YOUNGSTOWN | Council's actions

City council met Wednesday and:
Heard Sarah A. Gunn, president of Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County, which builds new homes for low-income people, announce that Habitat is establishing a warehouse on Manning Avenue, plans to break ground for a house next month on Porter Avenue and seeks a zone change from commercial to residential for land it owns at Atkinson Avenue and Lansdowne Boulevard to permit Habitat homes to be built there.
Heard Sheila Agnew-Burke of S and S Productions, Columbus, promote the "Spirited Sisters Expo," a community event sponsored by the African American Women's Agenda to be held July 24 and 25 at the Youngstown Playhouse. The traveling event is designed to motivate and inspire people through education, information and cultural awareness. It features workshops and seminars, health and fitness activities, fashion shows, a youth forum and entertainment.
Moved to a second reading 2-percent rate increases, retroactive to Jan. 1, for each of the next five years for Youngstown Thermal, which provides steam heating and cooling to downtown buildings. Thermal had sought a 15-percent rate increase this year.
Authorized the board of control to borrow $3.42 million at 3.18-percent interest for 20 years to pay for a project designed to eliminate the Orchard Meadow sewer overflow in Mill Creek Park by 2006 as mandated in an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Authorized the board of control to pay MS Consultants of Youngstown $11,515 for additional engineering work to consider an alternate site for a new water tank on Kirk Road in Austintown. The additional spending would bring the city's engineering contract with MS on the project to $108,226.
Authorized the board of control to pay $40,066 for design work to relocate a waterline as a result of the Ohio Department of Transportation widening of state Route 46 in Austintown.
Authorized the traffic engineering division to install signs at city borders that honor the Ursuline High School girls basketball team's 2004 Division III state championship.