It pays to collaborate, mayor tells group

The city will spend more than $1 million repaving neighborhood streets.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Cooperation and collaboration are the trademarks of the city administration, Mayor Michael O'Brien told business leaders Friday.
"We understand there are no limits to our future if we get past the divisiveness that has been a hallmark for our times,'' the mayor told the Regional Chamber's "Good Morning Warren" breakfast gathering.
"Council, civic leaders, government workers and private businesses, the average citizens and hosts of volunteers have made their mark," in the administration's efforts, he told the audience at DiLucia's Banquet Room on Elm Road.
As an example of a cooperative effort, he cited the land swap between the city and the school board that will allow construction of the new Francis Willard School on Willard Avenue Southeast.
The city is providing the school board with Wallace Lynn Park to enable construction of that new school, and the school board will give the city the Turner Middle School site to enable expansion of Packard Park after Turner is demolished.
The school board is engaged in a $153 million schools construction project, under which its 13 school buildings will be replaced with five new ones by mid-2009.
Action taken
City employees and volunteers, who came together for the "Take Back the Neighborhood Initiative," have made substantial progress toward eliminating blight from the city's near north side and making the area safer, O'Brien said.
As the local economy shrinks because of plant closings and staff reductions, city officials are closely guarding the city's money and making substantial use of federal and state grants, he said.
The administration has an excellent relationship with the city finance department and city council, he said. "We are very conservative in our estimates. We plan for situations as they arise, and we, most importantly, control our spending," he added.
City officials have secured federal and state grants for renovations and improvements at the city-owned W.D. Packard Music Hall and federal funds for the forthcoming National Packard Museum expansion and for the stage roof and other improvements now being added to the Perkins Park amphitheater.
The city has obtained $4 million in federal money to pay for three street resurfacing projects: Last year's repaving of West Market Street from Main Avenue to Leavittsburg; this year's repaving of Youngstown Road from Ridge Road to Chestnut Avenue; and next year's repaving of Parkman Road from West Market Street to Warren Township.
Street repaving
In addition, the city will spend more than $1 million this year in its own neighborhood street resurfacing program -- the largest in city history. The city is also buying a roller and front-loader and reviving its own hot-patch crew to do some of its own street maintenance, he said.
The mayor announced that plans for the Country Club South housing community are expected to be submitted soon to city officials. This project calls for construction of 125 new $195,000 homes at the rate of 25 to 30 per year, he said.
The mayor concluded: "Warren is poised for achievements that were unimagined years ago."