COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Official recommends how to divide $3.93M

A declining population also means a decline in federal assistance to the city.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Though there are numerous projects worthy of receiving funding from the city's Community Development Agency, there is only so much money to go around, its acting director said.
City council's CDA committee heard recommendations Monday from Mary June Tartan, the CDA acting director, on how to spend the $3.93 million allocated to the city by the federal government.
Of that amount, $2.95 million is from the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The city will also receive $806,232 for home investment grants and $177,464 for emergency shelter grants.
The federal money's main purpose is to provide assistance to low- and moderate-income people and areas of the city, Tartan said.
The amount the city will receive for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1 is about $500,000 less than it received during the current fiscal year, which expires June 30, she said.
Like other cities with declining populations, Youngstown has experienced cuts in these funds over the years, Tartan said. Also, the federal government is reducing the amount of money given to cities from these programs.
Requests versus funds
The city received requests for $6.37 million from agencies and city departments for the $3.93 million available through the three federal programs.
"There are a lot of worthwhile programs and projects, but we just don't have the money to fund them," Tartan said.
For example, the Children's Museum of the Valley requested $250,000 and will receive nothing. The Ohio Northeast Health Center that runs a medical clinic on Wick Avenue requested $110,636 and also will get nothing.
The CDA committee largely accepted Tartan's recommendations at its Monday meeting. City council is holding a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in council chambers to approve the CDA budget.
The budget has to be at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., by next Monday or the city runs the risk of having a delay in receiving the federal funding, Mayor Jay Williams said.
Among the major expenditures recommended by the CDA committee are:
*$750,000 for street resurfacing work in low- and moderate-income areas. The city has also budgeted $410,000 from its general fund for street improvements this summer in non-low and -moderate income areas.
*$603,831 for the CDA's housing rehabilitation department.
*$356,323 for housing rehabilitation.
*$320,000 to pay for 50 percent of the cost of salaries and benefits of its code enforcement officers. The rest will come from the city's general fund.
*$250,000 to pay for seasonal park and recreation department workers. The general fund will provide $207,468 for the workers.
skolnick@vindy.com