MAHONING COUNTY Commissioners hand out CDBG awards for 2003

Commissioners were late in distributing the 2003 funding allocations.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners doled out 2003 community development block grants Thursday and announced which communities will be funded in the next round later this year.
The 2003 program includes six grants totaling $450,000. They were approved last year and some of the projects already have been bid, said Joseph Caruso, assistant county administrator.
He said Thursday's action was simply approval of project agreements with the recipient communities so the money can be released to them for construction, which will probably be done this year.
Largest, smallest
Jackson Township received the largest grant at $140,000 for extension of a waterline in North Jackson. The smallest grant was $17,000 to the Canfield city for curb ramps and sidewalks.
Other recipients were Austintown Township, $90,300 for a drainage project; Canfield Township, $100,800 for sanitary sewer work on Summit Drive; Goshen Township, $60,600 for street resurfacing in Damascus; and Milton Township, $41,300 for road resurfacing.
Under the 2004 CDBG program, commissioners approved funding for six projects totaling $465,700. Caruso said the projects will be forwarded to the state for approval by mid-July, and funds should be made available to the communities by the end of this year.
Next year
Austintown will receive the largest share at $107,300 for a storm drainage project on Evelyn Road. The second-highest allocation will be to Smith Township, which will get $103,000 for a waterline project in the Maple Ridge area.
Other projects will be in Craig Beach, $88,000 for storm sewers; Coitsville Township, $72,000 for road resurfacing; Milton Township, $72,400 for road resurfacing; and Lowellville, $23,000 for sidewalk improvements.
Highway safety
Commissioners also passed a resolution supporting a county application for a $150,000 state grant from the Governor's Highway Safety Office. If it is awarded, the grant would help fund sobriety checkpoints conducted by the sheriff's department, said Joseph Caruso, assistant county administrator.
bjackson@vindy.com