2 Valley proposals vie for $300,000 in grant money

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — Two Mahoning Valley proposals are among nine finalists vying for $300,000 being offered by an organization that supports economic growth and collaboration in Northeast Ohio.

A committee organized by the Fund for Our Economic Future — consisting of more than 100 foundations, organizations and philanthropists from 16 counties in Northeast Ohio, including Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana — received 39 applications for the money. The group reduced the number of finalists to nine.

It’s now up to the public to vote for up to three projects to share the $300,000.

Of the nine finalists, two are from the Mahoning Valley. They are:

UNine communities in Mahoning and Trumbull counties would collaborate with Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies to implement a Web site to market sites in those communities for economic development. Information about available property online is incomplete, and a number of the communities don’t have the money to provide it in a comprehensive manner, according to the grant application.

The project would cost $67,590. The grant request is for $57,451. (A grant request can be for no more than 85 percent of the project’s cost.)

The communities are Youngstown, Warren, Niles, Girard, Struthers, Campbell, Newton Falls, McDonald and Lowellville. The same nine communities recently agreed to team up to apply for competitive federal funding to help stabilize neighborhoods.

“What an exciting way to think of marketing brownfield sites,” said Brad Whitehead, president of the Fund for Our Economic Future.

UMahoning County, Youngstown, Boardman, Austintown and the city of Canfield want to share broadband technology for law enforcement, disaster recovery and general information technology services.

The project’s total cost is $312,000, with the governmental entities seeking $120,000 from this fund.

“It will improve the efficiency of providing those services,” Whitehead said of this proposal.

The other proposals include: mapping a storm-water system in Stark County; a regional fire district in Cuyahoga County; consolidating public health services in Summit County; and a master plan for a joint economic development zone in Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson and Stow.

Details of the projects can be viewed online at www.efficientgovnow.org with people voting on that Web site, by telephone at (877) 771-5206 or with a mail-in ballot available at public libraries. All votes must be cast by July 31.

Up to three projects will be selected with the winners announced in August, Whitehead said.

The funding comes from financial contributions given to the Fund for Our Economic Future from its supporters.

“So much is written about problems with government,” Whitehead said. “This is an example to highlight those working to find a better way and a better system in government.”

The Fund for Our Economic Future assists Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Carroll, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Richland, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Summit, Cuyahoga, Medina and Lorain counties in Northeast Ohio.

skolnick@vindy.com