Niles council discusses port authority agreement

The city may contribute $50,000 for economic development staff.

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NILES — City council will be asked to commit $50,000 as its share of a cooperative agreement that would create an economic development staff for the Western Reserve Port Authority.

Councilman Stephen Papalas encouraged the commitment during a meeting Tuesday in the office of Mayor Ralph Infante. The rest of council had been invited to attend what Papalas described as “a roundtable,” but only Robert Marino, council president, showed up along with several city officials.

Papalas said he was responding to a suggestion by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, to create a development team under the direction of the port authority.

“We need a staff with their feet on the ground that can react to businesses that are thinking of coming here,” Papalas said. “Communities need to commit start-up money to create the staff.”

Under the proposed Cooperative Agreement for Economic Development of the Mahoning Valley, Niles, Warren and Youngstown would each commit $50,000 a year, and the shares from Mahoning and Trumbull counties would total $100,000 each. Contributions would be made annually for three years. The Western Reserve Building Trades, the representative body of several construction unions, would make a one-time donation of $25,000.

Infante said the city’s contribution should only be for the first year, at least for now.

“Let’s just wait and see how things go before we look at the second and third years,” the mayor said.

Papalas said the economic development staff can generate “creative financing” approaches to create tax incentives to make the area more appealing to business.

“This will allow us to go on offense and adequately sell this area,” Papalas said, acknowledging a similar statement earlier from Ryan. “We have to be able to put together a deal quickly when we need it.”

The councilman cited the success of a similar economic development staff with the Summit County Port Authority through a cooperative effort in the Akron area. He warned, however, that Niles should not expect an immediate impact once the staff is created.

“We may not see results in the first or second year, but I think we will see a positive impact in our area,” the councilman said.

Legislation is to be introduced at council’s next meeting on Aug. 20. The source of the funds is being determined by the city auditor.