TRUMBULL COUNTY Mayor O'Brien seeks to win over community

Council members give the administration high marks.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Six months into his term, Mayor Michael J. O'Brien says he's worked to try to bring government to the community.
"I go to at least three speaking engagements per week," he said at his city hall office.
O'Brien, who served 10 years as a Trumbull County commissioner and 10 years on city council before becoming mayor, also believes he's made strides in improving race relations in the city.
Relations have been strained after allegations against the police department of brutality and illegal strip-searches. Many of the complainants were black.
O'Brien says that he and Doug Franklin, safety-service director, have been meeting regularly with the local NAACP and the Trumbull County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and that those meetings are ongoing.
"Those are routine meetings; they're not reactive," he said.
Concerns raised at those meetings have been submitted to appropriate city department heads, and action has been taken when necessary, he said.
But a member of one group formed earlier this year over concerns about the police department said he hasn't spoken to O'Brien or Franklin since a meeting in March.
"I can't even give you a pulse," said the Rev. Dr. Frank Hearns of Second Baptist Church, who is president of the Baptist Ministers Laity Conference International Inc. "We haven't had any dialogue."
He said he has no firsthand knowledge of what the administration has done to improve race relations, but he acknowledges that some things seem better.
"I've not seen the same intensity between the police department and the community" as occurred during the previous administration, the Rev. Mr. Hearns said. "It appears the administration is working better with the people around them."
Councilman's view
Councilman James A. "Doc" Pugh, D-6th, thinks race relations have improved.
"I truly do believe he's done an adequate job to try to reach the African-American community as best he can being the new kid on the block," Pugh said.
All complaints about the police department that have come in since O'Brien and Franklin took office have been dealt with, he said.
Working with council members is another priority O'Brien says he's focused on since taking office.
"There's not a week that goes by that there aren't at least three council people in this office," O'Brien said.
Other council members also give high marks to O'Brien's first six months at the city helm.
"There's more communication between the mayor and council," said Councilwoman Susan E. Hartman, D-7th. "The city is operating more as a team with department heads, the administration and council."
Councilman Alford L. Novak, D-2nd, credits the administration's fast action for getting a problem house in his ward boarded up. Neighbors had complained of drug activity and guns fired at the Rex Boulevard house.
Novak said he pointed the house out to Franklin during a ride through his ward earlier this year, explaining the problems.
"They addressed it in a timely manner," he said.
The occupant was arrested and the house has been boarded up, Novak said.
Arts and entertainment
O'Brien said he's also proud of arts and entertainment activities at the Warren Community Amphitheater, orchestrated by the Fine Arts Council of Trumbull County, with funding guaranteed by Trumbull 100.
He acknowledges he hasn't found a workable solution to the city's problem of people who abandon houses they own. It's a problem faced by many cities.
But he says he's working on a plan to address vacant, deteriorating houses and buildings.
That plan is modeled on a program near Dayton in which a city buys vacant homes, the Home Builders Association rehabilitates them, and the city sells them.