed and Seed applies to a designated area of a community.
That strategy's development must include the local U.S. attorney's office, according to a Web site for Weed and Seed.
The U.S. Justice Department must review the strategy. Once a community receives recognition status, it may apply for funding for five years. A base grant totals $175,000, half of which must be used for "weeding" and the other half for "seeding," according to program guidelines.